I…. cannot…. cope. This is the cypher I’ve been waiting for ever since I’ve watched H1GHR MUSIC sign up artist after artist to the label, and it both met and exceeded my expectations. I cannot stop smiling – that’s how you know something is an instant hit in my eyes.
Of course, I’m biased, some of my favourite solo artists are in this mix *ahem pH-1* but you cannot question the skill of this entire flow. This is a cypher about how big, how global and how skilled the H1GHR MUSIC team is and these aren’t empty words – you don’t even need to know Korean to hear the talent in the spit and run of the bars. The track is titled ‘도착’ which means ‘Arrival’ and this signifies that the H1GHR MUSIC gang has arrived – or more specifically, are ready to land, since the end of this track announces the upcoming release of H1GHER MUSIC’s first compilation album [Red Tape – 2nd September; Blue Tape – 16th September]. For those of you who don’t know anything about H1GHR MUSIC, let’s talk about the artists featured on this cypher one by one.
Sik-K: Sik-K came to public knowledge through the survival show ‘Show Me The Money 4’ (the season that MINO was on) but has since become an unstoppable force making music with Yelows Mob, H1GHR MUSIC artists, other rappers, and also with other artists in the KPop industry. This song shows off his trademark straight flow and recognisable sound (with the tiniest touch of autotune), as well as his ability to write confident lyrics. I’m guessing this has been in the making for a little while since Sik-K is actually already in the military, I’m going to be gutted to not be able to see him promote this.
pH-1: There’s a reason pH-1 is one of my favourite rappers – his tone is so distinctive and he always plays with the rhythm in a way that allows him to rapidly switch the speed of his delivery to create a push and pull feeling. We get both the relaxed vibe as well as the ‘I ain’t holding back’ vibe in his verse. My favourite line of this entire cypher is from this verse – “I’m finna make dough uh, Call me a baker uh” *combined with the whisk dance move* – I’m done. Although pH-1 only started to become known around 2016/17 after being scouted by Jay Park, he has built a group of committed followers (ME!) who appreciate not only the different styles of music he puts out, but also the content that he raps about.
Woodie Gochild: Woodie Gochild became known through his appearance on Season 6 of the survival show ‘Show Me The Money’ (the season that Woo Wonjae and Jo Woochan were on) and was subsequently signed to H1GHR MUSIC as a result of appearing on this show. Woodie Gochild’s rap is an acquired taste since I find that he overuses autotune, however what I love the most about him is the charisma and energy he brings to his rap, which is clear in his verse in this cypher, as well as the musicality and melody he injects into his rap. He doesn’t straight spit bars, he almost sings them.
HAON: Let’s not forget, HAON is only 20 years old at this point, but despite his young age he has done a lot. He first tried out on ‘High School Rapper’ (the season Mark from NCT appeared) but didn’t make it past preliminaries, however that didn’t put him off and he went on to win Season 2 of the same show. Since joining H1GHR MUSIC he has received a lot of international attention and he is shaping his sound and perfecting his craft under expert advice. I think his appearance on this cypher was a little short and although it is a different sound to what I’ve heard him put out recently, his effortless tone and unhurried rhythm shines through – I think type of track this suits his style of rap.
TRADE L: My first reaction was, WHO IS THIS???? The skill level is unbelievably good for such a young rapper. I actually didn’t know TRADE L prior to this, and that’s because the announcement of the 16-year old rapper joining H1GHR MUSIC only came less than a month ago. I’m basing my entire opinion of him on this one verse and I am impressed. He boasts a certain kind of confidence that you find in seasoned rappers, it’s hard to imagine he is only 16. He brings a fresh sound to the group and shows us that although he’s the youngest, his flow can’t be underestimated. His lyrics are smart and entertaining and it promises a bright future for this young rapper.
Jay Park: Who doesn’t know Jay Park? CEO of H1GHR MUSIC along with producer Cha Cha Malone, as well as CEO of AOMG and an artist signed to Jay Z’s RocNation – need I say any more? Jay brings this cypher to a neat close with his iconic sound that skilfully weaves different textures and pitches into the delivery to create levels throughout the verse. Jay’s rap verses always sound so effortless and easy to me and he keeps the listener captivated by switching rhythms and language, keeping the sound fresh at every turn. What’s more is that I’m always impressed by Jay’s lyrics in cyphers – they are always clear, no-nonsense and straight to the point.
DJ SMMT: Sungmin started out a part of Yelows Mob with Sik-K – I remember seeing them perform in 2016 in this tiny venue in London, but since then I have seen him be given bigger and bigger opportunities after joining H1GHR MUSIC and have seen him DJ in bigger venues. People never notice the guy that lays the beat, but don’t pass this guy over – not only does he know how to create strong tracks, he also knows what he’s doing when holding an audience whenever you see him live.
EVERYONE – I am excited. I feel like I’ve been waiting for some big collaboration between my favourite rappers and this is what I got and I feel like the collaboration album is going to be the gift that keeps giving – I look forward to everything that’s in the pipeline for the coming month – it’s time to get K-Hip Hop back on the agenda.
Other RED TAPE posts:
Jay Park, pH-1, BIG Naughty, Woodie Gochild, HAON, TRADE L, Sik-K – The Purge
The day has finally come, H1GHR MUSIC’s ‘Red Tape’ is out. This compilation album is the first half of a two part series, and is a collection of 14 tracks carefully crafted by many of the H1GHR MUSIC artists. The second part, ‘Blue Tape’ is scheduled for release on 16th September. Compared to the previous…
Jay Park, pH-1, Sik-K, BIG Naughty, TRADE L, HAON, Woodie Gochild – How We Rock
In preparation for the release of the H1GHR MUSIC’s Red Tape on September 2nd, the global label has released another track ‘How We Rock’ comprising of the best and brightest rappers on the label as a follow up to last week’s release of their cypher ‘도착’. Whilst this song has a similar basis in terms…
Jei's Kulture Notes 
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