If you’re a K-music fan who also keeps up with Western artists, you’re probably seeing many female rappers’ names in the music charts and awards, especially in the U.S. right now where Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and Doja Cat are dominating. And you might also be thinking of many other female rappers who deserve […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/tymee.jpg10801920Ana Clara Ribeirohttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAna Clara Ribeiro2021-07-20 11:44:112021-07-20 11:44:37Why Tymee should be acknowledged as a Korean rap legend
By Fabiola Álvarez 2PM, one of the top 2nd gen boy groups, made their comeback on June 28 with MUST, their seventh full-album and their first after a five year-hiatus due to the teams’ military enlistments, individual projects such as acting or solo work, and even having a member leave JYP Entertainment – the company […]
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If you’re a K-music fan who also keeps up with Western artists, you’re probably seeing many female rappers’ names in the music charts and awards, especially in the U.S. right now where Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and Doja Cat are dominating. And you might also be thinking of many other female rappers who deserve […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/tymee.jpg10801920Ana Clara Ribeirohttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAna Clara Ribeiro2021-07-20 11:44:112021-07-20 11:44:37Why Tymee should be acknowledged as a Korean rap legend
By Fabiola Álvarez 2PM, one of the top 2nd gen boy groups, made their comeback on June 28 with MUST, their seventh full-album and their first after a five year-hiatus due to the teams’ military enlistments, individual projects such as acting or solo work, and even having a member leave JYP Entertainment – the company […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2PM-1-scaled.jpeg17072560KultScenehttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngKultScene2021-07-12 15:59:042021-07-12 15:59:172PM’s comeback, 2nd gen nostalgia, & breathing new life into older K-pop acts
If you’re a K-music fan who also keeps up with Western artists, you’re probably seeing many female rappers’ names in the music charts and awards, especially in the U.S. right now where Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and Doja Cat are dominating. And you might also be thinking of many other female rappers who deserve more love, just as these amazing ones that are having their big moments right now.
In the case of South Korea, it’s not that female-fronted rap is at all unpopular — with shows like Unpretty Rapstar (2015-2016) and Good Girl (2020) we’ve been seeing female rappers getting more attention. Yet, some of these women’s stories remain unknown, or not acknowledged enough. One of these stories is Tymee’s, formerly known as E.Via, the Korean rapper and songwriter born Lee Okju.
Though newer Korean music fans might not be familiar with Tymee’s work, she has been releasing songs for 18 years, with recent years seeing less and less music from her. Some may know Tymee for the beefs she has been involved in throughout her career, such as the one with Jolly V before and during Unpretty Rapstar, or her super brief participation on Show Me The Money. Or maybe you’ll remember her as E.Via, the controversial rapper who released meme-worthy songs such as “Oppa! Can I Do It?” before memes were even a thing.
But Tymee is so much more than the dramas and the eccentric songs — she’s barely acknowledged by what they represented for the music scene in Korea. Here are eight reasons why she was a pioneer, a total legend, and why she should be acknowledged as such.
She Pretty Much Pioneered Aegyo-Rap
Lee Okju started her career as an underground rapper that went by the name of Napper. When she debuted in the Korean pop industry formally as the controversial E.Via, her impeccable flow and impressive breath control were still there — but the deep voice she used to rap with previously gave place to a cute, high pitched, almost unrecognizable timbre.
Along with her clothes and overall shy girl attitude, the baby voice was not exactly what one would expect from a serious rapper, and the aegyo merged with fire rap. E.Via’s songs would also be the first time Tymee would present her fast rap, a side of hers that would also become her signature – which was a peculiar combination too.
But, whether you’d find her laughable or good, you can’t deny that E.Via was somewhat fascinating to listen to, and years later, the aegyo rap she became famous for would infiltrate the K-pop industry, becoming basically a mandatory in K-pop songs by girl groups such as Girls Generation’s “I Got a Boy.”
In spite of looking and sounding innocent, E.Via’s songs weren’t really all that suitable for kids. “Oppa! Can I do it?,” the lead single from her debut album, was pretty ambiguous. It wasn’t really clear what she was asking her oppa permission for: the album version included her moaning, while the lyrics also hint at E.Via asking him to hear her rap. The provocative content and slang led music shows such as Music Bank to ban her performances. E.Via, who wrote the lyrics of “Oppa! Can I do it?”, never fully addressed what the song was intended to be — but such suggestiveness would become a part of her brand.
As much as it may be disturbing to hear an infantilized woman performing sexually suggestive songs, or to hear a woman asking a guy permission to do anything at all, the song raised discussions about what artists and women can do, and the ban would only raise the public’s attention and interest to E.Via and her upcoming music.
She Featured Herself On A Song
So far, you’ve learned that Tymee went by different names during her career. Each one of these “personas” had their own features, but they’re all pretty much different sides of her, representing different stages of her life. But could these personas meet each other?
Alter egos are quite common in rap, but there are very few cases of rappers featuring “themselves” in a song — and the most popular ones we can think of, like Logic feat. Young Sinatra’s “Warm It Up,” weren’t released before E.Via’s “My Medicine,” a song in which E.Via featured no one less than Napper, her old alias.
In this sweet yet sad song, Napper raps and E.Via sings. It’s not only an example of Lee Okju’s versatility and emotional depth – you can just feel the pain in her voice, even if you don’t understand the lyrics – but also her creativity. Who would think of such a collab? It’s just genius to bring your two personas to meet and perform with each other.
She Broke Free & Prioritized Her Artistic Freedom
E.Via brought Lee Okju fame and success, but she wasn’t happy, and was also severely mistreated and not properly paid by her talent agency, DLine Art. She couldn’t put up with it further than early 2013, when she announced that she was leaving the company.
But breaking free from her contract wasn’t easy: she had to go to court, and ended up with little to no rights to her music, and not allowed to use the name E.Via. She then changed her stage name to Tymee, and later signed to rapper Outsider’s ASSA Communication, where she would find more creative freedom and control. On the songs she released thereafter, such as “On The River,” she spoke about her mental health issues and how she almost gave up on music. The name “Tymee” would symbolize her desire to be “tied” to music, as a promise that she wouldn’t let anything or anyone steal her passion for it.
Was An IP Genius During Diss War
In 2013, when U.S. rapper Big Sean released “Control,” a featured verse by Kendrick Lamar would inspire the beginning of a diss war in the Korean hip-hop scene. Initiated by rapper Swings (with whom Tymee had history), the war consisted of many rappers shooting and firing back at each other by writing their own verses over the “Control” beat. The diss war had pretty much only male rappers doing it, until Tymee stepped in.
Recently signed off from her previous label and recovering from what almost ended her career forever, she definitely had a lot to say, and she didn’t hold back. “Cont Lol,” which is a play on the words “Control” and “Laughing out loud,” referenced how she found the other rappers’s skills comically laughable. There was also a reference to the video game series League of Legends, showing Tymee’s angry views on hip-hop culture, stating her place as woman in a male-dominated industry (“I’m not a king, but I’m a queen”), dissing rappers and everyone who mistreated her in the past, with no mercy or filters. And as if that weren’t enough, “Cont Lol” also brought back E.Via, — sort of. In a maneuver that would make Intellectual Property lawyers tremble, Tymee channelled her former persona without the need to say her name or to mention anything about her previous works or label, just by using the cute voice she was famous for.
She Was The Best Unpretty Rapstar Contestant To Not Make It To The Finals
After a short passage in Show Me The Money, during which she got eliminated for forgetting her lyrics, Tymee was given another chance to compete in a rap survival TV show, this time, one meant for female rappers only. Tymee’s participation in the first season of Unpretty Rapstar again got attention for her beef with Jolly V, a rapper who dissed her in the past, to which she responded. They both also competed in the same season of Show Me The Money. While Tymee didn’t make it into the semifinals and isn’t even featured on the TV show’s official soundtrack, her performances there were some of the best of her entire career. She shone in a battle against Jace, and later in a collaboration with the same artist. These two verses were so impactful that Tymee would incorporate them into later elements of her career, performing the first one at live concerts and using the second in “Octagon,” a collaboration with Outsider and other label mates.
When you hear Tymee’s crystal clear pronunciation in these verses, her incredible rhyme schemes, lyricism, fierce delivery, and flow, it’s hard to understand why she isn’t considered Yoon Mirae-level of reference for women in South Korea’s hip-hop scene, or why her skills aren’t given the same glory as Korean hip-hop icon Verbal Jint’s.
One Of The First Artists In Korea To Use The Word “Feminist” In A Song
Tymee’s history with Unpretty Rapstar wouldn’t end after she got eliminated from Season 1. In 2016, she would be invited to be a guest judge in the third season, and also released a diss song to the show on her Youtube channel. On “Fuck Pretty Rapstar,” she criticized the contestants who care more about their looks than their rap skills, and proclaimed herself as a feminist that wants to see a fair race in the show regardless of its gender scope.
There isn’t much, if any, history of feminism being mentioned in mainstream Korean songs before “Fuck Pretty Rapstar.” Feminism, as a term, wasn’t that widely known there in 2016 (when participating in a livestream, Tymee was even asked what that word meant). And to be fair, until very recently, it still wasn’t that well known or perceived, as we’ve seen from the controversies that follow female K-pop stars’ when they’re perceived being feminist.
Makes The Music She Wants
Nowadays, Tymee is a part of a music crew called Freezy Bone and isn’t under any label. She is an independent artist whose latest music is less hard rap-driven and leans more towards smoother alternative hip-hop, although her great lyricism is still present. She has said many times she’s not ashamed of her past, but as is noticeable from the abrupt change of style, she doesn’t let it define what she’s going to do either.
With almost a 20-year career, having gone through underground and Korea’s mainstream, and several ups and downs, Tymee’s story is one of determination and overcoming adversity with her best weapon: talent. It’s also a story about identity. Tymee has been through many different phases, styles, and names, but her talent would always show through — even when she wasn’t being 100% true to herself, she still excelled as a rapper— and her love for music would always win. Regardless of what she’ll do in the future or what kind of music she’ll release, Lee Okju should be acknowledged for just how good she is, and for all the fields and forces she touched or impacted.
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KultScene is a writer-driven website dedicated to creating a platform where diverse voices’ takes on K-pop can be heard. If you like this post and would like to see more, please consider contributing to KultScene’s writers fund. KultScene’s writers are compensated for their work, time, and insight. Email us for more details.
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2PM, one of the top 2nd gen boy groups, made their comeback on June 28 with MUST, their seventh full-album and their first after a five year-hiatus due to the teams’ military enlistments, individual projects such as acting or solo work, and even having a member leave JYP Entertainment – the company that created them – and sign with another label.
For many, male K-pop idols’ conscription once meant the end of the idol or their group’s career as we knew them. As time passed, fan loyalty became stronger and longer-lasting as entertainment companies found strategies to keep them engaged and entertained with other activities. A military reform also helped, turning what used to be a 24-month mourning period into an 18-month hiatus.
Being able to come back to a roaring fandom ready to support your next endeavors is a skill perfected by idols from the second generation — or 2nd gen as it’s commonly referred to. The precedent they set for creating solid fan bases around the world at a time when the internet wasn’t immediately accessible to us through our phones is undeniable. But it is their ability to adapt to the digitized world and connect with fans that crave an onslaught of instant online content what is affording them a second wave of popularity in their careers.
The return of 2PM is the newest addition to a small set of 2nd gen K-pop groups that are making remarkable comebacks after finishing their military services and placing high on the charts, just like they did 10 years ago during their beginnings. Maybe their fandoms aren’t as big as the ones currently dominating the K-pop industry, but they’re keeping up in their own ways and basking on the longevity they cemented years ago.
The most evident case of the group’s relevancy as it relates to the general public was being invited for the first time as a whole group to JTBC’s Knowing Brothers, one of the top variety shows in South Korea. And when it comes to album sales, they broke their own sales records with MUST, with 79,000 units sold during the first week of release — an overwhelming surprise considering that the group returned from a long break from the stage.
Their lead single “Make It,” which was written by member Wooyoung and producer duo HotSauce, has helped reintroduce 2PM to the new K-pop environment. While many remember 2PM from the party anthem “Hands Up” or the theatrics of “Heart Beat,” with “Make It” they’re showing a relaxed yet grown-up image that builds on latter hits like “Come Back When You Hear This Song” and “ADTOY.” MUST is a 10 track album with several of them written by Jun.K and Taecyeon, and also includes an acoustic version of their very popular, now viral, song “My House.”
As the global K-pop fandom as a whole experienced considerable growth in the past couple of years, older groups that weren’t active, such as 2PM, are now hopping back into an even fiercer competition in the ever-evolving industry — and they’re completely owning it. Leaning into the mature charm that made Hottest, their fandom, fall for them in their beginnings, they are appealing and captivating new audiences by staying true to their brand. 2PM’s strengths prevail because of their relatable lyrics that go beyond the simplicity of everyday life, strong synchronized choreographies, and a varied vocal assortment among the members. Also, the fact that the group has kept a fun, strong, and even a sort of chevalier image throughout the years, which earned them the “beast idol” moniker, doesn’t hurt.
In 2017, as a farewell to their fans, 2PM held the 6NIGHTS concert series with over 30,000 fans attending the shows before going on hiatus. When the members were all finished with their military service, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, ultimately forcing people to confinement and making social media people’s only connection with the outside — or with their idols, in K-pop’s case. A year has since passed, but in-person activities such as concerts, fan signings, and other events that involve big gatherings have remained suspended.
It’s true that not all 2nd gen idols reach stratospheric numbers of virtual interaction like newer, more social media savvy groups like BTS, BLACKPINK, and TWICE. However, their other media appearances work as the appetizer for these groups’ long awaited comebacks: either acting in internationally broadcasted K-dramas via streaming, opening YouTube channels, jumping on newer social media platforms like TikTok, hosting variety programs, and appearing on different online modes like live streamings and podcasting. All of this further humanizes the idol’s image, expanding on what led them to fame in the first place. As more seasoned idols, being versatile and opening up to technology makes them accessible to younger generations who never had to hunt down a 10 part episode of Strong Heart on YouTube.
But it’s not just nostalgia that’s boosting the comebacks of 2nd gen groups like 2PM, HIGHLIGHT, SHINee, and even Taeyeon from Girls’ Generation. It’s their ability to adapt and grow in an industry that thrives on youth and constantly demands more from the artists, not only with creative input, but also with fan engagement through their online presence.
2PM, who hadn’t been exposed as a group to this very online approach to fan connection, began engaging its loyal fan base by inviting them to join online activities such as streaming parties or reminding fans to stream the “Make It” music video. And doing so worked well: “Make It” hit 3 million views in the first 24 hours of being released, surpassing the fan goal set for 2 million. Then, just two days later, the music video reached 10 million views, making this comeback music video one of their fastest growing videos.
SHINee, with a more active career in the past years, has managed to have a constantly growing fandom while their oldest fans are actively supporting the group, becoming one of the veteran groups with great support in the industry. Their latest album Don’t Call Meand it’s repackaged version Atlantis were praised for showing a mature image of the group whilst still experimenting with various genres and staying true to the colorful personalities that has gained them recognition since their debut. And since variety shows are still a huge necessity to further artists’ profiles with the general public, Key’s weekly appearances as regular cast member on DoReMi Market (also known as Amazing Saturday), has seen his popularity grow with his infectious and sassy persona. This also ultimately helps SHINee’s profile, with many of the group’s biggest hits being frequently aired during the shows’ games and playlists. Also, Taemin’s solos and participation in SuperM kept SHINee adjacent to the current K-pop environment.
Then there’s HIGHLIGHT. After three years of turbulence, the group released their fourth mini-album THE BLOWING, their first comeback since concluding their mandatory military services and as a quartet. The title track, “Not The End” composed by member Gi Kwang, was a reminder to fans that, as the chorus says, they’re still here and it’s not the end, opening a new chapter in HIGHLIGHT’s history filled with the same determination they had during their many group struggles. Now under their self-funded company, Around Us Entertainment, HIGHLIGHT has been more active on social media, connecting with fans through photos and live streamings.
A few weeks prior to HIGHLIGHT’s comeback, member Doo Joon was confirmed to co-star in his first drama since completing his military duty. Similarly, Dong Woon will finally debut as an actor starring in web-drama The Guys I Want to Catch alongside TEENTOP’s Niel, PENTAGON’s Woo Seok, and VICTON’s Se Jun, making HIGHLIGHT one of the few K-pop groups where all of its members have starred in TV and musical theater.
And though women aren’t required to serve in the military, few 2nd gen female idols have remained a staple in mainstream media as Taeyeon, who recently came back with “Weekend.” In addition to her multiple solo releases, she has also been active on TV. After having three members out of eight not renewing their contracts with SM Entertainment, Girls’ Generation as a group went into hiatus — but that didn’t stop the members from standing out beyond music. The iconic 2nd gen female idol group has stayed in the spotlight over the years, with members being active in several fields in the industry.
To name a few examples, Yuri opened her own YouTube channel to stay in touch with fans through Yuri’s Winning Recipe, a cooking talk show so popular among that was recently picked up to also be broadcasted on TV. Yoona, Seohyun, and Sooyoung have further solidified their acting careers with the first two mentioned leading in movies to be released in the next year, whilst the last starring alongside 2PM’s Chansung in the web drama So I Married an Antifan. Tiffany will be a mentor in new survival show Girls Planet 999 and just starred in the musical Chicago. Hyoyeon has released various singles, performs as DJ HYO, and even participated in the survival show Good Girl. Also, the members still under SM promoted as Oh!GG in 2018.
Of course, Girls’ Generation is a unique case for female groups. With most 2nd gen girl groups gone, the recent one-off performances by After School and 9Muses has shown that interest in these legendary groups is still alive. Hopefully these female acts, as well as other beloved 2nd gen groups like SISTAR, can have full-fledged comebacks like their male contemporaries are able to do so.
Before, groups were given an expiration date of around seven years due to various factors, such as creative or personal differences, military service, continuity of education, and contract terms. The once feared and hated so-called “Seven year curse” wiped out several K-pop groups that were huge names in the industry at the end of their contracts. But those who overcame that barrier were the idols who best adjusted to the times and conditions and did not close their vision to being a single thing or settled for what was offered by their companies. The ones that persist today are those idols and groups that worked in different aspects of being creatives to continue growing and reaching different audiences, not just leaning on their fan bases. Still having a solid company, like one from the Big 3 or your own, backing you helps too.
Diversifying into various fields allows these older idols to appeal to fans and general public alike, once again setting an example for newer generations of how to stay active and welcomed in a business as competitive and demanding as K-pop continues to become.
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KultScene is a writer-driven website dedicated to creating a platform where diverse voices’ takes on K-pop can be heard. If you like this post and would like to see more, please consider contributing to KultScene’s writers fund. KultScene’s writers are compensated for their work, time, and insight. Email us for more details.
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