Beyond K-Pop: Rap

Hi, and welcome back to Silver Linings, where the maligned, forgotten, and ignored are at the mic.

Thanks to my significant other Ally, I have gotten very acquainted with South Korea's music scene. Also thanks to her, my acquaintance with the scene doesn't start or end at K-Pop. I've already done four articles pointing to acts from the area worth listening to if you're sick of BTS or BlackPink, but there are so many more. Today, I'm turning the focus to the rappers. See, for the longest time, it was thought that, due to the unusual structure of the language, rap was impossible in Korean. However, people like Verbal Jint have proven otherwise, and the rap scene exploded over there. It got to the point that idol groups were making a point of including rappers in their line-ups. Of course, RM, Suga, and J-Hope from BTS are the most famous examples, but they're far from the only ones. Today, I'm turning the spotlight to ten Korean rappers who've got the flow to rival the best of our hip-hop artists. Some are part of idol groups, some are still underground, but they can all bust a rhyme like few can.

Cheetah

Those convinced that female Korean rappers are just lightweight posers compared to their male counterparts... well, don't tell Kim Eun-young that. The rapper known as Cheetah is every bit as hard as the guys with tracks like "Bumpkins" and "Stagger". Her flow isn't lightning fast like a lot of Korean rappers, but you feel every syllable.

G-Dragon

Of course, when talking about K-Rap royalty, the one who can't be ignored is Kwon Ji-yong, known all over the world as G-Dragon. The leader of the K-Pop group BigBang, G-Dragon is one of THE reasons BTS exists today. Ignoring his credentials, his solo rap performances remind me of Snoop Dogg. His flow tends be West Coast-style slow, but he still grabs and holds attention with it. Since he's also an idol, he also gets a bit goofy like in the track "Crayon".

Heize

If anything can be said of Jang Da-hye, better known as Heize, she definitely knows how to make connections like Lil Dicky. Over the years, she's collaborated with the likes of Colde, DEAN, Suga, and Psy. UNLIKE Lil Dicky, Heize is actually a good rapper and R&B singer. Like Drake, Heize can easy switch between rapping and singing. Unlike Cheetah, she doesn't try to be as hard as the guys; sweetness can flow, too!

Junhyung

In my first "Beyond K-Pop" article, I brought up Jay Park. Obviously, Yong Jun-hyung is a fan as he seems to follow him. Originally part of the idol group Highlight, Junhyung has the same kind of sing-song flow that worked for Jay Park and Nelly, but, in contrast, he juxtaposes that upbeat flow against some downer lyrics, most often about break-ups. Listen to "Go Away", and see what I mean.

Justhis

Hur Seung, AKA Justhis, is one of the hardest rappers in Korea's underground. As heard in tracks like "Gone", he's almost like a car with its transmission on the floor. It's very unusual to hear rappers jump from fast to slow tempo in a second. Yet, Justhis pulls that trick off effortlessly. His lyrics are also much harsher than normal for Korean music. He even has a popular track simply called "Mother______"! (Fill in the blank yourself!)

Kid Milli

From geek to G... Choi Won-jae, now known as Kid Milli, may be one of the newer faces on the rap scene, but he was already a celebrity of sorts when he started. He first gained attention as a professional Starcraft player! However, since 2017, he's been busting some of the hardest rhymes in the business. Seriously, "APP" shown above is one of his tamest songs!

Punchnello

Flow is one of the most important things for a rapper to get right, and Lee Yeong-sin, better known as Punchnello, has it down big time! His style which easily runs from fast to slow and back again reminds me a lot of Krazie Bone from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. His flow is outright hypnotic.

Ravi

Idol rappers tend to have the roughest time as their presence in idol groups tends to hurt their street cred. Even RM and Suga had to produce tracks to prove they hadn't gone soft. Kim Won-sik, AKA Ravi from the boy band Vixx, however, doesn't seem as concerned about that. Rather than trying to be hardcore, he's gone out of his way to be the smoothest man to grab the mic. Look at his video for "Tuxedo" to see how he's pulled that off.

Soyeon

While a lot of idol rappers had swung hard in the opposite direction to re-establish their cred, Jeon So-yeon never had to. A member of (G)I-dle, Soyeon always found a balance between the saccharine sweetness of the group and her verses. While some may think her solo stuff and her parts with the group being similar is a detriment, I consider it an asset.

Zelo

Well, it finally happened. I found Korea's answer to Eminem, and his name is Choi Jun-hong, AKA Zelo. Originally a member of the idol group B.A.P., Zelo can do it all. He can beatbox. He can breakdance. While his lyrics may not be as dangerous as Slim Shady's, his flow matches Em's beat-for-beat.

I know there are more. In fact, I had to trim these choices from a MUCH longer list. Any Korean rappers you recommend? Let me know, and take care!