RAP STAR

Chapter 139 [verse 29. Just for the Record]

There was a very strong complaint among the female fans of 888 Crew. In fact, if this complaint were completely resolved, they might not be as fanatical about 888 Crew as before. Although it was a complex issue, the biggest complaint the fans had in the current situation remained unchanged: 888 Crew had no awareness of themselves as celebrities.

Q: When do you think 888 Crew transitioned from underground hip-hop to the position of celebrities? Is it still all about the hip-hop vibe?
Junhyung: (Eyes widen) Celebrities? We're not celebrities. Why would we be?

Q: Well, considering that you entertain people through music, and you gain their attention and financial benefits, one could see you as celebrities. Plus, you appear on TV and radio.
Junhyung: Um... Let me explain it this way. We're like soccer players. Soccer is their profession. They appear on TV, receive public attention, and entertain people, but no one calls them celebrities. They might become celebrities after retirement, but when they're on the field, they're just soccer players. It's the same for us. We're just rap players. Not celebrities.

Q: But isn't soccer a sport that can still be played without the audience, whereas music, as entertainment, is different? It can't exist without the audience.
Junhyung: Soccer would collapse without the audience too. Which club would invest in a sport that nobody watches?

This was from an interview 888 Crew did with an indie culture magazine called Hongdae People. After reading this interview, fans couldn't help but think, "What is this guy saying?" Initially, Junhyung's words seemed reasonable, but upon deeper analysis, there were many flaws. However, that wasn't the real issue. Regardless of whether Junhyung's words were right or wrong, the problem was that 888 Crew genuinely didn't see themselves as celebrities.

"888 Crew's Casual Fashion - The Worst of the Worst" - This was the title of internet articles that drew comments from female fans every time. Among the regular subjects of criticism in these casual fashion articles were Sanghyun, Junhyung, and Minho. How could their fashion sense be so terrible? How could they wear loose-fitting pants like American hip-hop artists and tight hoodies that barely fit over their chests? It was an irredeemable fashion sense.

However, Sanghyun was a bit different from Junhyung and Minho. Even though Junhyung and Minho attempted to show some style, they still became subjects of fashion disaster. Sanghyun, on the other hand, had no interest in dressing up at all. As a company CEO, he had worn only suits for ten years. Due to the nature of the stock finance industry, he didn't even have weekends. On his days off, he played golf, exercised, or slept. Those were the only three occasions when he didn't wear a suit. Therefore, he felt liberated in the current situation where he didn't have to dress formally and didn't care much about his attire. However, regardless of these factual differences, outsiders saw Sanghyun, Junhyung, and Minho as equally bad when it came to fashion. Among the members, only Inhyuk knew how to dress himself well. In fact, Inhyuk wasn't particularly stylish; he just ended up being in the top tier of fashion sense because he was in 888 Crew. Lastly, Hayeon and Minji had become so accustomed to receiving fashion terror that they no longer felt anything weird about it. Although the members were unaware of this fact, the reason why they received expensive clothing gifts was this. However, male fans actually liked to mock 888 Crew's fashion while still enjoying it.

- They look even cooler because they usually dress like beggars but dress well during performances and broadcasts. These guys are smart. They exceed your expectations, brother.
- Yeah, I think they did it intentionally, lol.
- But during broadcasts, stylists help them, right? But during performances, they just wear Triple Eight merchandise, right? I couldn't tell if they dressed well or not when I watched 888 Show.
- If you can't tell if they dress well or not, that's the 888 Crew's best dress code.