RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

I'm not one to scream cultural appropriation. In fact, i'd say 95% i've heard someone make that argument I just scratch my head. But I had a class this morning where there was quite a heated argument about hip-hop. These are university aged students in a discussion class where my job is to steer the discussion but keep my own opinions out of it.

The exercise had genres of music and they had to listen to a clip and say which dot on the map the music came from. It went through traditional music from around the world, some classical music, folk songs, rock and roll. When it got to the hip-hop example a group of the students argued that the dot should be on Korea. One other guy disagreed, in my opinion rightly, that rap/hip-hop was created by African Americans and they are still the main driving force. This other group took that as a personal attack and claimed Korean hip-hop has more influence nowadays and is more innovative and therefore were the representatives of hip-hop. I tried to explain that the exercise was more just what country comes to mind when you heard the music. They stuck to their view that when people around the world heard hip-hop more and more think of Korea first.

Fark right off... is what I wanted to say. The rest of class just kind of sat on the fence. But this group of 5 were adamant and annoyed that I wouldn't immediately accept their answer. TBH I listen to very little rap and havent for a good 10 years. Is Korean hip-hop huge nowadays? Obviously they were way overboard saying Korea should be marked on a world map as the birthplace of hip-hop, but I'm past the age of really keeping up with pop culture. I'm I missing something here?

Well, they'd have an argument of they could tell you specifically how Korea reinvented Hip-Hop.
Bossa Nova, for example was a Brazilian spin on Jazz by a bunch of folks who decided to add local Samba to American Jazz.

As it stands, K-pop and K-rap is to pop and rap what Konglish is to English.

Korea's only somewhat original music is 'Trot', it's definitely very 'Soviet' in it's style, but it's endearing and, in a really goofy way, charming enough to be it's own offshoot.

K-rap.

 

Similar to Khip-Khop

We could go full Koreaboo and call it C-rap. Better spelling for it.

Korea's only somewhat original music is 'Trot', it's definitely very 'Soviet' in it's style, but it's endearing and, in a really goofy way, charming enough to be it's own offshoot.

And even that sounds enough like Enka that I initially though they were just two words for the same thing, haha.

There are decent K-rappers out there. Just have to look outside of the mainstream. Mad Clown, Simon D, Dok2,Swings, etc. None of these Kpoppers who rap. You can tell they've been influenced by US hip hop and they always let it be known where their influence comes from.

 just lay me on the floor and let me die.

I backed up my external hard drive like 2 weeks ago but hadn't done it in the last week and it decided to just completely brick itself last night. I lost 3 weeks of 3rd and 4th lesson plans,  and two and a half weeks of 5th and 6th.

I have a feeling I'm going to have to buy some of that Infamous super caffeine coffee milk on my way home and just start grinding out as much as I possibly can.

Normally I wouldn't worry as much but because I've been able to handle more on my plate in terms of classes, I've become the driving force behind curriculum now and lost all of those plans as well.

Good news is it still under warranty, I'm just going to have to send it off back to the states to get fixed I think.

Korea's only somewhat original music is 'Trot', it's definitely very 'Soviet' in it's style, but it's endearing and, in a really goofy way, charming enough to be it's own offshoot.

2nded on the trot. The thing I like about it is its lack of pretentiousness. It doesn't claim or try to be anything special, but it can bring back special memories of good times.

I do love seeing the ajumma bang bus roll by at 2pm in the afternoon with a bunch of people going nuts inside on their way to a "hiking" trip.

The fact that Kendrick Lamar can come to Korea and play an Olympic Stadium should be proof enough of that.

I can't name a single Korean hip hop star, let alone them touring the world playing stadiums in other countries.

(Before your panties get in a knot, this doesn't mean I don't like them or that they suck, we're talking about global recogniton, relax.)

BTS...  They sold out Citi Stadium (which holds 44,000 people) in NY in under 15 minutes. Not to mention every other venue in less than 5 minutes.  And before people start chiming in saying "they aren't hip-hop" yea... actually, they are. 

The fact that Kendrick Lamar can come to Korea and play an Olympic Stadium should be proof enough of that.

I can't name a single Korean hip hop star, let alone them touring the world playing stadiums in other countries.

(Before your panties get in a knot, this doesn't mean I don't like them or that they suck, we're talking about global recogniton, relax.)

They can pull 20k crowds at like, NBA arenas, especially BTS I'd imagine (just checked- yeah they're playing major NBA stadiums, pretty impressive). Doubtful they could pull 60k Olympic-level stadiums outside of Asia, but they're not exactly stuck playing alongside a puppet show.

As far as appropriation. For 20 years white America thought the original leaders of jazz were white people because the first major jazz album was by the Dukes of Dixieland. I think people can be a tad overly harsh given our own history of adopting music. And who cares if Koreans make rap music? No one I know who doesn't have a serious mental disorder gives a crap if people from Korea/Turkey/Slovakia/Cambodia/Peru/Norway/Nepal/etc. make rap music in their language.

Lastly, given the sheer number of Koreans I encounter at the club listening to ol 2Pac, Biggie, Run DMC, Snoop, etc. etc. stuff form the 80s-90s, I think a good chunk know where rap's roots come from.

just lay me on the floor and let me die.

I backed up my external hard drive like 2 weeks ago but hadn't done it in the last week and it decided to just completely brick itself last night. I lost 3 weeks of 3rd and 4th lesson plans,  and two and a half weeks of 5th and 6th.

I have a feeling I'm going to have to buy some of that Infamous super caffeine coffee milk on my way home and just start grinding out as much as I possibly can.

Normally I wouldn't worry as much but because I've been able to handle more on my plate in terms of classes, I've become the driving force behind curriculum now and lost all of those plans as well.

Good news is it still under warranty, I'm just going to have to send it off back to the states to get fixed I think.

I'm always worried things like that will happen.  One reason I save all my work to 3 different USB's.  Yea, I'm not kidding either.  I have a way of losing/erasing/forgetting my work.  **sigh** 

I'm really sorry!  After all that you've been through since starting work here... Super positive vibes that somehow your external will start working. 

Korea's only somewhat original music is 'Trot', it's definitely very 'Soviet' in it's style, but it's endearing and, in a really goofy way, charming enough to be it's own offshoot.

2nded on the trot. The thing I like about it is its lack of pretentiousness. It doesn't claim or try to be anything special, but it can bring back special memories of good times.

I do love seeing the ajumma bang bus roll by at 2pm in the afternoon with a bunch of people going nuts inside on their way to a "hiking" trip.

Whatever does it for you.

Korea's only somewhat original music is 'Trot', it's definitely very 'Soviet' in it's style, but it's endearing and, in a really goofy way, charming enough to be it's own offshoot.

2nded on the trot. The thing I like about it is its lack of pretentiousness. It doesn't claim or try to be anything special, but it can bring back special memories of good times.

I do love seeing the ajumma bang bus roll by at 2pm in the afternoon with a bunch of people going nuts inside on their way to a "hiking" trip.

Tee hee

Whatever does it for you.

One day your wife is going to be an ajumma. And you're going to have to keep her happy lest she take the house, the kids, the dog, and 50% of your paycheck. And if you keep her happy, when you've had your stroke and the choice is the expensive treatment that lets you fully recover rather than tossing in you in a death home where you spend the last years of your life strapped to a bed (and keep in mind you're conscious and aware to some extent while this convo with the doctor is going down).

You think this will never happen to you? That's what every sucker in this situation said.

Whatever does it for you.

One day your wife is going to be an ajumma. And you're going to have to keep her happy lest she take the house, the kids, the dog, and 50% of your paycheck. And if you keep her happy, when you've had your stroke and the choice is the expensive treatment that lets you fully recover rather than tossing in you in a death home where you spend the last years of your life strapped to a bed (and keep in mind you're conscious and aware to some extent while this convo with the doctor is going down).

You think this will never happen to you? That's what every sucker in this situation said.

She can take the dog that we don't have.

"Strapped to a bed"? Your mind is drifting back to the adjumma bang bus.

there are artists here who have been getting some attention from some big American hip-hop names.

Is that attention in the form of payment to do a cameo or genuine fandom?

Pretty much what others have said already, but both. A lot of American hip hop artists are also producers and businessmen who look for fresh sounds and/or talent, and they don't limit their scope to just America. They take the ones who they feel might have some market value, and test them out. Cameos, collaborations, etc. Sometimes it's for business, sometimes it's for genuine fandom and fun, but money is always the bottom line.

anyone else get one of those govt alerts last night at 12.24am on their phone? yeah, cheers. no way to disable it or turn off the sound. a really nice way to be woken up.

K-pop companies want big name rappers to collab to boost the k-popper's street cred and help them become successful in America. But Americans at the top of their game would be most likely be hurt more than helped by this ... so the only people they can get to agree and/or afford are older performers past their prime. Psy got Snoop. Jessica got Fabolous. BTS got Nicki Minaj (who had to cancel a tour due to poor ticket sales). K-pop's not considered cool in America. If it was they'd be grabbing people on their way up rather than their way down.

I'd bet against Drake, Cardi B, Future, or Post Malone doing a K-pop collab any time soon. Maybe ten years from now?

anyone else get one of those govt alerts last night at 12.24am on their phone? yeah, cheers. no way to disable it or turn off the sound. a really nice way to be woken up.

They've been abusing the emergency alert system way too much. I got about six or seven over a three hour period on Tuesday.

Nobody's going to pay attention to emergency alerts when they become common.

anyone else get one of those govt alerts last night at 12.24am on their phone? yeah, cheers. no way to disable it or turn off the sound. a really nice way to be woken up.

I turned mine off on Tuesday night after 3 in about an hour.

You can turn it off - it is a separate seeing from the 3 other "silence" options in iOS.

My phone doesn't even give me the option to translate, or to copy the messages so I can translate them.
So, my emergency messages are meaningless to me, as I'll never understand them lol.

My phone doesn't even give me the option to translate, or to copy the messages so I can translate them.
So, my emergency messages are meaningless to me, as I'll never understand them lol.

Screen shot -> Google translate -> camera icon -> folder icon -> choose photo -> select text -> say "well no sh!t, Sherlock, it is hot/cold/raining!"