Hip-hoppers visit time-honored stores

Cast members of O'live TV's new reality show "Old House Rapper" pose during a press event at Stanford Hotel in Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of CJ ENM

By Park Jin-hai

“New retro” has become a popular trend ― with “retro,” or old things, being recreated with a modern touch, so they provoke nostalgia for the older generation, and newness for millennials unfamiliar with them.

This trend has been incorporated into a reality show.

In cable network O'live channel's new reality show “Old House Rapper,” which premiered last Monday, hip-hop rappers ― icon of newness ― visits old stores that have been there for generations. Through meetings with store owners, hip-hop musicians create songs inspired by their lives.

The five cast members ― comedian Moon Se-yoon, and rappers Mad Clown, DinDin, KillaGramz and Hangzoo, question the owners, find points that they “respect” and create songs.

Through the process, the show aims to provide a communication channel between the old and new generations.

“This show has been designed basically as our tribute to antique things,” producer Seok Jeong-ho said during a press event at the Stanford Hotel in Seoul, Monday. ”The older generation may feel nostalgic for those old stores. But with the band of hip-hop artists, representing the new generation of today, I wanted to look at those old stores from a fresh perspective.”

In the first episode, rappers visited the oldest barber shop in Seoul that opened in 1927. Its owner Lee Nam-yeol is the third generation of the family and began work at age 16. He showed his most prized family treasure, a 145-year-old razor. They also visited a restaurant established in 1983 sitting in a corner of a traditional market, and a cookie store that kept old recipes and implements from 1954.

KillaGramz said, “I've been here in Korea for a while, but I just visited some franchise restaurants. I decided to join the show, wanting to know more about Korean restaurants.

“When I first visited the traditional Korean market (for the show), I felt like I've been transmitted to the world of a cinema. I've been staying in Korea for four or five years now, but it is always a pleasure to find new facets of Korea. It's exciting that I'll get to see more of them.”

Moon said, “Old stores are lonely. When they get forgotten by the young generations, their existence can be threatened. I personally think we have some responsibility to preserve these old stores.”

In the second episode, rappers will visit time-honored stores in Euljiro. These include an old dabang (traditional cafe), a restaurant selling pork belly meat and a century-old oriental medical clinic.

The producer said he had put a lot of care into selecting the stores.

“I've toured many old stores in the provinces,” Seok said. “If I thought the owners would be good on TV, I visited them up to five times to persuade them to join the show. I looked carefully into those owners' faith and philosophy toward their business.

“Some of them said no, thinking that the broadcasting process may cause some inconvenience for their regulars.”

As for the latest “new retro” trend, the producer said, “While the new retro trend mainly focused on the spaces, items and atmosphere, our show puts more emphasis on people who run the old stores and their lives. Giving due respect to those people is the biggest difference and strength of this show. It is another step ahead from just relishing old culture.”

“Old House Rapper” airs at 8:50 p.m. on O'live channel, Monday.