Literature Application – Jonathan Janson
Individualism in South Korea wasn’t common in the early 1960s because artists had to conform to the Korean standard of music to avoid being censored or banned by the ethic committee (Maliangkay 2014: 296). However, in the 1990s, the ethic committee became more relaxed, which has helped Seo Taiji quickly rise to stardom because he was different from other Korean artists by his style of music (Malingkay 2014: 296). However, this wouldn’t have been possible without the reduction in government censorship and changes in student disposable income (Maliangkay 2014: 297). These changes have played a crucial role in Jay Park’s career because it allows him to stand out from other Korean artists making him unique like Seo Taiji.
Seo Taiji introduced hip-hop in Korea by the influence of the music scene in the United States. However, the genre didn’t have a good reputation in Korea because rap was seen as gang related and was used to express social criticism (Maliangkay 2014: 297). Despite the criticism Seo Taiji got from introducing hip-hop into Korea and questioning the social norms, he continued to make rap songs (Maliangkay 2014: 302). Today, Jay Park has changed the negative attitude towards hip-hop in Korea and has attracted younger audiences with his bilingual rap skills. Jay Park also owns two hip-hop/urban label (AOMG and H1GHR MUSIC) and is the first Asian-American signed under the label Roc Nation created by the hip-hop icon Jay-Z.
If the government didn’t reduce its censorship during the 1990s, Jay Park wouldn’t be as successful as he was today. Jay Park is known for having numerous tattoos on his body and explicit language in his lyrics, which are negatively seen by elders in Korea who were the main consumers for music back then (Maliangkay 2014: 302). However, with the changes in student disposable income, younger audiences became the main consumers for music because they’re able to afford merchandise and albums to support artists like Jay Park.
In conclusion, these historical changes have allowed Seo Taiji and Jay Park to stand out in the music industry because they aren’t afraid of breaking the norm.
Written by: Jonathan Janson
Bibliography
Maliangkay, Roald. “The Popularity of Individualism: The Seo Taiji Phenomenon in the 1990s.” In The Korean Popular Culture Reader, edited by Kyung Hyun Kim and Youngmin Choe. 296-313. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2014.