Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Yu Jin Kim
Old-school hip-hop refers to the music style from the 1980s and 1990s when hip-hop first started to gain major attention. At first glance, it might seem to have little in common with K-pop. This style of music often makes listeners feel nostalgic as if longing for a place they’ve never been to, much like NCT 127’s recent title track “Walk” from their 6th full album. Today, we’ll introduce five K-pop tracks that heavily use old-school hip-hop as their main musical influence.
YOUNG POSSE – XXL
YOUNG POSSE is a team that has proven how to differentiate themselves through music in the oversaturated K-pop girl group scene. From their debut, they made a strong impression as a “different kind of girl group” by taking a bold and quirky approach rather than striving to look pretty, consistently showcasing hip-hop-themed songs and performances. Their song “XXL,” released this March, carries the message that “the rookie group Young Posse has grown massively in their second year.” The music resembles the style of Seo Taiji and Boys’ “Come Back Home,” and the latter part of the song includes a performance homage to it. The title “XXL” hints at their ambitious musical direction by bringing to mind the long-standing American hip-hop magazine.
LE SSERAFIM- EASY
LE SSERAFIM’s title track “EASY” from their mini album 3 tells the story of members who appear strong in front of others but struggle with anxiety and doubts behind the scenes. LE SSERAFIM doesn’t claim that everything in life is easy. The lyric “If it’s not easy, I’ll make it easy” reflects that everyone puts in countless efforts or stays up at night due to inner uncertainties while striving to achieve their goals. The song showcases LE SSERAFIM’s unique ability to make challenges seem ‘EASY.’ It blends R&B and trap, but the performance features traditional old-school hip-hop dance with big arm and leg movements. This is a different image from the precisely synchronized group choreography they have shown before.
NCT WISH – WISH
NCT WISH is the final official unit of NCT, formed through the survival audition “NCT Universe: LASTART,” with BoA participating as the executive producer. NCT WISH’s debut single “WISH” is a mid-tempo song with a soft and emotional melody. While the song has a refreshing energy, its hook features unique old-school hip-hop elements. It represents the group’s hopes to move forward with their ‘WISH’ for the future and and has an overall upbeat and optimistic mood. KENZIE, known for creating many hit songs for SM Entertainment artists, wrote, composed and arranged the track.
j-hope – MORE
“MORE” is a pre-release track from BTS’s J-Hope’s solo album “Jack In The Box,” which was released in 2022. The album’s title refers to a toy that pops out of a box when opened, symbolizing J-Hope’s ambition to break out of his usual confines and showcase a new side of himself. “MORE” is an old-school hip-hop song featuring strong drum beats and guitar sounds, with J-Hope’s shouting voice standing out. The song embraces the toy box concept, with lyrics that intuitively express J-Hope’s desire and passion to break free and reveal more of himself. The music video ends with a scene of closing the box, which connects to the beginning of the video for another title track, “Arson.”
xikers – We Don’t Stop
Editor Seo Hayne: I like actors as they faithfully lead through their long running-time. I also like idols who accomplish everything on stage within 3 minutes.
