Hongdae’s independent music scene was pioneered by bandsmen. You can get a glimpse of that era through various books, materials, and interviews. Rappers have been building their own territory since the 90s. That’s what Garion’s symbol line, “Hip-hop rhythm spread from Hongdae to Sinchon,” means.
Thanks to the aforementioned Garion and numerous zero-generation hip-hop musicians, Hongdae has become the hometown of hip-hop musicians. We opened everyone’s microphones on the MP chessboard and did cyphers at Witjandari Park and Hongdae Playground. This is a place where people gather at Brand New and Mad Holic to listen to hip-hop music, rent a small venue and have a drink at a nearby store after a 10-hour lineup of performances that cost 5,000 won for admission. The streets of Hongdae were the food stalls, playgrounds, schools, and homes of hip-hop musicians. That was the basis of the rhythm that shook Korea for 10 years, and Korean hip-hop was the story of their lives.
COVID-19 scratched the streets of Hongdae and DJ Kendricks’ Blueprint disappeared. There was a new hip hop venue called Sober, but it didn’t last long. There weren’t many places that could withstand the natural disaster that destroyed so many things. Brand New also had to close the club, leaving only the bar. Forest fires, which often occur, destroy everything. But those forest fires sometimes lead to the birth of new life. Curlly is one of the rappers in that trend.
Curly’s [KEEP CURLLY] tells the story of Curly, who came to Seoul with the dream of becoming a hip-hop musician. When Curly came to Seoul, all he could see before his eyes was Hongdae, which had been ravaged by the infectious disease. To make matters worse, public opinion that Korean hip-hop was doomed was spreading like wildfire. Curly overcomes this with a straight attack method. We make friends, work together, and move forward without giving in to despair. It’s a very hip-hop musician style.
The production of ODDFLIP, which adds an alternative sensibility to hip-hop, is also an interesting point of appreciation. His effort in successfully mixing Curly’s leisurely layback with various grooves stands out. In particular, track 2, “Are we there yet?”, has a constantly changing groove within one song, creating a variety of auditory pleasure as Curly’s groove changes. In addition, Diesel, Ambid Jack, dramabo!damovie, Rakon, B JYUN., and Q the trumpet provided support as features, adding to the completeness of the album.
There were rumors that Korean hip-hop was ruined for a long time, but in the end, hip-hop sprouts grew again. Rappers like Curly continue to stick their heads out through the fire caused by COVID-19. How about feeling the overflowing energy of Hongdae hip-hop while listening to Curly’s [KEEP CURLLY] today?