(#DoTheRightRap trailer featuring P Type and Huck P)
Just a little over a week ago, two Korean websites Homo Lyricus & HiphopLE released an official Twitter account and a trailer for an upcoming project called "Do the Right Rap." It was on July 1st that they released the trailer to their new campaign #DoTheRightRap featuring P Type and Huck P.
The campaign name is drawn from P Type's track "Do the Right Rap" featuring Huck P which was released at the same time of when the campaign had started. The name of the campaign speaks for itself: this campaign is in the form of a rap competition where anyone can contribute to prove what you believe is a "right rap." Everyone says there is no right or wrong in music but when the Korean hip hop scene has been nothing but Dok2 followers rapping about gold chains or people mimicking Beenzino's rap style, yes, this campaign becomes relevant in that Korean hip hop just needs another eye opener for fresh new talent to bring in diversity. P Type even explains the motive of the campaign which is different from what one would think from seeing just the title alone as he says,
"With this campaign 'Do The Right Rap,' rather than trying to make an official guideline for what a "right rap" should be, people should be thinking to themselves, "How can you rap to make it a good rap?" or "What's considered a proper rap?" These are questions that have been continually asked but no one has brought up the subject to discussion which is why we need this campaign, to bring the subject to the surface and need to have a lively discussion on it. This way, the (hip hop) scene can grow healthier and have a desirable path that we can all go down."So why a rap competition? Because a competition is always the best form of recruitment and when a reward is put into the picture, it drives even more people in. And what exactly is the incentive? The winners of the competition will be on tour with the campaign all around Korea and have a right to own a beat provided by the beat makers participating in the campaign.
Along with the release of the trailer, over the course of the past week, five veteran rappers Jerry.K, Deepflow, Paloalto, Minos, and Hwaji have released their respective verses for the campaign (audio and translated lyrics provided below). This isn't all however, as these five veterans will continue their contributions to the campaign as the five panelists to choose the winners of the competition. Aside from the five rappers are five producers who will be giving away their beats to the winners of the competition, those producers including Mild Beats, High Flies, Jay Kidman, Code Kunst, and Avantgarde Vak.
Although this is a competition, it's also a campaign. It's to help give a sense of direction for Korean hip hop as opposed to newer generations mimicking older generations or flashy American hip hop. As a campaign, Do The Right Rap is also accepting donations. All proceeds will go to a charity and the chosen charity will be determined after narrowing down the stories sent in by those who donated. If you have any questions on donating, I can ask HiphopLE to see if people outside of Korea can participate also.
I think this is a brilliant campaign since the "diss controversy" from last year left nothing but bad tastes in everyone's mouth without any resolution. I'll be following the campaign as best as I can and promoting it whenever I have the opportunity as you should too since it's doing it for "the love of hip hop" with a good cause tied into it.
As my share, I've translated all five lyrics so that this can be a small ripple effect to the international community that loves Korean hip hop like I do. Share the word, hashtag #DoTheRightRap on Twitter, support the campaign!
[Jerry.k]
Just like your dilated pupils is your dilated swag
As if you're just in your undergarments, your performances are unattractive
Your rap is distracting, just like that scruffy hair of yours
Your movements are just full of frustration
You pose from having seen stuff like this elsewhere but you can't say anything
After I listen to you, nothing's left over
It's as if ghost-like raps are just running around
"The City of Soul" Is it because this is Seoul?
But what to make of your soulless, blank raps then
That guy is like the other guy, and the other guy is that guy's replica
Bury all of these food composts into the ground so that us remaining humans, we do the right rap
Just doin' ma rap is right, so what more do you want from me?
The emotions and knowledge that my heart and mind endlessly produces is my gun and shield
Yeah, at the Tower of Babel that touches the tip of the sky, I'm going to be bringing down barbells one by one
Have the guys who can't even write a proper sentence hold it with their mouths so that now we can conversate
[Deepflow]
In BOOM BAP, it was about 2XL tees and New Eras with tags still attached
Tacked on the sole of Air Forces is Karl Kani
What used to be trendy comes back as a boomerang after changing
Everyone would hop on the bandwagon like a bitch but WHO AM I?
Deepflow has always been here
Ye Wan Yongs, who do you think you are, overlooking at my territory after having recycled your identity?
It's as if everyone planned it out because they all have the same alibi
They claim they did it for their family and to live but "What does that make me then?!"
The stigma of fakes are like the stamps from last night's club, easy to erase and manipulate the memories of fans
I guarded up the shithole you guys shat all over
The violin on the rooftop stopped playing and you were the dog chasing the chicken
You keep barking so calm down. Why? Are you upset I'm talking about you?
I'll do what I need to do whilst covering my ears and shooting down the targets
I'll clean up the rap audition competitors who get by with connections a little later because hyung is busy lately
Please know what you want to do, I mean, do you even know what the lyrics you wrote mean?
Right now I'm feeling like I took out something old from the back of my closet and reviving it
Do the right RAP
[Paloalto]
I don't rap about what I don't already have
Even if my rank is higher up, I consider my attitude to be on the very bottom
Instead of conforming to the music, I become me
I don't want to teach others since I'm learning on my own
I'm just delivering my thoughts and it's up to the public to critique me
In all situations, rather than trying to understand it, I take it all in
Everyone has different tastes and standards
Since this is art, rather than taking it in with your mind, accept it with your heart
I live my life so you should live yours
I hope that we can all follow what we like and find peace inside our hearts
Because the world is deceiving, everyone lives with stubbornness fighting with one another
This superficiality we see only shines momentarily
We torture ourselves constantly but we're still looking for a brighter future
Money doesn't control me and I control money
Even if have quarrels here and there, our house doesn't have any discords
My presence grows bigger with better tracks and better raps
Each method is different so cease the opportunity when given
Then and now, there's been a lot of bullshit that came my way but thanks to it, I still shine and keep on writing lyrics to this day
This is my soul and if you don't like it, listen to something else
I'm not going to beg you to listen but if you like what you hear, then come over my way
The scene is growing bigger and there's a lot of diversity out there
I don't worry for the plethora of rappers out because I'm checking on myself
All I wish for is for everyone to be a little wise in picking up from the start and going about their itinerary
I'm just doing my thing till the day I die
Even the public will critique me as not trash but an artwork
[Minos]
Rap competition? I watched from afar and it's really just a plethora of true retards together
They would shout claiming themselves as 'skillful'? No.
Why don't you listen to your parents and go learn some skills
The preview to your future? It's already rotten, you better recognize
Everybody's silent for a second.
"The emotions you felt in hip hop? Has it even appeared in your lyrics?"
While pressing your fuckin snapback on even more, you just spit out crooked words
You don't even know what the problem is but what you need is popularity?
That makes sense, but are you Beenzino?
You haven't even graduated from Primary Skool
You think this is easy? It's like throwing a stone at a boulder
The longer you keep going, the more you become insecure and all you can do is show your true self
Bite a fake like brownbreath
[Hwaji]
My origin is indifferent, and I'm either a light or dense guy
Those who know, know, that living life easily is a chronic disease
A weakling made of a tailbone and hip bone, and money
The preconceptions of you are roughly true
Rapholic. This just makes my vegetarian self girdle
Go fight on your own while I unravel my story
There's no need to blame this person or that because before anything, everyone's all ruined
It's already too late to try and fancy up this neighborhood
Please, don't sympathize rappers
And rappers, please, stop selling your shit on community boards
If having no money is virtuous, then you're plagued with the classic scholar disease. What to do with you?
Open your eyes and look here. This isn't Hanyang, it's 'Seoul'
I take out your soul and have an orgy with your cranium
A rap that's not right isn't respectful
Instead of dividing it, seeing the difference, it would be like this,
I'm having fun doing this so why are you doing it?
I'm begging you that the track of you being left by your girl, do it moderately
Do you wanna sell that shit when you sell your other shit?
Then why do it at all? Why do it, you retard?
You don't even have a coolness you're pursuing, money, or jackshit
Anyone can release an album nowadays
So why do it, you retard? Why do it at all then?
