Friday, January 24, 2014

Yoo Seung-Joon, Pionerring Rap in Korea

Yoo Seung-Joon [유승준]

Years of Activity:  1997-2002 (Active in China from 2002-present)

Discography:
West Side (1997)
For Sale 1998 V2 (1998)
Now or Never (1999)
Over and Over (1999)
Summit Revival (2000)
Infinity (2001)
Permission: Promise of Jun [승낙 - Promise of Jun] (2006)
Rebirth of YSJ (2007)

Representative Song:  Nanana from For Sale 1998 V2



나나나
Nanana

기억하고 있니 어릴 적 예쁜 꿈들을
Do you remember those pretty dreams when you were young
모두 다 이룰 수 있을 것 같던 시간들
The times when everything seemed possible
소망을 꿈꾸며 주문을 외었지
We dreamed hope and recited a spell

시간이 지나고 세상에 지쳐 갈때쯤
As the time passed and by the time I got tired from the world
꿈은 그저 꿈일 뿐인걸 알게 됐지만
I learned that dream is just a dream
어릴적 주문을 아직 노래 하네
But I still sing the spell from my childhood

언제나 힘들고 지칠 때 날 일으켜 주던 꿈이 가득한 이 노랠 했어
I sang this song full of dreams that picked me up whenever I was in pain and fatigue
나나나나 나나나나 나나나나 나나나나
Nananana nananana nananana nananana
어두워진 가리워진 나의 길을 밝혀주는 이 노래를 함께 해봐
Sing this song with me that illuminates my darkened hidden way

[Rap]
난 그냥 되는 되는데로 살았었지
I just lived as the life took me
간섭받기 싫어 그냥 피했던 거지
Didn't want to be told what to do, just avoided everything
내일의 두려움도 필요없어
Didn't need to fear tomorrow either
그런 막막함이 내 시간만 좀먹었었어
Being at a loss like that ate away my time
그러다 내 어릴적 꿈을 보았었지
Then I saw the dream from my childhood
거친 바람속 내 어릴 적 노랠 들었지
In the roaring wind, heard my childhood song
그래 이건 아니었어 용서할 수 없어
That's right, this isn't it, this is unforgivable
다시 나를 살린 이 노래를 불렀었지
Sang this song that made me live again

어느샌가 내게 찾아온 사랑을 위해
For the love that came to me without even me noticing
그렇게도 나를 애태운 그대를 위해
For you who worried so much for me like that
영원을 꿈꾸며 주문을 외웠지
I recited the spell dreaming of eternity

피해갈 수 없는 현실에 지쳐갈 때쯤
As I got tired from the inevitable reality
무거워져 가는 걸음에 힘겨울 때면
When I feel pain from the steps that become heavier
어릴 적 주문을 노래하곤 했지
I would sing the spell from when I was young

언제나 힘들고 지칠 때 날 일으켜 주던 꿈이 가득한 이 노랠 했어
I sang this song full of dreams that picked me up whenever I was in pain and fatigue
나나나나 나나나나 나나나나 나나나나
Nananana nananana nananana nananana
어두워진 가리워진 나의 길을 밝혀주는 이 노래를 함께 해봐
Sing this song with me that illuminates my darkened hidden way

[Rap]
자꾸만 어긋나 버리고 퇴색해 버리는 내 꿈을 지키고 싶었어 이루고 싶었어
I wanted to protect my dream, achieve my dream that was going the wrong way, fading away
누구도 가식의 가면을 버리지 않으리 끝끝내 발버둥 칠때에 또 감추려 할때에
Nobody will take off their mask of hypocrisy as they struggle and hide to the bitter end
하늘에 새긴 내 어린 꿈들이 내 귓가에 들려준 이 노래 내 순수의 노래
This song that my childhood dreams in the sky sang into my ears, the song of my innocence
키 작은 아이의 함성과 내 사랑이 내게 들려준 이 노래 지켜갈 이 노래
This song that a shout from short kid and my love sang into me, the song that I will protect

언제나 힘들고 지칠 때 날 일으켜 주던 꿈이 가득한 이 노랠 했어
I sang this song full of dreams that picked me up whenever I was in pain and fatigue
나나나나 나나나나 나나나나 나나나나
Nananana nananana nananana nananana
초라하게 변해버린 나의 꿈을 밝혀주는 이 노래를 함께 해봐
Sing this song with me that illuminates my shriveled dream
 
Why is this artist important?
Yoo Seung-Joon -- conjointly referred to as his Americans name, Steve Yoo -- is in many ways a pioneering figure in Korean popular culture. Like Solid, Yoo was a Korean Americans creator who brought in components of Americans popular culture -- in his case, rap. And not simply any rap; the aggressive, authority-defying, "thug life" reasonably rap rife in Americans rap at the time. His initial hit song was concerning feeling older ladies (horror of horrors!) The music video for Nanana took it a step additional, displaying Yoo altogether doable variations of thug-life vogue squeeze in Korea -- best fighter in school, romantic liaison with a feminine teacher, etc. Of course, by the standards of nowadays (both in the U.S. and in Korea,) Yoo's attempt at defiance of authority is at the best cute, at the worst laughable. But heck, the primary airplane from the Wright Brothers was also pretty laughable in isolation. What matters is that they try happened, paving the method for others.
But those that are well-versed in K-pop history would recognize that his music isn't the issue that Yoo is remembered in Korea. Yoo's high-flying career met a fiery death in 2002 in a very manner he most likely never expected.
Until that time, Yoo was arguably the largest star in K-pop. Yoo's whole of brash rap was as huge successful because it was back in U.S. His beauty and amicable foreignness from being a Korean American acted as a magnet for screaming fan ladies, arguably the engine of K-pop. In a way, Yoo was LeBron James of his day -- his dominance was that sturdy. However Yoo's fall, whose cause was conjointly basically a PR mistake, was so much deeper and irredeemable than James'.
In 2002, as Korean Americans pop artists more and more appeared in a K - pop scene, the question of obligatory draft reared its head. If a Korean American (loosely defined) could be a Korean national with Americans permanent residency, he's eligible for draft if he earns cash from Korea. There have been some cases during which small-fry Korean Americans pop artists did bound things to avoid being written, that raised suspicion on Korean Americans artists usually.
Yoo was already raising suspicion before 2002. Though on stage, he would interact in rigorous choreography, he managed to induce, grade four in his draft physical with an explicit  explanation for herniated disk, which might assign him to body duties for his military service. However a minimum of he was going, individuals thought -- and Yoo publicly explicit  that he would serve his "holy duty of national defense." He was scheduled  to report for duty in April 2002.
Until he did not. In January 2002, the news that Yoo noninheritable  U.S. citizenship and wouldn't serve his military duty as a result stony-broke -- and Korean society roiled into a rage in a very scale that nobody (and on no account Yoo himself) might have anticipated. What Yoo, who grew up in Southern American state since age thirteen, ne'er quite grasped was, however seriously Korean men took their years of service. Truth is, few men in Korea wish to serve the duty for two. 5 years, micturition away their precious youth. Few ever fancy the military, alternately crammed with bullshit and tedium. However, they nevertheless report for duty, as a result of them need to. They grit their teeth and tolerate the bullshit, as a result of them need to. And after they see somebody who isn't actuation his weight? Then all hell breaks loose.
Yoo bore the total forcefulness of that hell. This was a period of high-speed net in Korea, wherever news unfolds quick and reactions were fast. The keyboard warriors visited work, screaming and howling concerning Yoo's betrayal. The powers that were at the time failed to nevertheless have the flexibility to make out what was legitimate belief and what was malicious troll -- which could not have mattered in Yoo's case finally, since they likely would be steamed all an equivalent. Yoo song concerning serving within the military. All different issues were secondary.
Korea's Ministry of Justice thought-about him to be a draft-dodger, a criminal. As a criminal, Ministry of Justice declared, Yoo wouldn't be able to enter Korea ever once more. Yoo tried to clarify somehow, blaming that it had been his management company that created the choice. However, at the tip of the day, there was no thanks to escape the actual fact that he noninheritable  U.S. citizenship to evade his military duty. He was allowed into Korea just one occasion since then -- in 2003, to attend his father-in-law's observance. Since then, Yoo has been active in China.
Yoo's musical contribution to K-pop was important, however the social impact growing out of his fatal mistake complete up overshadowing everything. Attributable to Yoo, the Koreans began to possess a national speech on topics that weren't mentioned before. What was the worth of military service? However, is that the precise relation between Koreans and Korean Americans? Considering that one in every of the foremost themes of the 2002 presidential election of Korea was that the losing candidate's son suspiciously failed to serve his military duty, a case is created that Yoo Seung-Joon's influence might are larger than anyone else on this list -- an empty consolation to a really proficient musician whose life was broken by his own country.

Interesting Trivia:
  Yoo's vogue, just like the sort of Americans rappers that he emulated, induced lots of hostility from different rappers. In 1998, an outstanding rapper Kim Jin-Pyo rapped, clearly aiming at Yoo:
혹시 그거 아냐? 여기는 미국 아냐
You know something? This isn't America.
얼어죽을 East Side, West Side  외치지만 말고
Stop saying freakin' "East Side, West Side"
제대로 좀 해봐 몇 년 후에 깡통 매봐
And do something real. Or wear a can a few years later. [="go bankrupt and become a beggar."]
그럼 두고두고 땅을 치고 후회할 테니 그럴 테니 하하하하
Then you will regret it for the rest of your life, that's right, hahahaha.
These lines may as well be the most prescient lines ever written in K-pop history.

Jang, Who Single-handedly Brought Trot Back



Jang Yoon-Jeong [장윤정]

Years of Activity: 
2004-present

Discography:
Oh My [어머나] (2004)
Jjanjjara [짠짜라] (2005)
Later, later [이따, 이따요] (2006)
Jang Yoon-Jeong Twist [장윤정 트위스트] (2008)
Ole [올래] (2010)


Representative Song: 
Oh My [어머나] from Oh My



어머나
Oh My

어머나 어머나 이러지 마세요
Oh my, oh my, don't be like this
여자의 마음은 갈대랍니다
A lady's heart is like a reed
안돼요 왜이래요 묻지말아요
No, why do you do this. Don't ask questions
더 이상 내게 원하시면 안돼요
You should not want any more from me
오늘 처음 만난 당신이지만 내 사랑인걸요
I only met you for the first time today, but you are my love
헤어지면 남이되어 모른척하겠지만
Though when we part, we will become strangers and pretend not to know
좋아해요 사랑해요
I like you, I love you
거짓말처럼 당신을 사랑해요
I love you like a lie
소설속에 영화속에 멋진 주인공은 아니지만
Though you may not be a handsome character from a novel or a movie
괜찮아요 말해봐요
It's ok, just tell me
당신 위해서라면 다 줄게요
For you, I will give you my all


어머나 어머나 이러지 마세요
Oh my, oh my, don't be like this
여자의 마음은 바람입니다
A lady's heart is like the wind
안돼요 왜이래요 잡지말아요
No, why do you do this. Don't hold me
더 이상 내게 바라시면 안돼요
You should not desire any more from me
오늘 처음 만난 당신이지만 내 사랑인걸요
I only met you for the first time today, but you are my love
헤어지면 남이되어 모른척하겠지만
Though when we part, we will become strangers and pretend not to know
좋아해요 사랑해요
I like you, I love you
거짓말처럼 당신을 사랑해요
I love you like a lie
소설속에 영화속에 멋진 주인공은 아니지만
Though you may not be a handsome character from a novel or a movie
괜찮아요 말해봐요
It's ok, just tell me
당신 위해서라면 다 줄게요
For you, I will give you my all
소설속에 영화속에 멋진 주인공은 아니지만
Though you may not be a handsome character from a novel or a movie
괜찮아요 말해봐요
It's ok, just tell me
당신 위해서라면 다 줄게요
For you, I will give you my all



Why is this creative person important?
Trot may be a genre that has a clumsy place in Korea. The screaming women (= fans of boy/girl groups) don't care regarding trot because it sounds old school. The too-serious K-pop aficionados (= fans of rock, hip hop and indie) dismiss trot as innovative and Japan-origined.
They each have some extent. Because the Korean noted within the transient history of K-pop, the trot was the primary -- and for a protracted time in sensible terms, the sole -- type of popular music genre in Korea. It's an imitation of a preferred music in Japan, beyond question a product of Japan's organization of Korea. The music itself is completely slavish, using constant distinctive one-two beat created by a percussion box throughout the decades of its existence. The lyrics were catchy for one listen, then quickly stale and vacuous.
From its efflorescence within the Sixties and 70s, trot suffered a protracted decline till it reached a nadir at around late 1990s-early 2000s. There have been a couple of brave souls -- typically older male artists in their 50s -- who unbroken chugging on, however they did nothing to reverse the perception that trot was a musical equivalent of a staple dish.
Jang single-handedly reversed that trend. To be sure, it's in all probability helped that within the 2000s, the trend in Korean popular culture toward retro -- the tendency to see into the past as additional innocent and romantic -- was full swing. Her music isn't something special, because the acquainted one-two beat is gift throughout. However, there ought to be absolute confidence that it took Jang's full talent and gumption for this moribund trend to return back. It had been impossible for a reasonably girl in her 20s would hitch her musical fortune to a dying genre. That Jang was ready to bring back the trend by the sheer force of her spunk and charm is sort of an action.
It is still not entirely clear whether or not trot can utterly shed its stigma of being an innovative music of the worst recent days. However, in spite of its inventive deserves, trot survived for this long in Korea a minimum of partially as a result of it resonated with Koreans themselves -- it'd been a shame if one thing that was such a large a part of Korea's popular culture utterly disappeared into oblivion. Thanks to Jang, trot is currently seen as a legitimate career path for young Korean pop artists, and consequently received an injection of recent talent that may carry the genre into the longer term.

Interesting trivia:
  Jang was a winner of an outstanding amateur singing contest in 1999 (MBC 강변가요제) with popular music, however toiled in obscurity for 5 years till her debut album in 2004. In an interview, Jang conjointly professed that she originally needed to be a rock musician.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Pipi Band, as Korean 90's Influental Band

Pipi Band [삐삐밴드]/Pipi Longstocking [삐삐롱스타킹]

Years of Activity: 1995-1997

Members:
Lee Yoon-Jeong [이윤정] (Vocal - in Pipi Band)
Kwon Byeong-Joon/Goguma [권병준/고구마] (Vocal - in PiPi Longstocking)
Kang Gi-Yeong [강기영] (Bass)
Park Hyeon-Joon [박현준] (Guitar)

Discography:
Cultural Revolution [문화혁명] (1995)
Impossible Mission [불가능한 작전] (1996)
Red Bean Fish Buns [붕어빵] (1996)
One Way Ticket [원웨이 티켓] (1997)
Pipi Band Pipi Longstocking: The Complete Best [삐삐밴드 삐삐롱스타킹 The Complete Best] (2004)

In 15 Words or Less:  La Resistance of the Weird.

Representative Song:  Strawberry [딸기], from Cultural Revolution

딸기
Strawberry

설탕에 찍어 딸기를 먹었어
Had a strawberry dipped in sugar
딸기밭에서 하루종일 놀았어
Played all day at the strawberry field
한참을 놀다보니 하루가 다갔어
Played for a while and the whole day passed
하루는 스물네 시간일까
Why is there only 24 hours in a day

수박 아줌마는 얼룩무늬 치마
Lady watermelon wears a striped skirt
참외 할머니는 귀머거리 할머니
Grandma melon is a deaf grandma
사과 외숙모는 친절한가봐
Auntie apple seems nice
딸기 친구는 사랑스러워
Strawberry my friend is adorable

좋아 좋아 좋아 좋아
Like like like like like like like
좋아 좋아 좋아 좋아
Like like like like like like like
좋아 좋아 좋아 좋아
Like like like like like like like
좋아 좋아 좋아 좋아
Like like like like like like like
딸기가 좋아
I like strawberry
딸기를 사달라고 졸랐어
I asked someone to buy me a strawberry
딸기를 먹지 않고 웃기만 했어
I didn't eat strawberry, but smiled
나는 이렇게 너를 좋아하는걸까
Why do I like you so much anyway
나는 니가 좋은지 몰라
I don't even know why I like you
그건 정말 몰라 () 나도 몰라
I really don't know (yeah) I don't know either

새빨간 딸기는 너무 아름다워
Bright red strawberry is so beautiful
포도 아저씨는 꿈꾸는 사람
Uncle grape is a dreamer
설탕에 찍어 딸기를 먹었어
Had a strawberry dipped in sugar

좋아 좋아 좋아 딸기가 좋아
Like like like I like strawberry
좋아 좋아 좋아 딸기가 좋아
Like like like I like strawberry
딸기가 제일 좋아 
I like strawberry the best
맛있어 
It's really good.

Why is that this important band?
The year is 1995, once K-pop was nearing its decisive turning purpose in 1996/1997. The popular culture scene simply exited the oppressive mood of the military autocracy that lasted till 1993, and was on its thanks to the heavilycommercialised variety of these days. The thought artists were principally dance "musicians" Who peddled insensitive music accompanied with catchy tunes, plagiarism and many of transcription, or proficient singers marketing out their skills to sweet "ballad" songs. The underground music scene, whose resistance to the up to date politics oil-fired abundant of its creativeness, was attenuated at the side of its nemesis. The notableindie music scene before of Hong-Ik University wasn't nonetheless to be.
Enter Pipi Band, who bucked the trend in each method. The band concerned, no performing arts. The tunes were unsmooth and strange. The lead (female!) singer wasn't really pretty, and will not sing. (Therearea unit unconfirmed rumors that she was brought into the band specifically as a result of she was therefore unhealthyat singing.) Their lyrics were at the best nonsensical, at the worst insane. They rarely looked on TV. However, they kicked and barged their method into public consciousness by the sheer force of their unfamiliarity. Only one listen was all you required to furrow your brow in confusion, and switch to your friend and raise, "Have you detected this song?"
This weird band became a lot of notable. However the raised profile solely looked as if it would goad the band into turning into even weirder and a lot of immune to the prevailing trend. On TVthey'd sing with a loudspeaker rather than an electro-acoustic transducer to mock alternative "singers" who resorted to lip synching. If a program compelled them to play canned music, they just stood around and refused to play the instruments. Everything finally came to a head once Pipi Longstocking -- the modified name of the band when they replaced the vocal -- spat at the camera and raised their finger throughout a live telecast of a well-liked music program. Ban from tvfollowed, and also the members split up to travel their own path.
Pipi Band is vital as a result of them set out 2 very vital trends in K-pop that carry on these days -- resistance to the new thought, and being weird. Though the corporatized, pre-packaged "bands" are a unit presently the thought in K-pop, Choson still contains a firm culture that involves true singer-song writers and artists Who area unit willing to push the boundaries of traditional. Though the band's direct influence wasn't rather more than a flash, it did what each pioneer did -- inform to the road less taken, though they themselves could have solely taken many steps toward it.

Interesting Trivia:
- Vocal Lee Yoon-Jeong could be a female offspring of Lee Gyeong-Jae, a distinguished politician. She was a danseuseby coaching. Currently, she could be a stylist for the recent crop of celebrities.
- The player Kang Gi-Yeong accustomed belong to Sinawi [시나위], in all probability the best serious metal band in K-pop history. He has currently adopted the nom de guerre of Dalparan ("Moon Blue") [달파란], and remains potent in Korea's indie music scene.