Masterminds behind hip-hop in Korea: Who are they?

The East-meets-street fashion of beats had been as soon as censored and unwelcomed right here, however now, the blossoming style is topping charts and has turn out to be a musical staple.

Not solely are the rapping types main trendsetters, however the style has constructed its personal tradition to symbolize the nation. However not like different leisure corporations, the hip-hop scene is made up of smaller labels that specialize solely within the style.

Following is a glance into 9 hip-hop heavyweights which can be making a splash on the worldwide music scene. 

1) AOMG

Standing for “Above Atypical Music Group,” AOMG was delivered to life in 2013 by Jay Park and is undoubtedly the trendiest label within the music trade right here, performing music that’s executed each within the mainstream and the underground.

Since its institution, the music scene has witnessed the meteoric rise of hip-hop in Korea, and the report label has been on the forefront of all of it. It has additionally armed itself with tunes that interweave hip-hop, onerous rap and R&B with a philosophy grounded on “inventive freedom.”

Most of the artists had been additionally masterminds behind rap competitors packages like Mnet‘s “Present Me the Cash” and “Excessive Faculty Rapper,” which have helped to popularize the style.

Protecting music from hip-hop to R&B, the label additionally boasts a few of the largest names. AOMG homes 20 artists, together with rappers, vocalists, producers and DJs. Names that make up the company embody producers like Grey, Code Kunst, Loco and Lee Hello.

Final February, Yugyeom of boy band GOT7 joined the label after his contract ended with JYP Leisure, and rapper Coogie is the most recent face on the roster.

Not too long ago, Jay Park stepped down from the CEO spot, though he nonetheless stays an adviser for the company. 

2) H1ghr Music

Collectively based by Jay Park and his American counterpart Cha Cha Malone in 2017, H1ghr Music is an organization pioneering the subsequent wave of hip-hop. With the ambition to showcase undiscovered abilities in R&B and hip-hop, the company has make clear budding virtuosos.

The company is at present dwelling to a few of the biggest artists of this technology, together with rapper pH-1, producer Groovyroom and Jay B of GOT7, to call a couple of, and these large names are making a daring mark with their sounds.

Its batch of proficient artists is thought for reshaping the definition of hip-hop. Swerving from mainstream rap, the brand new vanguard of rappers is providing stylish but new flows, sounds, moods and positivity by means of their lyrics.

Not solely can they push musical boundaries by means of songs, however the artists are additionally commercially viable. Sik-Ok is a well-liked musical determine and trend icon, having made a particular look for Off-White’s fall-winter 2020 runway present.

H1ghr Music can be well-known for dropping songs that function its complete roster. In 2020, the label dropped a two-part compilation album titled “Pink Tape” and “Blue Tape” and received for label of the 12 months and music video of the 12 months on the 2021 Korean Hip-hop Awards. 

3) Simply Music

Simply Music, often known as Linchpin Music, was based by Swings in 2009 when he was beneath Model New Music. It‘s at present dwelling to artists like Han Yo-han, mannequin Park Sung-jin, who goes by Jimmy Paige as his stage identify, and Giriboy.

First launched in 2012, Mnet’s “Present Me the Cash” TV competitors ratcheted up the expansion of hip-hop by permitting rappers within the underground group to seek out fame, as lots of the label‘s rappers gained reputation by means of the present. C Jamm and Vasco, who now goes by Invoice Stax, are two of the numerous rappers who discovered glory by means of the present beneath Simply Music, though Invoice Stax departed the label in 2018.

The rappers beneath Simply Music are additionally well-known for reflecting their personalities: Their songs are uncooked, give pleasure and spit fireplace. Many musicians are inclined to blast out their ideas and creeds with inventive but sincere lyrics, and the label’s compilation albums “Ripple Impact” and “We Impact,” launched in 2014 and 2017, respectively, vividly present their distinctive musical personalities. 

4) VMC

VMC, or Vismajor Firm, began as a crew known as “Vismajor” in 2011, comprising Deepflow, Babynine, Wutan and Ven. The report label was later established as an unbiased label in 2014, and is helmed by Row Digga and Deepflow, who is called one of many mentors for the hip-hop competitors collection “Excessive Faculty Rapper.”

In contrast to different labels, VMC is legendary for its a number of traditional hip-hop albums. Deepflow‘s third LP, “Yanghwa,” dropped in 2016, was praised for bringing actual hip-hop tunes to the plenty, and received him artist of the 12 months on the thirteenth Korean Music Awards.

Nucksal’s first LP, “The God of Small Issues,” additionally launched in 2016, gained the limelight by conveying a message by means of music that each cloud has a silver lining.

Presently, VMC is dwelling to illustrious rappers corresponding to Don Mills, Los and Rohann, and manages producers, DJs, engineers and designers. 

5) 1llionaire Information

The now-disbanded 1llionaire Information was created in 2011 and had managed the rap sport for almost a decade with solely three artists: Dok2 and The Quiett, who helmed the label, finishing its listing with Beenzino. The trio triumphed by tweaking the hip-hop scene in Korea.

Amongst many hip-hop labels, 1llionaire was the quickest in adapting to West Coast G-funk, and the trio’s signature fashion was entice music. Dok2 and The Quiett performed a pivotal function as mentors within the third season of “Present Me the Cash,” and Dok2, particularly, made a seismic change by introducing “cash swag” and influencing the circulate and rhythms of entice music.

The trap-style tracks the tandem wrote throughout this system, like “YGGR,” carried out by Bobby of boy band Ikon within the semifinal stage, grew to become a sensation in 2014, creating a significant hip-hop development that 12 months.

The group of three additionally went large by discovering themselves touring within the US and exporting Korean hip-hop sounds, however at the moment are defunct as Dok2 and Beenzino introduced their departure from the label in 2020. 

6) Ambition Musik

Ambition Musik was based by then-1llionaire Information’ CEO The Quiett and Dok2 in 2016 for one goal: to cater to up-and-coming artists and put out songs which can be completely different from 1llionaire Information.

Initially, the label was small in measurement and managed simply three rappers: Kim Hyo-eun, Changmo and Hash Swan. However now, the company has added 5 extra newcomers to its roster: Ash Island, producer Approach Ched, Leellamarz, Zene the Zilla and Don Malik.

The label boasts among the best rap heroes however doesn’t essentially pursue a mode that matches into the usual definition of hip-hop in individuals‘s dictionaries. Leellamarz is a violinist-turned-rapper, Changmo makes use of the piano as his forte and Ash Island reshapes the melodies of hip-hop by singing rap. Together with his iconic producer tag “Approach Ched, It’s Your Approach,” Approach Ched can be well-known for collaborating with artists from different big-name hip-hop corporations like Commerce L of H1ghr Music.

After including extra names to its label, Ambition Musik was honored because the label or crew of the 12 months on the 2020 Korean Hip-hop Awards. 

7) Wavy

Wavy was established by singer-songwriter Colde in 2018 and began as a one-person label when he put out his first solo EP, “Wave,” in September that 12 months. Now, the company performs a vital function in Colde’s musical universe.

Colde typically describes Wavy as a label that does “unconventional and avant-garde” music with loads of digital touches. Additionally, because the identify of the label suggests, identical to how Wavy reminds of “wave,” the ripples of continually reworking waves add extra range to music.

From R&B and hip-hop to indie, Wavy is a label that permits music to talk for itself. It homes seven artists, together with Apro, Khakii and the self-made band Wave to Earth. 

8) The Black Label

Based by YG Leisure‘s producer Teddy Park in 2016, the Black Label is a subsidiary of Ok-pop powerhouse YG Leisure.

The company initially began by overseeing hip-hop artists like producer Kush, Zion. T, R.Tee, Vince and Okasian. But it surely continued to increase its listing by including Jeon Somi, a former member of lady group I.O.I, and American baby mannequin Ella Gross.

The Black Label has been concerned with many hip-hop ventures in Korea, as Zion.T appeared on three seasons of “Present Me the Cash,” acknowledged for his musical abilities and as a mentor. Different artists additionally proceed to carve out a path for themselves by bringing out contemporary hip-hop and R&B tunes. 

9) DPR

The newest to hitch Korea‘s hip-hop scene is Dream Good Regime: a multigenre group with a set of artists and visionaries in music and the visible arts. With videographer and singer-songwriter DPR Ian on the helm, 9 members, together with DPR Stay, Ian, Rem and Cream, make up the label.

Well-known for his “Coming to you reside” watermark tag, DPR Stay introduced his studio sound to the plenty together with his “Coming to You Stay” EP in March 2017. DPR Ian earned his stripes as a video director and is thought for guiding the music video for Taeyang’s “Wake Me Up.”

Since then, DPR has constructed its stable profession as an unbiased label and broadened its horizon by persevering with to deal with audiences with distinctive but inventive music and tasks.

The DPR crew strove for extra by collaborating with the Seoul Tourism Group for final 12 months‘s “Your Seoul Goes On” marketing campaign. DPR Stay and DPR Cream additionally teamed up with conglomerate Lotte Group for a business jingle beneath “New Immediately, Higher Tomorrow.”

By Park Jun-hee (junheee@heraldcorp.com)