khh

KB Rapbeat Festival 2019

October 7, 2019 — Leave a comment

The day was about as toasty as you could expect from late September in South Korea, meaning that my ripped jeans and black t-shirt were probably about the worst thing I could have worn to an 11 hour out-door festival. But as they say, hindsight is 20/20 and I have far from perfect vision.

Still, the suffering was relatively minimal. Once you had finished trekking up the massive incline leading into the venue and downed two full bottles of liquid, that is. I should also probably note, that unlike most music festivals which are held in wide open areas like parking lots and random fields, this one was right smack in the middle of an amusement park. As in, you had families walking around with strollers in hand while rappers performed on a stage less than five metres away.

It was an interesting audience.

But I have to give credit to the event organisers, because the various stages were well-arranged, making it easy to manoeuvre between them, except of course when the more popular artists started to play, because then you would have this mass migration of people that literally felt like a tidal wave of bodies.

In the beginning though the atmosphere was very relaxed as people surveyed the various tents and food-trucks scattered throughout, took their instagram pictures, and strategised for the evening, choosing who they would and wouldn’t see. For myself, the decision was relatively easy, since I had already been to the NBA Buzzerbeat festival only a few months prior. Though I still begrudged the conflicting show-times, as I would have liked to have seen E Sens and Beenzino perform, both of whom are well-known and respected Korean rappers. Plus you had the special appearance of Keith Ape, a rapper that started to trend after the video for It G Ma went viral.

At the end of the day though, I am satisfied with the line-up I did get to see. They may not have been the most hype of performers, but they were all undeniably talented. Especially Sam Kim, a Korean-American singer known for his expert guitar playing and smooth vocals. And while I would not personally call myself a fan, considering the fact that I know only a total of two songs, now three thanks to his rendition of No 눈치, I found myself bobbing my head and tapping my foot along to the infectious rhythm of his songs.

Similarly, I was not overly a fan of the crew YTC4LYF, whose performance followed shortly after Sam Kim’s. But I wanted to see them because one of their crew members, Zene The Zilla, has been steadily rising in popularity after appearing on the rap survival program Show Me The Money. There is something about him that is intrinsically attractive. Some unknown quality that allows him to control the stage. He is someone that I have been paying more and more attention to lately, though I remain undecided on his actual music. Much like Coogie, whose crew came on after YTC4LYF’s set. He, like Zene, rose in popularity after appearing on Show Me The Money777, developing a reputation for high-energy performances and addictive raps. Neither of which he disappointed on. Which is impressive given the fact that he is a relatively inexperienced rapper. Though I personally don’t see him progressing much further within the industry as he relies too heavily on trend, and has yet to firmly develop his own sound.

Unlike Penomeco who is very distinctive in his style, and has showed consistent improvement over the years. He is someone that resists the classical definition of rap, and instead seeks to redefine the term with experimental music. Which is probably why I prefer his live music to his studio recordings. Because in his live renditions the tracks take on a slightly different vibe, infused with his overwhelming energy and stage presence. Whereas the studio versions have more of a coffee-shop feel to them. It also helps that he has a very likeable demeanour, and easily conveys his personality whilst performing. It definitely makes for a tough act to follow.

But fortunately, the next performer in the line-up was Superbee featuring Uneducated Kid. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the Korean rap scene, Superbee is a fairly infamous name, due to a certain diss he made on Show Me The Money Season 4. At the time, he had a very uncouth image, and garnered a lot of hate for his antagonist remarks. But over the years he has worked towards a more positive reputation, producing songs with bright beats and charming lyrics. And has now established himself as one of the best rappers currently active in South Korea. Though he never finished higher than 3rd on the rap survival program. But considering that the rappers he lost to were Cjamm, Behwy (Season 5), and Loopy (Season777) I feel like this fact can be ignored.

Anyways, after his performance there was a bit of a lull, during which I took a much needed food and beverage break before attempting to rejoin my friends who had headed to a different stage to see Heize. This was probably around 4, meaning that everyone who was going to be at the concert was at the concert, and so instead of casually making my way to the other stage, I found myself navigating a hoard of people.

Which I admittedly cut in front in.

Because there was a line. A huge, long line, winding all the way to the adjacent stage. And rather than stand in that line, I slowly, and as inconspicuously as possible, ebbed my way into the flow of people heading in. It wasn’t fair, I know. But I figured if I was ever going to find my friends, then I needed to do so before the massive crowd flooded the area. And it worked, so alls well that ends well?

Though of course, finding my friends was only step one. Step two was trying to position ourselves as close to the stage as possible before too many people started to lock in. Luckily, we had decided on our final stage for the evening fairly early on, and were able to advance our positions during the transitions between artists. The first of which was the crew You.Will.Know. Headed by R&B Singer and Producer Dean, You.Will.Know is still a relatively new crew consisting of a total of three members. Though I could be wrong, because Dean is the only artist I am familiar with, and the only one I really paid attention to during their set. A phenomenal vocalist, Dean is known for his very atmospheric tracks as well as his role in Fanxy Child, which Penomeco is also a member of. However, most of his popularity is limited to female fans, in part because of his appearance, but also because his style of music is less appealing to male fans.

Whereas Ash Island and Changmo, whose sets followed Dean’s, have a more equal ratio of female to male fans. Probably because their music precedes their appearances. But also because stylistically, they tend to lean towards heavier and more aggressive beats. Especially in the case of Ash Island who is a combination of 90’s grunge and 70’s punk. He is someone that I had initially side-lined, believing his sudden popularity to be undeserved, but after catching part of his performance at NBA Buzzer Beat I realised that I may have been unjustly biased, and so I made a point of seeing him at KB. And suffice to say, he was good. There is just something about his personality that is simultaneously endearing and intimidating, kind of like those feisty pets, the sweet to scary stuffed animal. He draws you in. Though, to be fair, so does Changmo. He is someone that has been around for a while now, and his experience shows in his artfully constructed raps and overflowing confidence. But at the same time, he remains humble, committing to each performance as if he were still a rookie seeking to prove himself.

Part of me wishes their set had gone on longer.

Because their set was more like a headlining performance than the actual headliners were. And that is saying something. Believe me. Because the actual headliners were none other than DPR Live and Zico. Though, from a studio album perspective, both Ash Island and Changmo pale in comparison. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that they are entirely different leagues. Especially where DPR is concerned. An independent production company, DPR is known for their cinematic music videos and atmospheric tracks. Which do not exactly translate to a stage as large as the one at Seoul Land. While for Zico, the issue was less his style of music as his choice of songs, because Zico is one of those artists that is talented enough to challenge a variety of genres. He does not need to limit himself, but it is a double edged sword, because not all songs make the same impact, and at 9 o’clock on a Saturday night, after an entire day filled with music all you want is that song that will take your breath away, or make you go hoarse from screaming applause. You want that song that will make you stop where you are and say ‘wow’

I was not wowed.

I was happy, for sure. He is an incredible artist, and he performed incredibly. But it did not exceed my expectations, or leave a lasting impression. But I’ll tell you what did:

Sam Kim’s guitar playing. Ash island’s playful banter. Penomeco and Coogie’s energy. Those artists that performed when the sun still shone, as if it were their own personal spotlight. The ones that came to the stage and killed themselves on it, not caring how many people did or didn’t scream their name.

 

 

NBA Buzzer Beat Festival 2019

July 20, 2019 — Leave a comment

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure whether or not I would be attending this concert, largely because I had only the vaguest sense of where it was and a very limited trust in the navigational powers of Naver Maps. But fortunately, as with most events, you only need to find yourself in the approximate area after which you can simply follow the usual suspects, who in this case were individuals such as myself: young with brand name clothing such as Thrasher, I Am Not A Human Being, Obey etc.

So there I was, at ground zero for this music festival I had not really heard about, but had somehow purchased a ticket to anyways. Only, at that point, my ticket was still floating around somewhere in cyber space, and while Internet tickets are common enough in Canada, online receipts for physical tickets are not. Luckily though I was able to track down a seemingly nice foreigner who took pity on my confusion and showed me exactly where I needed to go, and told me exactly what I needed to do.

Success.

Sort of.

Because after all, I still had the concert itself to contend with. And if you have ever been to a festival before then you know that it can be absolutely chaotic. Mainly because there are a multitude of stages with performances happening in tandem, meaning that sometimes you have to make a choice between one artist and another. However, as there were only two stages at this specific festival, which were initially divided based on genre, with one stage hosting more of the R&B based artists, and the other more Hip Hop, the choice of where to go was made far easier.

Until the end of the night, that is.

Which, as concert custom dictates, is when the main artists finally begin their sets.
But I am getting ahead of myself.

Because before the headliners, you have the warm-ups. Which for me included artists such as Won Jang, Junny, Jiselle, Jeon Jiyun, and Niihwa. The latter of which is the only one I would consider worth mentioning. After all, there is a reason most of these artists are placed so early in the line-up, when people are still filtering in. But you would be surprised at how little that fact affects their performance. Whether skilled or not, each artist performed as if in front of an audience of a thousand, instead of a crowd of a mere hundred.

Niihwa, in particular managed to surprise me. An R&B based artist, Niihwa managed to command the stage the moment he set foot on it with an easy confidence unknown to most of the artists who preceded him. But more than that, he demonstrated impeccable vocals and an ability to contrast his angelic falsetto with deep baritone raps.

Following him though was an artist that I don’t even remember watching, Gweon Yeonghun. He could have been a rapper or a singer, and I honestly couldn’t tell you. But what I could tell you, is that immediately following his exit from stage the crowd thickened, multiplying into at least a thousand as everyone in the arena prepared for the next performer.

Zion. T

Even his name distinguishes him, marking him with an undeniable swagger. And as one of the most respected artists in Korea, I will have to admit that my expectations were a bit high. But as always happens with high expectations reality failed to meet them leaving me only with a mild case of disappointment. I say mild, because were I to have been a fan of Zion.T I may have found his performance far better, but as someone merely curious to see how the seasoned performer did…I could only feel underwhelmed. And the feeling persisted as he was followed by amateur crew, Frank Musik, who did possess some talent with rap but lacked the necessary experience to truly work the stage. While both Holmes Crew and Vagabond Tribe, both of whom have experience, lacked the impact associated with their respective names. After all, Holmes Crew once included Hashswan, while Vagabond Tribe continues to be lead by the controversial Changstarr.

Fortunately though, that series of disappointments ended the moment Penomeco took to the stage. Now, Penomeco is one of those artists that I have been keeping a close eye on because like many other artists in Korea, I see his potential, though I have yet to be sold on his actual music. See, while there are definitely songs of his that I enjoy listening to, as a whole, I find that he errs too much on the side of R&B whereas I prefer rap. But whether R&B or hip-hop, his live charisma is infectious to the point where I didn’t even care what song was playing. Though it should be said, that he chose his set-list well. Opening with his feature in the track Fancy Child, Penomeco immediately took control of the room, and from beginning to end delivered a performance that none could complain about.

And that right there, was when the tide turned.

Because from that moment on, the crowds were thick and filled with excitement as well-known artists each took their turn at the lime-light. The first of which, for me at least, was Ash Island whose set I caught the tail end of as I switched from one arena to the other.

Now, Ash Island is one of the more recent recruits to the Ambition Musik Label, founded by the CEOs of Illionaire Records Dok2 and The Quiett. But despite belonging to such a major player in the rap scene, I had never really listened to Ash Island, partially because I had never heard of him prior to his contract with Ambition and felt that there wasn’t enough justification for his success. That people were, in effect, supporting him simply because of the label. And while that may be true, it should not detract from the fact that he is skilled. He knows how to attract the attention of an audience, how to fill up a stage and perform effectively. He is one of those people that I must admit to having judged too early. Because now he is one of those people that I plan on watching more closely.

Whereas in contrast, you have Legit Goons and The Cohort, both crews that have already established themselves in Korean hip-hop, and no longer possess potential. Only talent. They are what some may call seasoned professionals and they certainly showed that with their comfort on stage. But as comfortable as they were with performing, they are not artists that I would personally choose to listen to, for stylistic reasons. Though I must admit, that there is something compelling about the rapper Okasian, who used to belong to the label Hi-Lite Records along with fellow crew member, B-Free. The latter of whom wanted nothing more than for people to party. He kept asking for a mosh pit to form, only to be met again and again by silence, until frustrated, he stepped into the crowd, in the exact spot I was standing.

It was kind of hilarious, especially when the two boys beside me lost their composure, and revealed themselves to be true fans of the hip-hop genre. Even more so, when VMC began their performance. I mean, they knew every song, and every word, and could say it alongside the artists without a single breath lost between them. Though, with VMC that is not that much of a feat. I have seen the label perform twice, and can attest to the fact that their set-list has not varied much in recent years. For as respected and popular as they are, they do not frequently release new albums.

Still, I acknowledge them.

It’s just that I happen to acknowledge other rappers a little bit more. Such as BeWhy, whose rap is without flaw. I mean this is an artist that can spit bars for four minutes straight without the need of a tiring hook to fill in the silence. He packs in his rhymes tight, and writes as much for meaning as he does for impact. And the worst is, he has only gotten better since his stint on Show Me The Money. Having previously seen him perform in Toronto, I was impressed by how much more professional his stage had become, and how well he was able to fill it. No longer did he have to repeat songs to complete a set, or use idle chatter to catch his breath. This time he was able to transition from one song to the next, barely using audience interactions. And when he did he used his characteristic good nature to extract laughter and smiles and raucous applause that rang far louder than it did for any other artist that night.

Including MKIT Rain, who were supposedly the headliners for this half of the festival. But as anticipated as they were, or perhaps because of how anticipated they were, they were just not as good as BeWhy had been. Though to be fair, Behwy is a tough act to follow. Still, you would think with veterans such as Nafla and Loopy in the mix, and a reputation for hype appearances that the label would have been able to deliver a phenomenal show. Not to say that the show was bad. But as a fan of the artists, I personally felt that they were performing under their capabilities.

I mean this is a label known for expertly crafted collaborations, but for some reason, they decided to divide their one hour slot into individual sets. Sure, you had Nafla and AP perform the song “Mercy” together, which was a pleasant surprise since AP is not part of the MKIT Rain roster, and you had Loopy and Nafla performing hits from their combined album, and at the end you had the quintessential “Weathermen.” But there was so much else on top of that, that they could have and should have done. For instance, you have Loopy’s song “No More” which features Young West, and “Broken Hurt” which featues Niahn, and of course you have all the tracks from the MKIT Rain album.

It could have been a MKIT Rain concert. But instead it was a mini showcase of each individual rapper, and unfortunately, in this case, the pack was stronger than the lone wolf.

Overall though, I was pleased with the festival, and should I find myself in Korea another year, will likely attend again.

Only this time, I will be sure to wear comfortable shoes, and drink water (because I didn’t)