The East-meets-street style of beats were once censored and unwelcomed here, but now, the blossoming genre is topping charts and has become a musical staple. Not only are the rapping styles leading trendsetters, but the genre has built its own culture to represent the nation. But unlike other entertainment companies, the hip-hop scene is made up of smaller labels that specialize only in the genre. Following is a look into nine hip-hop heavyweights that are making a splash on the global music

K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment finds itself embroiled in controversy for alleged plagiarism of an Ateez music video and the boy band’s concept for its own rookie girl group’s debut. On Tuesday, the company's new girl group NMIXX entered the K-pop fray with the single “Ad Mare.” But just a day since the debut, the septet is making headlines for accusations of plagiarism: The band’s titular “O.O” has come under fire for copying boy band Ateez's music

After a four-year hiatus, boy band BTOB is ready to greet fans as the spring season nears and the flowers bloom. Now that all six bandmates have finished their mandatory military service, they‘ve returned with their 3rd full-length album, “Be Together,” released Monday evening. In an online press conference on Monday, Eun-kwang described the album as an album that spells out what it means to be “together” and defines “togetherness.” “BTOB is a

A keyboard piano, several electric guitars, a widescreen monitor, speakers and mini figurines dot Han Yo-han’s modest studio room. Unlike the powerful, flashy beats the musician is known for, Han appears down-to-earth and straightforward. In a pair of sneakers and donned in black head to toe, the rapper entered his private space, which was covered in a snug ambiance. “You’re lucky to catch the natural side of me,” he said, laughing, as he showed his atelier where he

Harmony is defined as playing more than one note at once or at a counterpoint. Musician Hwang In-kyu crafts music through his bass and expands the possibilities of its sounds into other tunes. Bass: a sound that harmonizes music A typical song structure includes a chorus, verses and a bridge, and the bass guitar acts as a bridge between the melody and listeners by helping them identify the song‘s beat, the bassist says. The 29-year-old described the four-string bass as a “wild

New bands and new hit songs appear at lightning speed in the music scene, but old music and memories flood back: Big Bang is gearing for a return. After years of rumors that the band is preparing a new project or might even reunite for the Coachella music festival in the US, the K-pop superstars are ready to add value to the year by greeting and meeting fans by answering the speculation with their new song. On Monday, Big Bang surprised fans as YG Entertainment said via a press release that

Wonpil of boy band Day6 welcomed the second month of the year by hopping onto the February music chart craze with his first-ever solo album. The singer-turned-soloist’s album, “Pilmography,” which dropped Monday evening, touches on the different colors of music and emotions. The frosty winter-themed 10-track package aims to “comfort and heal people, especially among times of trouble,” the singer said during an online press conference held Monday. The versatile

After nearly a year away from the music scene, boy band Treasure has found the perfect way to ring in the new year: releasing a new EP. The K-pop act burst on the scene two years ago, beginning “The First Step” series with “Chapter One.” Since then it has released another single -- “The First Step: Chapter Two” in September 2020 followed by its first album, “The First Step: Treasure Effect,” last January. Now the boys are ready to embark on a

Kyuhyun of boy band Super Junior bid farewell to the first month of the year by becoming the latest to hop into the January music melee with his new album. The singer-turned-soloist’s “Love Story,” released Tuesday evening, touches on the moods and melodies of the fall and winter ambience. The fall-winter-themed six-track package aims to talk about the little stories that happen in love and the moments that happen, as well as the emotions he feels while looking back at those

Music is a vessel for singer-songwriter Grizzly to convey his thoughts, creeds and the moments he has captured in life. And after a one-year hiatus from music, the singer has finally found himself returning with a true work of art forged by emotions of love. ‘Beige coat’ Grizzly made his way back to the charts with his new single, “Beige coat,” released Jan. 5. This time, the singer returned with a love song that immerses listeners deep into their feelings

Max Changmin of boy band TVXQ became the first artist from S.M. Entertainment to hop onto the January music chart craze with his second mini-album, “Devil.” The album, which dropped Monday evening, touches on the different colors of music. In a press conference on Thursday, the singer said he embarked on a journey of tunes and melodies while preparing for his new solo while he had been away from music for nearly two years. The musician added that he wanted to musically show that a

Music is a universal language, and a powerful instrumental tool that can be a great healer. At a time when many are dogged by the coronavirus blues, people turn to songs for comfort. And for Ha Hyunsang, it was time to reset. Talking about his 3rd EP, “Calibrate,” released Dec. 21, the singer said he went back to basics to express his thoughts. “The name of my album means the reset button on the instrument. It’s like a button configuring an instrument’s origina

Kim Yo-han of boy band WEi welcomed the second week of the new year by hopping onto the September music chart craze with his mini-album “Illusion.” The album, which dropped Monday evening, touches on the different colors and melodies of music. In a press conference on Monday, the singer said that as the name of his album suggests, the term “illusion” translates into a fantasy – a reverie that everyone dreams of. The musician added that he wanted the album to have

Earlier last month, rumors floated that boy band Enhypen is putting out a new album in January, only three months after they released their first full-length album, “Dimension: Dilemma,” sending fans abuzz with excitement. The seven-member band finally responded to the buzz by teasing a snippet of their upcoming album on Dec. 27. Although not much has been revealed about their upcoming song and album, Enhypen triggered fans’ curiosity by releasing concept pictures and a pre

Rookie boy band Omega X welcomed the frosty season and hopped on the January music craze by dropping their second EP, “Love Me Like,” Wednesday afternoon, coming four months after their previous release. In an online press conference Wednesday, the 11-member group described the latest effort as “an album that aims to show that Omega X is a band that could have different tunes and concepts tailored to them.” The group added that their five-song package is different from

Naver Webtoon’s “Super Casting” campaign featuring boy band BTS will be displayed at Coex’s K-pop Square until Jan. 14. The billboard advertisement was put up on Dec. 25 as part of its campaign to invite fans and webtoon readers to join a farcical universe with BTS. The company added that it used ultra-high-definition technology for the display, in which the seven bandmates are swirled into a new world in Naver’s webtoon portal. Located in Seoul’s Samseon

Boy band P1Harmony opened the door to a January music craze with their 3rd LP, “Disharmony: Find Out,” released Monday evening, returning in nearly eight months since their previous release. In a press conference on Monday, the band said “Find Out” is a follow-up to their previous album – “Disharmony: Stand Out” and “Disharmony: Break Out,” released in 2020 and last April, respectively, and is the last series of its “Disharmony”

K-pop powerhouse S.M. Entertainment has launched Beyond Live, an online-only streaming platform for concerts, the company said Friday. The announcement came ahead of the entertainment firm’s “SMTOWN LIVE 2022 : SMCU EXPRESS@KWANGYA,” a free online concert slated for Saturday. The online streaming platform, operated under Beyond Live Corp., was jointly created last year by South Korea’s largest web portal operator, Naver, and S.M. Entertainment. It is currently a subsidi

On Monday, K-pop powerhouse S.M. Entertainment unveiled its plans to augment its musical portfolio by launching a new seven-member female unit called “GOT the beat.” GOT the beat is the first subunit that marks the beginning of the label’s “Girls On Top” project aimed at bringing together the different voices of female artists. The new project group is a rotational unit, so fans can expect a different lineup of singers for the group’s other songs. The co

When hip-hop music made its way into the limelight in Korea, little did listeners know that the blossoming genre would become a musical staple. The east-meets-street style beats and rapping styles are leading trendsetters here and have built their own culture. And now, rapper Jo Gwangil is a new face in the hip-hop roster among a strong batch of talents.  ‘Show Me The Money 10’ as road to Damascus First launched in 2012, “Show Me The Money” is an audition program