Review: Lee Kyungmin - Baptism of Blues
Another day, another indie highlight recommended by Haruko. However, this time, it actually was released recently, and is eligible for the end-of-month list!
I am not normally a fan of hip-hop. I have nothing against the genre, but it is oft used generically, without purpose. It falls into a generic groove, without ever doing something interesting. Plus, these grooves rarely ever require any talent in rapping.
Enter Baptism of Blues, a recent K-Indie highlight. This comeback of Lee Kyungmin succeeds in one aspect that much of modern hip-hop has failed at: it is genuinely unsettling. Throughout the song, the instrumental shifts, Kyungmin's rap shifts, and it feels arbitrary. However, this arbitrariness works amazingly. You never know what the song will do next, and it leaves the listeners stunned and unsettled. You never know when the song will go back into a basic groove, over when Kyungmin will explode into a speedy flow.
As one could expect from that sentence, Baptism of Blues, as the lead-single of the excellent The Trace II, does not follow the expected songwriting structure. This is essential, for Baptism of Blues would not be able to do anything if it did follow this structure.
The instrumental is rather simple, even monotonous. The basic trap hip-hop groove lies consistently through the song, with guitar-esque synths and choirs being sprinkled throughout the song whenever least expected.
However, nearly all the shifts are support acts to shifts within Kyungmin's central rap flow. Between the song, Kyungmin seamlessly shifts between desperate pleading to aggressive swag. A central refrain occasionally appears, as a slow choir march, but the verses always pull something out new, each time incredible.
Kyungmin is clearly a great rapper, as he nails each of these segments with the level of talent rarely seen among mainstream rappers. The lack of a proper melody does derail the song as a whole, but it allows Kyungmin to better show what he is capable of. Thus, the song can come off as a tech demo at times.
While it is certainly not an easy listen, the Baptism of Blues pulls together with enough mysterious swagger, speedy flows, and energy, for it to be well appreciated by me. While it may not make my playlist, I greatly appreciate its ambition.
I'm normally not a fan of hip-hop either for the exact reasons you have stated (though there are few exceptions like Epik High's "Born Hater", rap-rock(!) like in NCT U's "Misfit", or of course the iconic "Lose Yourself" by Eminem haha).
ReplyDeleteOh I wholeheartedly agree that Kyungmin's rapping is the main star of the show! The way he carries himself throughout the song is just... wow. His rapping along with the music is definitely chilling, and I think the simplistic music worked out well for him within this context.
I'm glad to know this song got the appreciation it deserves. It's a beautiful piece of art to admire for the artist's ambition ^^
Born Hater and Misfit are some of my faves! *-*
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DeleteVery happy to know we share a mutual love for those two songs (especially "Born Hater") Una :D
We gotta spread the "Born Hater" love around! That song is k-hip-hop is at its finest.
And the rock rap verses in "Misfit" is just, so satisfying (and the song overall is just so fun!). As a rock fan that song is such a treat.
Side Note: I love it when commenters discuss with each other, it always is great!
DeleteThanks for suggesting the song to us Haruko! It is a great find, and one of my favorite rap songs this year, looking forward to what Kyungmin does next.
And yes, I also love Born Hater. I listen to a clean version, but it is a whole lot of epic fun rock. Epik High are amazing!