Rap Monster and Run the Jewels

So apparently, none of my posts have been posting the last few days. Awful on my part, you would think I would have figured out how to properly schedule drafts. But today I wanted to share some music with you which comes from the world of Korean music. I know I have spent some time in the past talking about how Korean music often times is nothing like everyone imagines it to be. Just like the rest of the music world, Korean music has genres and styles of music that span a variety of sounds and vibes. And today, I wanted to talk about an artist who comes from the Korean rap world.

To start things off, I want to emphasize how incredibly awesome foreign rap is. Recently, we have seen a spike in the popularity of foreign pop, but still it isn't as popular as Western pop usually gets. So one can only imagine how unsung foreign rap can be. A shame to be honest because foreign rap is some of the coolest stuff I have heard. And Korean rapper, Rap Monster,  does a really good job of creating some sick bangers and hot lyrics.

Rap Monster started out as the leader of the popular Korean boy band, BTS. I am a huge fan of BTS, and was so excited to hear that some of the members were doing solo work as well. And when it comes to Rap Monster, he certainly lives up to his name. One of the first things I noticed about his work is the flawless and effortless nature of his rap and lyrical style. Rap Monster is extremely dexterous, smoothly gliding on top of diverse instrumentation while easily switching between languages and beats. Rapping seems like such a natural endeavor for Rap Monster. It's like nothing fazes his ability, giving him the chance to pursue different styles. This song is definitely more staccato. Following the current trend of intense and quick rapping, Rap Monster opts for a wonderfully static and incredibly rhythmic style. One thing I really like is the way he changes that rhythmic pattern after each verse. The accompanying track is so simple, that Rap Monster is able to mold it into a different rhythmic sound whenever he wants. Not only is it impressive, it is so essential for in heightening the lyrical content of the song.

I have to admit, there is a huge divide in stylistic rap nowadays. Sometimes we have rappers who focus on creating bangers, or we have rappers who focus more on the lyrics and less on the back track. Sometimes we have rappers who turn into singers, or we have rappers who try to make use of all these things. Thes stylistic elements work for some and not for others, which isn't to say one style is better than another. But Rap monster uses this track to not only gives us some lyrical gold but a beat that is incredibly sick. There is a point in the second verse where he talks about the nonsensical lyrics many rappers write. He goes on to add some gibberish into his lyrical scheme before dropping into a bar that not only makes complete sense but rhymes almost every word. It's like he's proving a point about not only his ability but what he expects from rappers. At times when the beat really picks up, we have bars where Rap Monster keeps up with this high-intensity rhyming scheme. At other times, we have lines where he only rhymes the last word but uses the exact same word in the middle of consecutive lines. The lyrical intensity behind the track is absolutely genius. And set to Run the Jewel's deep bass and almost eerie backtrack, Rap Monster is enough to leave you feeling charged up.

It is artists like this who come to points as such, where they create something so fantastic that it puts their name on the map. This track is absolutely intoxicating and nothing short of impressive. This is one of Rap Monster's appeals to creating a musical identity outside of BTS. If he wasn't taken seriously as a rapper before, he sure will be now.

Today's instrumental song is by the duo known as Run the Jewels. The first song's backtrack is actually by Run the Jewels. I thought it would be cool to look at another song by the guys who came up with such a high energy and almost menacing sound. This song is slowed down and brings in the power from the deliberateness in the music. Everything is so carefully composed and produced, with a slower and very sure gait. I love that! It is intimidating and empowering all at the same time. Run the Jewels is clearly a duo who is not to be trifled with. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!



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