Music for Freedom's Sake
Korea is a small country, dominated by corporations and big name brands that squeeze out any whiff of competition. K-pop is one such industry, strangleheld by SM, YG, and JYP, which pump out half a dozen new groups a year with rigorous training structures. Until recently, if you wanted to be on that global stage, you had to pass through one of these music giants.
For the precise reasons monopolies are illegal in the US, Korean corporations have produced terrible consequences on their respective industries and society as a whole. When it comes to music and talent organizations, the industry is fraught with cases of abuse, depression, the use and throwaway of aspiring children, and worst of all, the endless stream of shit music that no one listens to after a few week’s worth of top charts. The K-pop industry may have captured the imagination of Asia and abroad, but from a large perspective, the music industry is built on a terribly weak yet tyrannical foundation. Thus, the paramount importance of nurturing competition to bring down these Goliaths.
Until now, no new competing organizations have been able to mobilize against the big 3 aforementioned companies. They can’t compete in terms of funding, they have no platform, and they are effectively muscled out of the competition. However, there is one way Koreans have been able to break away from the typical agency model -
Music competitions. Rap music competitions.
Show Me the Money has allowed a new generation of rappers to mobilize together and claim a viral stage for their sub-industry. Rappers don’t need the same pampering and training as k-pop groups, being actual stand-alone artists in themselves and not just some plastic puppets, and it doesn’t take much for a few to gather and start independent labels like Code Kunst or AOMG. This is a nuanced affront to the traditional monopoly system, ones that exert full control over its subordinates. And the results have been tremendous, take a look -
These are all just a few examples of artists that have been able to leverage their high performances as part of new indie agencies and do far better in terms of audience than any YG or SM rappers. This is a true cultural upheaval and it’s incredible to watch (and listen to).
Steem on! Enjoy the beats.
