Korean Hip Hop - Freestyle Rap

Freestyle Rap

As the underground hip-hop scene became increasingly popular throughout the 2000s, people started taking interests in various subcultures within hip-hop. With cyphers in Hongdae playground and annual freestyle competition/events such as Freestyle Day and Freestyle One, freestyle rapping really caught on to the underground listeners.

One of the leading artists who have been pioneering this freestyle-rap culture since the mid-2000s is Sool J. He is well known for winning Miller 2005 Freestyle Rap Battle and has then set his goal in popularising this freestyle-rap culture. He was responsible for hosting the internet freestyling show Mic Swagger, where famous rappers are invited to have a freestyle session with him similar to Rap City over in the United States. He was also the founder of Freestyle Day and has toured all over South Korea to find young freestyling talents. He is currently hosting a 'no-beat' battle show called Boxer. Other artists who have been heavily associated with freestyle rapping would include Huckleberry P (of Pinodyne), JJK, Dragon A.T, Dumbfoundead and many more.

As the aftermath of heated freestyle battles can end up in a violent manner from time to time, a new type of battle was invented in Korea in order to encourage freestylers and hip-hop fans to maintain peace and respect. It is called 'compliment battle' (칭찬배틀) whereby the competitors have to freestyle not against their opponents, but to freestyle about their admiration for them and to praise each other's skills and success. The winner of this battle is measured by the skills, wit and also their sincerity of respect. Compliment battles are usually carried out at the end of a normal freestyle battle, which leaves both of the opponents feeling more-or-less respectful of each other and prevents any aftermath violence/hatred.