Verbal Jint emerges from underground

Verbal Jint, a hip-hop musician, sits at his studio in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul.

/ Korea Times photo
by Noh Hyun-gi

By Noh Hyun-gi

Last year’s “Go Easy” may have put hip-hop artist Verbal Jint on the map but it was his fourth full length album since 2001. He has also released numerous singles.

Following the relatively mainstream album, the spotlight was on his academic career. As a graduate of Hanyoung Foreign Language High School and Seoul National University, he is currently taking time off from the School of Law at Hanyang University.

The envy of many parents and students, Verbal Jint is a seasoned musician who represents a breakthrough generation in Korean hip-hop history with peers like P-Type, Sean2slow, and Masta Wu.

“We were different in that we grew up with

Verbal Jint’s latest album, “Go Easy,” shown in the photo, expanded his fan base. The artist attributes the album’s success to his relaxed and mature state of mind at the time of production.

the advance of the Internet,” he told The Korea Times at his studio in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul on Jan. 18. “We could freely access hip-hop from its origin, the United States, via the Internet. Through such unlimited exposure, we delved into the music. Thus, we were able to introduce true rhyming into our songs.”

The emergence of this school of musicians around 2001 marked an evolution as hip-hop in Korea lacked in rhyming, a basic component of rap. The mere speed of rapping and the signature hostile attitude of hip-hop was enough to cause a sensation back then. “People who came before us didn’t have much interest in rhyming; artists before us were satisfied with talking fast and thinking that it was rapping — and that sold then,” he added.

According to Verbal Jint, Korean hip-hop artists nowadays are all versatile in techniques and artistic quality. “I have never thought about this issue before, but analyzing the products, I see a common theme which reflects the educational environment of Korea,” he said. “Rarely, people are given the chance to be independent in their 20s in Korea; so most people sing about the lost dreams from their youth or about their unrelenting efforts to pursue their passion even if it’s too late.”

Verbal Jint was no exception from such a rigid and restricted young life. His efforts to get into a prestigious college were largely driven by the pressure from his parents. “It was a kind of a deal — that I would satisfy their expectations, and they would give me the space to pursue music. I think my case is so stereotypical of Korea.”

At Seoul National University, he majored in economics but was more fascinated by Latin American literature, especially works of magical realism in 1940s. “If I could go back, I would love to switch my majors and study literature; but I guess I might have gotten too into it and stopped music all together.”

Though he claims he has forgotten everything from his economics classes, his analysis of the K-pop scene speaks otherwise. “It’s like a jungle where big agencies are fighting to sell their products. And as the life cycle of each product, or song, becomes shorter, producers are under this monstrous pressure to churn out tracks,” he said.

Verbal Jint dabbled his feet in this mainstream world last year, making his first TV appearance on Mnet’s “M Countdown,” but he is unsure whether he will go any deeper.

“I have to do a cost-benefit analysis of my involvement in this scene,” he said. “There are a lot of psychical and intangible costs — my agent has to talk to lot of people, there is a lot of waiting. For me, the benefit that I can get as Verbal Jint in appearing in such shows are questionably small compared to, say, what Girls’ Generation would get from the same experience.”

His tracks from the new album do not carry any intention to be mainstream but rather reflect a change in the artist himself.

“I enrolled in law school out of curiosity and as a break from music. After releasing ‘Nu Myeong’ (False Charges) in 2008, I felt drained and questioned whether music can be the sole purpose in life.”

Though the competition in the classrooms was tough for the rapper who came in with no background, he believes his year-and-half at law school helped soften him.

“I think I used to tell myself that I had to be tough and have this hostility — which is namely the spirit of hip-hop— but over time I questioned why I was pressuring myself.”

Indeed, the artist has a history of crudely criticizing other musicians in his songs such as the infamous track, “To All Hip-Hop Kidz.” Understandably, he has many enemies in the underground hip-hop scene.

Though he doesn’t know the direction of his next album, he hinted it will continue the legacy of his mastery of tones and eloquence since “Modern Rhymes” in 2001. “I want to surprise many people who got to know me through ‘Go Easy’ — show the new audience what I am capable of.”