Intro

While I was still in undergrad at Northeastern University, I took a History of Hip Hop Class as part of my Music Industry minor. It was one of the most impactful classes that I took during my collegiate career- not only because I got to learn about a genre that I was passionate about, but also because I was able to learn more about black culture, history, intersectionality, and more. Learning about all these different facets of hip hop got me thinking about something that had troubled me for years- Korean hip hop. Korean hip hop is a genre that has been around for many years, but in the last few years has grown interest internationally, alongside the very well known genre of K-Pop. In many of our classes, we discussed how "authenticity" seems to always be in question in the world of hip hop and its connection to appropriation of the genre by non-black rappers, such as Eminem.

Throughout this post, I will be exploring appropriation from a different “world”- the world of Korean Hip Hop in relevance to the aforementioned topics and cultural identity. From K-pop idol bands, Korean trap, and Korean-American rappers/hip hop artists, the world of Korean hip-hop has gained traction in recent years, and I believe that now is the time to evaluate its place in the culture. As a Korean-American, I’ve been exposed to things that many Koreans haven’t in their lifetime, such as racial discrimination, and I feel that due to this exposure, I have always had mixed feelings about how hip hop is represented and consumed in South Korea. From how Koreans view and “admire” Black artists close to the point of fetishisation to the claims of “reterritorialization” of the genre when some simply use it for trendiness and an aesthetic, I firmly believe that that Korean artists and the Korean entertainment industry have an obligation to educate themselves on the origins of the genre if they plan to continue capitalizing off of it. In the paper “Hip-hop White Wash: The Impact of Eminem on Rap Music and Music Industry Economics”, author Ryan Ford asserts that although it’s “not absolutely necessary to have full knowledge” of factors that “sparked the hip hop revolution” (such as racism, socioeconomic oppression, etc), fans and audiences should be aware of the exploitative relationship that could occur if the music “becomes a commodity stripped of other characteristics that are culturally significant” and “essentializes the culture to little more than stereotypical representations”.  In the end, I hope that readers will join me on my journey to determine what steps Korean artists and audiences can take to work against this essentialization.

Background on Korea

Korean History/Context

In our classes, we discussed white rappers, such as Eminem and the Beastie Boys and some of the major aspects of this discussion that I took away from this unit was the importance of context and background as well exposure. In (1)“Hip‐hop white wash: The impact of Eminem on rap music and music industry economics”, author Ford states that although it’s “not absolutely necessary to have full knowledge” of factors that “sparked the hip hop revolution” (such as racism, socioeconomic oppression, etc), fans and audiences should be aware of the exploitative relationship that could occur if the music “becomes a commodity stripped of other characteristics that are culturally significant” and “essentializes the culture to little more than stereotypical representations”. I am not excusing any of the problematic behavior in relation to Korean Hip Hop that has been made under ignorance, but I believe that there is a strong connection between lack of exposure and the perception that Koreans have about Hip Hop and Black artists. In order to understand this disconnect between Koreans and the legacy of Hip Hop, it is imperative that we take into account some of Korea’s history.

As a country that is known to be one of the most technically advanced in the world, it is easy to forget that South Korea was, not too long ago, a third world country that was ravaged by war, only gaining independence from Japan in 1945 post World War II and, after that, quickly going back into conflict with North Korea, engaged in the Korean War. The rise of South Korea was not an easy one, with the journey entailing democratic movements against dictators, the looming possibility of war breaking out again, and painstaking labor and effort made by the citizens in order to recreate a country that had lost so much due to the onslaught of war after war. While South Korea is now economically stronger, this rapid push to the top did not ensure the social and emotional strength of its citizens. Of recent years, South Korea and its people have faced a wide variety of issues regarding democracy, labor, military, and education. Exposure to other countries and cultures had been limited, until recent years, but even then, there seems to be a lack of exposure; according to the (2)Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the number of foreigners living in South Korea was only 500,000 in 2000 and grew to 1.79 million in 2016, making up 3.4% of the country’s population. While Korea’s exposure to other cultures has certainly grown over the past few years, due to the evolution of technology, I have also noticed that the Korean media tends to portray other cultures by their stereotypes. This brings me to emphasize Korea’s lack of education regarding racism, which as a homogeneous country is not too surprising in that it had not been exposed to other cultures until the last century or so.

Racism/Ignorance in Korea

Koreans make up 96% of the population, making the country one of the least diverse in the world and affording Koreans few opportunities to interact with ethnic minorities without going abroad(4). 

Wilkine Brutus is a Hatian-American teaching in South Korea. In his article, (3)“How Teaching 'Black Panther' In Korea Changed My Students' Ideas Of Blackness And Representation” he describes a lack of connection and exposure between Koreans and the western world. In order to work through this, he introduced Black Panther to his students:

“It’s important to note that South Korea was once a very poor country and was colonized by the Japanese, but now it’s an independent, technologically advanced place. Yes, the parallels to the black struggle are very apparent. Busan, South Korea is home to the Busan International Film Festival, the largest and most prestigious in all of East Asia. It has featured some black films but they often remain in the close-knit “cultured” community. The general population is more exposed to the Will Smith‘s of the world and are often less exposed to a film like Black Panther, which is filled with a complex, fully-developed protagonist; a villain everyone can empathize with; and a multifaceted female cast. Black humanity is fully realized now and the African diaspora, its diverse narrative, has a multi-dimensional representation, one that isn’t relegated to one kind of blackness. Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) Korean speaking scene in Busan and T’Chaka’s (John Kani) Xhosa conversation with his son T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), elevated black complex imagery to another stratosphere, especially for Asian audiences.”

"On my last day of school, several of my students left quirky and thought-provoking thank you letters on my desk. I knew I had challenged their system of reality, one student at a time. One of the students even wrote the following: 'Song seng nim (teacher)' — 'I was scared of your black face and hair. Not anymore.'

... My students, who are surrounded by group homogeneity, expressed to me that they will no longer define me as just an exceptional black Haitian-American man. I was more than that and so were the people who looked like me."

Koreans and Trends

If you’re already familiar with South Korea, then you probably know about the country’s fascination with trends- Koreans are some of the most intense trend followers in the world, with many viewing others that refuse to follow trends as tacky, or old fashioned. In an article for Noisey, “2015 Was Korean Rap's Breakthrough Year”, journalist Madeleine Lee outlines the rise of Korean Rap, both in Korea and America; however, Lee questions whether this sudden rise and interest in the genre is simply a "fad" that will quickly die down, which brings into question of whether "hip hop/rap culture" is simply a gimmick in South Korea- is it simply a "bandwagon", where the trend will die off shortly?

In discussing the topic of globalisation, author Sarah Hare in “Keepin’ It Real: Authenticity, Commercialization, and the Media in Korean Hip Hop”, discusses how the Korean youth operate and the culture of following trends:

“Korea during the 1990s saw the emergence the shinsedae, a generation of Koreans in their 20s whose modern lifestyle focused on spending and economic status (Jung, 2006; Lie, 2015). During this period of rapid globalization, Korean youth were led “toward the enjoyment, adaptation and imitation of emerging global trends in their own popular culture” (Buzo cited in Jung, 2006, p. 112). It was at this time that hip hop culture arrived in Korea.” (6)

Portrayal of Black People in Korean Media

How do Koreans portray other cultures on the media? As I mentioned before, Korean media tends to define other cultures by their stereotypes, and admittedly, some of the time, the racism cannot be excused by ignorance. Even with cultures from surrounding countries, Korea media has a tendency to take a culture and simplify it. Outlining the importance of media in the education of other cultures, Hare discusses how media has the power to define what is authentic:

“The media is a cultural disseminator that helps organize and interpret subcultural experience (Hebdige, 1979). It is “essential to the creation, classification and distribution of cultural knowledge” (Thornton, 1996, p. 118). In this, it is integral in defining the “underground” scene, or what is “hip” and authentic for subcultural members (Thornton, 1996, p. 118). As a media example, television reflects a particular culture’s codes, which are “a rule-governed system of signs . . . used to generate and circulate meanings in and for that culture” (Fiske, 1987, p. 4). In a culture, such as Korean hip hop, messages are “encoded” with meaning, and its television programs “carry a socially convincing sense of [the] real,” produced to be understood by all audiences (Fiske, 1987, pp. 5, 21).” (6)

Media creates cultural knowledge and has the power to “circulate meanings” and create a perception that the media has presented all that is important to know about a culture. With this, the Korean media is able to control Korean perception of other countries and cultures. Hare also outlines how Blackface in Korea emerged from a sense of Korean nationalism:

“In the wake of the 1997 International Monetary Fund Asian financial crisis, Korean cultural industries focused on exporting Korean culture into neighboring countries (Ju & Lee, 2015; Siriyuvasak & Shin, 2007). This resulted in the Korean wave or Hallyu, which denotes the international popularity of Korean pop culture from the late 1990s (Ryoo, 2009; Shin, 2012). One of the most successful exports of the Korean wave is K-pop and because of this, much of the academic work on Korean music focuses on this genre (Howard, 2006; Lie, 2015; Nam, 2012; see also Note 1). Despite this international popularity, differing from other countries (Negus, 1996; Shuker, 2013) in Korea, locally produced music such as K-pop is more popular than its global counterparts (Morelli, 2001). In addition, with the increasing worldwide dissemination of Korean popular culture, negative depictions of Black people have emerged (Han, 2015). As Gil-Soo Han (2015) notes, blackfacing in K-pop and the Korean media is a form of Korean nationalism.”

Due to this dependence on local media, Koreans lack the education needed to understand the problematic depictions of not only Black people, but other ethnicities. This emphasizes the Korean tendency to appropriate without thinking about the implications of their actions, and paired with commodification, Koreans have ingrained a system of racism into their culture that might be difficult to re-evaluate and fix.

In order to see the extent to the Korean media’s power, it is important to not only hear what Koreans have to say, but to hear from those most affected by the media representations. In the clips given, you will find interviews with these two groups: one with Koreans being asked about how they feel about Black people in Korea, and another with a Korean entertainer from Africa discussing his encounters of racism despite being a well known personality. Sam Okyere is an entertainer from Ghana, who has lived in the country since 2009, appearing on many popular variety shows and dramas. As the only popular African celebrity in Korea, Okyere has made it his mission to spread awareness on the importance of cultural awareness. In the interview, he discusses this lack of cultural education in Korea:

"when I tell people that I’m from Africa, I get a lot of startling questions like, ‘Do you grow a lion at your house?’ I get it so often that now I just respond by saying that my father has two lions. That’s how much Koreans are knowledgeable about black people and Africa,"

In the other interview shown, from Asian Boss, Koreans discuss racism and their lack of knowledge about other cultures:

“Blacks definitely get made fun of. Because people think they don’t understand Korean, they’d say things like ‘negro’ or ‘blackie.’ I hear people saying things like that on occasion"

“Others talked about the stereotype perpetuated by Western movies and TV shows that black people as dangerous.”

“Black people are dangerous because you see them in the movies shooting people and doing drugs," said another woman on common black stereotypes.”

"Even in the American movies Koreans grew up watching, black people are portrayed as poor while white people are always seen as rich and elitist. The movies definitely help form certain perceptions,"

As the Koreans interviewees mention, media has been the only exposure to the rest of the world, so by perpetuating old, outdated and racist stereotypes through these mediums, Koreans keep the perception that their views on other cultures has always and will always be true.

The Beginnings of Hip Hop in Korea

Hip hop group Drunken Tiger is credited for bringing “real” hip hop with “real” Hip Hop aesthetics from America to South Korea, with attempts to make the genre mainstream. Two of the group’s most well known members- Tiger JK and DJ Shine- grew up in the States (Miami, LA, NYC) believed that the other attempts of emulating hip hop in Korea (through “rap dance”) were “inauthentic” compared to the music that they, as Korean-Americans, could offer to the country. Their positions on this subject can be seen with one of their more popular songs, "You Think You Know Hip Hop" [너희가 힙합을 아느냐]:

“Two drunken tigers, we be coming from the ghetto

Street poets that only say the truthHowever our children are trapped in your prejudicesWe have to listen to all of the sorrows and joys of lifeWe must untangle the world from all affectation”

The hip hop group found “rap dance”- hip hop-esque music with a portion of the song dedicated to rapping- to be false labeling of hip hop, and believed that their experiences with growing up in America would be able to legitimize them as “authentic” hip hop artists. While I commend the group for their efforts in getting Koreans to reevaluate what Hip Hop is and how the genre should be represented, I also notice that they fall under this theme of using their connections to the USA in order to establish that they are legitimate rappers- people that grew up in the genre’s country of origin. While the group was popular for some time, many Koreans became tired of the group’s claim of being the “real deal” from America. As discussed before, Koreans love to appropriate aspects of other cultures to create something more suitable for the Korean pallette. In this case, Koreans were not concerned with what Drunken Tiger perceived to be authentic- rather they were more interested in hearing and seeing something more relevant to themselves.

Meanwhile, one of the first and, debatably, most popular boy groups in Korea, Seo Taiji and the Boys, were among the groups that popularized the “rap-dance” that Drunken Tiger had sought to get rid of. In Drunken Tigers’ eyes, the group was not “authentic”- they were just kids from Korea who had never grew up in the birthplace of Hip Hop, they didn’t encounter racism or grow up in the “ghetto”. However, to the Korean public, that didn’t matter. Rather than pretending to be “real” Hip Hop, Seo Taiji and the Boys had lyrics that spoke to Korean society conflicts and issues. In the song, 컴백홈 (Come Back Home), they speak to the anger and pain due to pressures of educational success from strict parents:

“ You must come back homeTo warm up the coldness in your heartYou must come back homeIn this harsh lifeYou must come back homeTo warm up the coldness in your heartYou must come back homeI will keep trying

...Because we are still youngAnd our future is good enoughHere! Now wipe the cold tears outAnd come back home”

Drunken Tiger and Seo Taiji had two different approaches to Hip Hop in their messages, but what gave Seo Taiji more success over Drunken Tiger? Was it a more relevant message to Koreans? Was it the packaging of the genre with “rap-dance”? This brings me to question, what is considered to be authentic Hip Hop in Korea then? Is it different from authenticity in America, and if so, how?

Authenticity in Korean Hip Hop

Korean vs. White Hip Hop Authenticity

As I mentioned before, during the semester, we spent a unit discussing “white hip hop authenticity” and what exactly it meant. In order to dissect this topic, perhaps we should look at the most famous example: Eminem. In, “Eminem’s “My Name Is”: Signifying Whiteness, Rearticulating Race”, author Loren Kajikawa discusses Eminem’s approach to Hip Hop. Kajikawa discusses how:

“Eminem’s persona as well as his allegiance to gangsta rap producer Dr. Fre, his poor upbringing in Detroit with a relative closeness to African-American artists, and his amazing lyrical prowess, afford him two things that are of very high value in the hip hop community: industry respect and street credibility.”(8)

By emphasizing his whiteness and racial identity, Eminem was able to “preempt possible criticism” against him and allowed him to “carve out a niche in the music industry for his unique brand of rap music” while also focusing on issues of race, class, and gender. Through this, he was able to acknowledge his white privilege, but also create authenticity through his upbringing and class. Kajikawa emphasizes the rappers importance in “new racial politics” in creating a space for not just black and white rappers, but for Latinos and Asian youth, while also noting that this is in a “multicultural nation”.

In Mickey Hess’ “Hip-hop Realness and the White Performer”, Hess expands on the idea that Eminem has embraced his whiteness and acknowledges his privilege and compares the successful rapper to Vanilla Ice, who also attempted to break into the “niche” rap music for white folks, fabricating his background “to imitate the rags-to-riches narratives of black artists” in order to become more authentic (9). By emphasizing “the autobiographical basis of his lyrics and his struggle to succeed as a rap artist; he presents a new model of white hip-hop authenticity in which being true to yourself and to your lived experiences can eclipse notions of hip- hop as explicitly black-owned.” Hess goes on to underline the importance of differentiating the immersion, imitation and inversion techniques that white rappers have used to authenticate themselves. While “ notions of hip-hop authenticity have changed, white artists have moved from immersing themselves in a nascent music culture to imitating an explicit model of the  black authentic, to inverting the narratives of black artists to frame their whiteness as a career disadvantage in a form that remains dominated by black artists.”

So how might we relate this to Korean authenticity? One of the major differences between Korean rappers and Eminem is that they are a part of different music industries and markets- While Eminem seeks to authenticate himself in an industry dominated by black artists, Koreans do not have the same dynamics of race. However, what we can connect is the usage of “class” in order to tackle societal issues outside of racism. If anything, this model of authenticity to “being true to yourself and to your lived experiences” is the biggest connection that one can make between White and Korean rappers.

However, with the differences of White and Korean rappers in mind, do Koreans hold a responsibility, as White rappers do, of keeping the history of the genre and their privilege in mind when creating their art? By failing to do so, does a cultural transformation “lead to a watering down of many aspects of the culture that were essential to the initial development.” as Ford mentions in “ Hip‐hop white wash: The impact of Eminem on rap music and music industry economics”? Is Hip Hop in Korea nowdays “cultural reterritorilization”, “globalization”, or simply “cultural appropriation”?

Underground vs. Mainstream

It is common, in the Korean music industry, to see a division between mainstream (K-pop Idols) and underground Hip Hop artists. This can clearly be seen even from the beginnings of the genre in the country, between Drunken Tiger (underground) and Seo Taiji and the Boys (mainstream). Hare discusses this division through the concept of music subcultures, which are “which are often characterized as a binary (Thornton, 1996, pp. 92, 117).” Similar to America, the underground scene is “distinguished as authentic and against mass produced products and consumption, and thus attributed to subcultural activity” while the mainstream scene is, “manufactured, consumed for and by the masses and generally unrelated to rebellious activity(Thornton, 1996).” Through this, we encounter an idea of “selling out” and being manufactured, similar to issues that Hip Hop faces in the States, where, rappers that become more mainstream are seen as inauthentic. In relevance to Korean artists, we see this idea of K-Pop Idols having less authenticity, and are therefore, not real rappers. That is why many rappers that go mainstream in Korea constantly seek to distance themselves from the idea that they are “K-Pop” or “not real rappers”.

In the music video, “Shall We Dance”, by K-Pop group Block B, appropriation is quite evident. Block B utilizes Black American culture and aesthetics (fashion/dancing/background dancers) as a way to authenticate themselves and to create a perception of “realness” to their audience. I’ve encountered many music videos where they believe that it is most important to catch the “essence” of black hip hop culture; a belief that as long as it looks and sounds similar, then it is what they think to be authentic. I’ve heard these opinions expressed firsthand during my last trip to Korea, where I would talk about artists like Kendrick Lamar and how many artists are seeking to create a positive cultural change through their music- however it was evident that many Koreans did not know what messages artists like Kendrick were hoping to put out, or even the origins of hip hop and the roots of the genre, instead focusing on the “swag” and “feel” that the artists are sending out.

Through this, we encounter a similar issue to what the States faces, with Black artists making “continual strides towards capitalizing off of entertainment industry market forces” by playing into what audiences believe to be “authentic” (Ford). Due to this, “hip hop comes closer to a kind of “cultural suicide” where the culture undergoes a dramatic metamorphosis”. Due to this “cultural suicide”, we recounter the idea that Hip Hop “becomes a commodity stripped of other characteristics that are culturally significant” and “essentializes the culture to little more than stereotypical representations”, which I believe is very evident in this music video.

“Keeping it Real”

So what is authentic in Korean Hip Hop? Is it staying true to your roots? Is it keeping an image of being “underground”? Is it the usage of Black American culture and aesthetics? According to Hare, “behaving just like American gangsta hip hoppers is not real, but not incorporating some features from the global hip-hop scene is likewise not real”. However, it seems that there are many takes on what is “keepin’ it real”, from “English usage and the adoption Western cultural markers” to “African American slang”/language and style noting that “language usage refers to the vernacular speech used in the hip hop subculture, where there is an emphasis on ‘language use over language meaning’.” Some other aspects are:

“linked to Thornton’s (1996) subcultural capital, referencing or layering in hip hop is the process of utilizing sound samples and quoting past texts (Williams, 2011). References also refer to a rapper’s local figures and landmarks (Schur, 2009) and are often strongly linked to representing one’s home turf, or hood (Forman, 2000).”

Hare importantly notes, however, that “keepin’ it real” can be problematic due to some symbols being untranslatable across cultures.

It seems that what is seen as authentic in Korean Hip Hop differs from person to person, similar to the US.

Reterritorilization

In "The Poetics of Resistance and the Politics of Crossing Borders", Hae-Kyung Um explores the history of hip-hop in Korea and introduces the concept of "cultural reterritorialisation": a process that "‘recasts cultural forms as malleable resources that can be inscribed with new meanings relating to the particular local contexts within which such products are appropriated’(7). Um asserts that the hip-hop foundations of "cultural territory"  is open to reinterpretation, where reterritorialisation is the genre changing through social interaction- whether that be through personal communication, technology, or the mass media. Um suggests that "local specificities" have allowed Korean hip hop to evolve from appropriation of American Hip Hop, into a genre that reflects the Korean "society, media, and culture".

Globalization

In "Keepin’ It Real: Authenticity, Commercialization, and the Media in Korean Hip Hop.", Hare discusses globalization, which she describes to be “integral to understanding hip hop’s move from the US into Korea” and is the “process of worldwide capital flows which has been instrumental in the global dissemination of hip hop culture.” Through this concept, the “global” has been adapted to the local context. Similar to globalization is cultural hybridization, where it is believed that “traces of other cultures exist in every culture”. Hare outlines the globalization of hip hop:

“It was during the 1990s that hip hop culture was exported as a U.S. cultural commodity worldwide (Price, 2006). In this, commodification became “a prerequisite for the export of rap to other countries” (Wermuth, 2001, p. 152). This became problematic as sometimes Black culture and hip hop were imitated for its trendiness (Osumare, 2009; Wood, 1997). Despite this, hip hop resonated with youth worldwide who felt marginalized by their own society, and allowed them to musically express experiences of their own (Motley & Henderson, 2008). Hip hop has thus become “a lingua franca that binds young people all around the world, all while giving them the chance to alter it with their own national flavour” (Chang, 2007, p. 60).”

She discusses the topic further by acknowledging the disconnect between the underprivileged urban Americans that created hip hop and the more well off, “monocultural youth” that cannot connect with the music unless certain aspects of hip hop are watered down to suit their own culture. By doing this, the “youth adopt the codes and symbols from the original U.S. hip hop subculture and add their own flair to reflect their local culture.”

Appropriation & Trends

In rebuttal of these ideas of cultural reterritorialisation and globalization is the idea that hip hop in Korea is simply cultural appropriation or “just a trend”. As I mentioned earlier, Koreans are obsessed with trends, and tend to pick up whatever is in style without much thought, whether it be style, music or how they talk. Hare discusses this idea of trend further by explaining that the term “often describes mainstream music, meaning it is associated with culturally dominant forms and not rebellious subcultural ideology”. American rapper, Toy, and Korean music journalist, Kang,  believe that hip hop in Korea is “just a trend”- Toy believes that rappers in Korea are only in it because “it’s cool” and are “imitating something that they have seen in America” without knowing the history, which she believes makes the interest in hip hop inauthentic. Korean music journalist Kang adds to this by admitting that “there is limited knowledge of the subculture in Korea” which is why he believes that the music is simply a trend. Rapper Toy believes that a large reason for this is due to “the poor knowledge of the U.S. grassroots hip hop stems from Koreans not understanding Black culture.” She goes on further to describe what she’s experienced:

“She says Korean rappers believe, “If I use English or I say the N word, if I imitate this aspect of black music, or black culture, people are going to like me more.” However, people “lose respect” for this “pure ignorance,” she says, adding “I wish more people would educate themselves about culture that they are trying to imitate.” Korean journalist Kang expands on this point highlighting Korean rappers “copy black rappers and black style” because “black rappers are cool.”

“It g Ma” is one of the first Korean “hip hop” music videos that went viral in the States (that I know of). Its success can be largely credited to the video’s visual aspects- wacky animation, creating an animation-like aesthetic- and sound wise, I would compare the music to trap music, with a large portion of the lyrics making reference to American/hip hop culture. The video was called out by “U Guessed It” rapper OG Maco, who claimed that the video was simply an imitation of his own music video, calling “It g Ma” uninspired and perpetuation of black stereotypes. However, after being credited on the song with publishing royalties, OG Maco changed his tune by stating “That’s how cultural exchange is supposed to happen”.

“Show Me the Money”

I discussed the importance of media earlier and how it has power to influence perceptions of cultures. One of the most popular television shows in Korea is “Show Me The Money”, a competition show for rappers, with a wide variety of competitors- from K-pop idols to underground and unknown rappers. While it may sound silly to some, this show is how many Koreans learn about hip hop- from young elementary schoolers to the older folks who lived through the Korean War, SMTM has been credited by many for popularizing hip hop in Korea. Hare used SMTM for research purposes, noting that use of the English language, style, and references to Korean culture were commonly seen.

In terms of English, all episodes of SMTM have included some use of English, with rappers using buzz words, such as “turn up” “let’s go” and “fuck” throughout the concert. Hare interviews Korean journalist Kang about the use of English slang:

“He [Korean journalist Kang] argues this practice damages Korean hip hop’s authenticity because rappers do not create their “own slang.” This concern aligns with cultural hybridization theory (Appadurai, 1996; Kraidy, 2008) where a culture should be shaped according to the local context to demonstrate an authentic adaptation of the original culture. In hip hop culture, this would be reflected in the usage of Korean by local rappers.”

Hare goes on further discussing how some Korean rappers, such as Sean L and C.Cle, have admitted to using English in purely for the sound, not the meaning.

For style in SMTM, Hare notes that “style was an important marker of hip hop authenticity and signifier of group membership for both rappers and clubgoers of both genders”. In support of this idea of style supporting authenticity, Hare quotes a promoter and journalist:

“People think if we do not wear hip hop fashion . . . [we are not] a hip hop musician or fan”

With references to Korean culture, Hare noted “eighty percent of SMTM episodes referenced Korean places and culture, for example, lyrical allusions to Korean cities and conflicts involving the Korean age hierarchy.” Through the adaptation to a local context, Korean hip hop displays hybridity and authenticity. This can also be seen through Korean artists’ expressions of “Korean feelings”, commonly linked with emotions dealing with the feelings of oppression, dating back to Japanese Imperialism- supporting the “ view that hip hop is an international form of expression for the oppressed”

So, the question is, is SMTM appropriation? Is it a good way for Koreans to learn about hip hop? With such an influential show, it is crucial that the show does not play into typical stereotypes about the genre. Korean journalist Kang argues, “SMTM has messed up Korean hip hop culture” by commercializing the hip hop industry.” With producers seeking to simply get views, they would do anything that might get people to tune in, even if that meant playing into stereotypes. By having controversial issues, SMTM gains more and more attention, while also playing into outdated perceptions about the culture.

Two rappers that come to mind when talking about SMTM are Swings and Blacknut- arguably the most controversial competitors that graced the television screen. These two have become notorious with the Korean public for their chauvinistic lyrics and hyper-masculinity. In the song, “Low Life” by Swings, a lyric reads:

“To everyone, even if people point at meI’ll shit on your face ‘till the endIf I think of you, in the lyrics I’ve writtenYou’re always a bad bitch, I’m a rapist”

Another aspect of SMTM are the “diss” battles, where two competitors are pitted off against each other- a take on rap battles. Many times, when idol rappers and underground rappers are opposite of one another, their authenticity is taken into question, with underground rappers often taking a dig at how they are “cookie cut” manufactured.

One notable, random event in the show’s history is when Snoop Dogg visited SMTM. Competitors were given the task to have a “cypher mission”, where they would rap one by one in front of Snoop Dogg, and he would pick a winner among them- which seemed a little weird considering he wouldn’t be able to understand them (playing into the idea that hip hop is more about the “aesthetics” and sound rather than the meaning). Snoop Dogg was kind enough to play along with the show, but this seems to highlight the show’s concern with getting views over the accurate depiction of the culture.

Conclusion

Authenticity & Commodification

So, it seems that commodification plays a huge role in what Koreans view to be authentic in Hip Hop. As Hare notes, "commodification became a prerequisite for the export of rap to other countries", but through this, it meant that the significance behind certain symbols and the culture are lost. With this in mind, I believe that it is the duty of the cultural adopter to educate themselves about the culture that they seek to buy into and further commodify. Ford asserts that there is an exploitative relationship when hip hop “becomes a commodity stripped of other characteristics that are culturally significant” and “essentializes the culture to little more than stereotypical representations”. 

While the commodification of hip hop is not unique to Korea, it is also something that is in constant discussion in America, which is not something that Koreans have the knowledge or awareness to consider. Through global commodification, a culture may lose a good amount of its meaning (as hip hop loses much of its political and social messages), however, when the culture is further commodified without knowledge of its background, the culture has essentially lost all of its meaning and power, simply becoming noise and cultural appropriation.

I do not believe that all Korean hip hop is like this (a good amount of Korean rappers look beyond the stereotypes of hip hop and further seek to improve society with it), however, when Korean media depicts the genre in such a simple and unthoughtful way with Korean audiences fully absorbing the material without any issue or question, it is hard to say whether hip hop is more than a trend to many Koreans.

As I have mentioned before, the media has the power to influence cultural awareness, so with programs like "Show Me The Money", it is difficult to defend the Korean Media's portrayal of hip hop and black American culture. 

Perhaps with a Korean culture of trends, where a lack of consideration or thought for the cultures that are being appropriated is perpetuated, it is difficult to say whether Koreans can overcome commodification. Unfortunately, it seems that without proper education, Korea will never be able to claim cultural reterritorilization or globalization. While it is one thing to shape a culture to a local context, it is another to commodify the stereotypes of a culture and claim that it is authentic. 

Where to Go From Here

So, is Korean hip hop a lost cause? 

Personally, I believe that it'll be a difficult battle to change perceptions of hip hop in Korea and their ideas of authenticity. While a good number of Koreans might be willing to discuss the topic, everything ultimately points back to the Korean media. Without proper education of hip hop culture and cultural sensitivity and awareness, Koreans are bound to be stuck in a bubble of ignorance regarding the "outside world". I have hope that exposure and discussion would bring some change to how the country operates- it did, in its defence, just recently gained exposure to other countries, and I would say the younger generation, as often the case, is open to new ideas and would be willing to hear out from others.

I truly hope that Korean hip hop is more than just a trend, because I would love to see some progress in cultural education through it as well as more and more usage of the art form to create positive change within a society that continues to face issues regarding gender, sexuality, agism, and constant political crisis.