This is the 14th in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. Ary Kim contributed to this article. ― Ed.


While hip-hop culture in Korea might have hit its stride in the capital city of Seoul, Minos of rap duo Noise Mob said that only when people start supporting the local scenes all over the country will hip-hop have set its foundation.

“You have to perform in Seoul to actually say that you’ve made it, but then, people in the local scenes ― in the other provinces ― in order for the Korean hip-hop scene to actually have a firm foundation, it needs to be developed there as well,” he said.

The rapper who hails from Daegu helped start the scene there by founding Hip-hop Train, a hip-hop label and performance group that is about to celebrate its 15th anniversary at club HEAVY.

He said there was no hip-hop scene in Daegu when he started in 1999, so he would look for groups who were into Western hip-hop in Seoul. He would often go with friends to Itaewon to shop for hip-hop clothes, while making the most of the hip-hop records that came into his local music store in Daegu.

His teammate RHYME-A- grew up in Incheon, where he said hip-hop was more of a passing trend. Through a group called Incheon United, he found other friends who were interested in doing music. Since they had no proper place to practise, he said they would take speakers to the subway station and practice there and perform for their community.

“It was a very community-focused kind of thing, where people who just wanted to do music came together and did what they could,” he said.

Both rappers got their start during high school. Minos recalled the exact date of his first performance with perfect recollection ― July 25, 1999. He and his friends performed at a club, an experience that had him nervous and his heart racing. RHYME-A- got his start at a different sort of venue. He was part of a Christian hip-hop team that performed at church events when he was 18.

While Noise Mob officially formed in 2011 after the two ended up at the same label ― Soul Company ― the unit had been in the works for years. The two had been talking about working together since 2002 but the timing was never right. When Soul Company disbanded, they continued with the unit at their new label, Standart Music Group, releasing their first album, “M.O.B.” in 2012.

“We didn’t actually have to think about it too much because it’s something that we had been discussing for a while and we just hit it off right away,” Minos said. “We have good chemistry.”

Though both have been in the industry almost since its start, they said there hasn’t been much that was too challenging. RHYME-A- said what stresses him out the most are the greed of the industry and being forced to do things he doesn’t want to do.

For Minos, his biggest challenge is “the pain of creation,” as he is always trying to make a better rap, rhyme or theme. He says it’s challenging, but at the same time it’s fun because it pushes him to create something better.

At the moment, both are working on individual projects. RHYME-A- recently left Standart and is working on a solo album as an independent artist, a change of pace from working as a duo with Noise Mob.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been a solo act, so it’s fun. I’m excited to produce music that I want to show people,” he said.

Minos said he was planning a solo album sometime in the future, but also a project with fellow Standart member Kebee in their unit called Eluphant. He also has an upcoming small album with the crew Speaking Trumpets. Both Minos and RHYME-A- are in the crew Bulhandang and will be flying to Japan for a show with them this week.

And what do the two hope for in the future?

“I want to become the best rapper in the world and in the near future perform with Jay-Z and Nas in a show called ‘Three VIPs,’” said Minos.

“I’m already the best rapper so my goals are a little bit different,” quipped RHYME-A-. “It’s not really a goal, but rather a hope I always have. I want to enjoy doing music for a very long time.”

By Emma Kalka (ekalka@heraldcorp.com)