Okay, quite a few of us hate this news. I had only had negative thoughts about this. "Please, for the love of God, no collaborations with Big Bang and/or 2NE1." "Why YG out of all companies?" Then I remembered YGEX (YG + Avex) and then my hope for a Tablo + Verbal collab shot up, even though that'll probably never happen.
Oh well. Tablo sold out Epik High with Run and now he sold out himself. If he makes a great album, great, because I want him to make good music again. I have my doubts that he'll ever compose something worth listening to again after his scandal, but who knows? All I know is that I'd only want Gummy and Psy to be on the album if anyone from YG has to be on it. No fucking tracks produced by Teddy either.
Though, to be fair, Woollim did fuck over Tablo. Maybe YG will actually support him. Who knows? But for the time being, I don't like him joining YG. Maybe it'll pass over in a week or something. It didn't hurt Psy any.
Oh well. Tablo sold out Epik High with Run and now he sold out himself. If he makes a great album, great, because I want him to make good music again. I have my doubts that he'll ever compose something worth listening to again after his scandal, but who knows? All I know is that I'd only want Gummy and Psy to be on the album if anyone from YG has to be on it. No fucking tracks produced by Teddy either.
Though, to be fair, Woollim did fuck over Tablo. Maybe YG will actually support him. Who knows? But for the time being, I don't like him joining YG. Maybe it'll pass over in a week or something. It didn't hurt Psy any.
M-flo loves Tablo?
ReplyDelete^ I'd jizz if that ever happened.
ReplyDeleteI actually respect Tablo and Epic High for their "epicness" but this move right here i don't like at all....I'm not a fan of anyone in YG (maybe only Taetang for his solo work) and would hate a Tablo & GD or any BB/2ne1 collabo cos i think they're not worth listening to when it comes to rap (or singing too)....Hope their parts don't cross but if it does then Tablo just hit an all time low in my book....
ReplyDeleteHate it or Love it my opinion would still be the same
Tablo is probably my most respected artist in the kpop world for all the shit he had to put up with. I trust that he made the right decision for his life (even if this was just for the $$$).
ReplyDeleteEveryone's probably read this article before, but read it again. It will bring back your perspective.
http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2011/julaug/features/tablo.html
OMFG! for real? TABLO DON'T!!! but damn I miss EPIK HIGH for making good music
ReplyDeleteAfter acting all superior with their independent label; Tablo slinked back to Woolim with his tail between his legs, having failed to make a notable mark on Kpop without them (not that success & popularity should have concerned him when he was supposed to be all about the music). Then he produced 'Run', one of the worst Epik High songs in existence, as well as resorting to wearing guy-liner. At that point, it was pretty obvious that success was more important to him than his musical craft.
ReplyDeleteAnd now he joining YG.
He no longer has any credibility.
Granted, what he did during the Mapthesoul era was pretty damn near revolutionary, but what came after was simply hypocritical and pathetic.
@ the first comment: I think I am in love with you now for saying that. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Run was not a very good song, the Epilogue album is still for the most part an Epik High album, as in written and created by Epik High, without Woollim influence. His decision to appeal to the current trends (such as guy-liner) in his stage performances was an attempt to get more sales, but every artist needs to appeal to current trends if they want to make money. This is important especially in Korea where artists barely make enough money to live, and it's even tougher as an indie artist. The Korean music industry isn't exactly where the money's at. Those performance gimmicks don't say anything about how important "his musical craft" is to him though.
ReplyDeleteIn my eyes, he hasn't done anything to deserve a loss of credibility.
10:17 - How do underground rappers and indie singer survive in Korea if every artist needs to appeal to current trends just to get by? They seem to be doing just fine, and popular artists such as Epik High are sure to make more.
ReplyDeleteI might be one of the few people into khiphop who doesnt really car for epik high but even i feel saddened by this.YG,of all companies.I get it we all want money but they are going to douchify his music and you bet yo ass Chuck they are going to get Teddy to produce more than one track in tablo's album.Teddy is fine as hell but fuck dude keeps producing the same shit over and over again.
ReplyDeleteAgain money talks.
HNNNG
ReplyDeleteWETTING MY PANTALONES RIGHT NOW AT THE THOUGHT OF A TOP/TABLO COLLAB...
AND LET'S GET REAL. EPIK HIGH WERE NEVER HIPHOP. JUST A BUNCH OF EMO PANSIES WHINING OVER GAY FRENCH BEATS.
Homeboy let the pussy trick him. :/
ReplyDeleteApparently his wife set this up. THIS CONTRACT HE JUST SIGNED IS FOR FOUR FUCKING YEARS WITH YG. 2/5s of BIGBANG will be irrelavant(army time) by then so he's going to have to feature on tracks for taeyang,seungri and killer by then. I wonder what Mithra's gay ass is thinking as he does nothing in the army right now?
It's all about the money. It's a job, not a game or a hobby. This goes for any artist, regardless of genre.
ReplyDeleteI've personally never believed in the concept of "selling out". Sure, you might alienate your most pretentious, elitist fans, but the artist doesn't OWE them anything.
Tablo has a family to provide for, and a wife. When you grow up and have people who depend on you to pay the bills and put food on the table, why would you care about what a bunch of misguided, naive fans think about you joining a large, powerful major? Sure, his wife makes bank, but how does it feel as a man when you're a bum still hiding from the public and your wife is buying the groceries?
I don't know if you guys know but the indie and underground musicians probably have real jobs. That's how they survive maybe? I mean the Wu's long time collaborator Cappadonna was driving taxis around when he wasn't doing tours or albums with Wu-Tang. If you're not a fairly successful musician, chances are you're going to be pushing at least one or two other jobs, and that's reality.
Besides, Tablo still has enough clout to pretty much determine what he wants to do musically, even if he is part of YG. It seems to me that for the most part, YG lets its artists be. He isn't an idol either. If he wants to collaborate with BB, Teddy, 2NE1 or any of the others, that's his prerogative. If he's just in it for the success, fame and money, more power to him.
David, you are no where near old enough to be pretentious, so stow it.
And if the music sucks, well, so be it. Don't get on his case for trying to do something with his life. He could hide like he's been doing for the last few years living off his wife's salary, but what sort of person is that when he's one of Korea's all time best rappers and probably has a LOT to say about what's happened to him.
ReplyDeleteElitist's will always believe that an artist can only stay true to his music if he's poor and working in a basement. Once he chases the $$$ he becomes a sell out and his music will proportionally decline. While there might be some correlation there it's still too early to comment on the effect of this deal. YG has the money and influence to help Tablo promote, without necessarily dictating the direction of his music.
ReplyDeleteYG made a stupid decision, they need to leave real hip hop to GD&TOP, why would they get Tablo? He fucking sucks.
ReplyDeleteCombatBaby hit the nail on the head.
ReplyDeleteHow did Woollim fuck Tablo over?
ReplyDelete@combatBaby amen!
ReplyDeleteis that the metric song?
ReplyDelete@2:08 trololololololol
ReplyDelete@Combat and those supporting his position on this,if you really read the comments,no one is opposed to him going mainstream its more about him choosing to go with YG that irks everyone,well that's how I see it. I mean Epik High is already mainstream,every kpop fangirl knows about them,when you say khiphop to fangirls the first thing that comes to mind is big bang and then its Epik High,sad but true.
ReplyDelete^ Combat was just replying to David, who was against the Woollim signing and the YG signing.
ReplyDeleteHey, at least he didn't go to SM!!!
ReplyDeleteBut all seriousness aside, I want to believe that he chose YG only because his wife is in there. Right now, because of the state that he's in, I'm sure he wants all the support he can get, and he wants to trust those he works with. Hopefully, it'll just be like Psy being under YG. It's not like Psy's album really had any influence from YG. None of the songs had any YG featurings and they weren't written by any YG producers/composers (as far as I know). Yes, he'll probably lose some credibility as a "Hip Hop" artist for joining YG, but hey, let's let his album prove that.
lol 2:08 gd&top and hip hop do not belong in the same sentence
ReplyDeleteAs big a Epik High fan am i, people that's against this should honestly understand he's want to make money. You can be revolutionary all you want but in the end it's how you're going to support your family. and obviously this is the way.......he already did kinda sold out when he wrote the Wannabe song criticizing idols but then make INFINITE....whatever. as long as the music is good, i don't mind. i don't blame him for wanting to work with a big idol company considering how the trend right now in Korea is idol. Get over it. All artists sell out at some point or another <__<
ReplyDeleteNathaniel: Contrary to your belief, it is not all about the money, not for some artists. It's sad to see that you view the music industry so negatively, but there certainly are artists that are concerned with musical artistry and perfecting their craft. Many. I'm not saying they aren't concerned with money, most are, but it is not as you say "all about the money" for them.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the cash issues, there are plenty of other labels he could have signed to while acting in accordance to the message he preaches, i.e. Amoeba (Supreme Team & Dynamic Duo). And it is pretty fucking obvious that nobody is going to be starving with two celebrities of their stature in the household
As for your Cappadonna analogy, the guy made zero impact on hip-hop. Null. I doubt anybody can make a living from a couple of features and some extremely under-the-radar albums (I don't mean hip-hop underground, I mean shit that only the most fanatic of Wu-Tang fans would be concerned with).
Let me ask you this: What do you know about Korean hip-hop? The majority of relevant underground rappers don't have day-jobs; they're busy attending hip-hop shows, concerts, night clubs, and other various events. They don't have time for a second job (obviously, this may not apply to some of the lesser-known rappers that don't make jack shit). And they get by fine.
"He could hide like he's been doing for the last few years living off his wife's salary"
Not even a year. And it almost feels like you're implying that YGE was his only safety line. As I said earlier, it wasn't.
"I've had with the paper chase
Need I mention?
The rap game is all show and lyrical descension
Pretension, obsession for physical possession"
Do you require a more thorough answer as to why I think Tablo is a sell-out? You're right, he shouldn't have to care about what fans think, it's his life. But that's not going to stop me from expressing my disappointment.
In the words of Tablo himself: "All I see is hypocrisy".
P.S. As for your personal jab, you're what, 21? And you've still managed to delude yourself into thinking SNSD is the most talented girl group in Korea, as well claiming that all nine of them are hot (or however you described Hyoyeon). I'm only 17, and even I'm not that stupid. c:
And the essay writing continues...
ReplyDeleteNever gets old.
I wouldn't mind Choice 37 kush or Dee.P to produce tracks with tablo.
ReplyDeleteTeddy and 2ne1 are a no go for me too... Anyone else in YG i can deal with.. after all he did do that project band with junsu n others.
what else... for companies sake IDC go where the money or opportunity lies.
collabing with Verbal or other Artists in Avex would be tight though.
@9:18 pm Wow, I'm really glad you linked that article, because I was incredibly out of the loop. Korean people.... I have a lot a Korean ride, but I cannot count the number of times where I've been so ashamed of their actions. At their best, they're comparable to saints (Priest Lee Tae-seok, missionaries to poor foreign countries), at their worst...they seem to be one of the most corrupt people in the world. But I guess... that's just humanity.
ReplyDeletesorry korean pride. LOL.
ReplyDeletePlay the game or get played.
ReplyDeleteEveryone who's anyone has done it.
^ Word.
ReplyDeleteWell, what other company should he have joined then? Should he have joined forces with Brave Brothers or JYP or something? o_O YG has been good to Kang Hye Jung all this time. It's understandable that trust was an important factor in choosing to sign with YG.
ReplyDeleteIt's only a four-year contract. Who knows what could happen afterwards?
^"there are plenty of other labels he could have signed to while acting in accordance to the message he preaches, i.e. Amoeba (Supreme Team & Dynamic Duo)."
ReplyDeleteJoin us @ chatbox by the way, we'd like you.
Why the hell didn't he join Jungle Ent.? Just thinking of a JK EH collab is making me hard. And if there's one Korean artist that isn't a sell-out, it's Tiger JK.
ReplyDeleteIm anti dick riding and I might get arrested for saying this since you're only 17 O.O and Im 22 but David I think I might be in love with you right now!Your essay gave me a girl boner.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna guess you guys don't like YG. Fine, but it's just another label. I'm fairly certain they'll let Tablo do his own thing, he signed the contract of his own volition. If his music sucks, again, so be it.
ReplyDeleteI may not know Korean hip hop as well as some people, but I do know socio-economics very well. The reality is, the vast majority of Koreans have parents to support them well into their mid-30s. Urban African American youths, who make up most American rappers, do not. If you these underground and indie rappers can get buy just fine by doing shows, it shows a fairly basic ignorance of simple economics. Korea has one of the highest costs of living amongst all developed countries, and some of the highest real estate prices on the planet. If these guys can get by just fine, it's because they have parents to provide a house and food for them. Look at the purchasing power parity tables. It's completely unrealistic to believe indie musicians in Korea get by just fine when aspiring singer-songwriters can barely scrape by the in the US, where they not only earn much more money, but the cost of living is much less.
My Cappadonna analogy was primarily directed at this point. Making money. I wasn't suggesting he made any sort of an impact on hip hop, but as far as rappers go, he promoted with a very successful and famous group, got to do all of their shows and appeared on a number of albums, but he still had to push a cab during his off time. Underground Korean rappers are not making that sort of money, not by a long shot.
Thusly, I can understand Tablo's desire to join a big company like YG. You may not like it, but it's a bit rich of you to call him out for being a hypocrite and a sell out. His business is music, and music is entertainment (with a bit of education thrown in). The fact that we're even debating this means he's doing his job very well.
YG may not have been his only safety line, but this company is on the up and up, it has connections, it has clout, and it has the money to let Tablo realize whatever he wants to do. This goes back to people hating on companies just because they're more successful than other companies; they're successful for a reason. Why you gotta hate on something just because they're making more money? They're obviously doing something right.
Finally, SNSD? Please. They're huge, successful and command a great deal of respect and recognition from Korea. Being where they are now requires talent. What sort of talent they have can be debated, but there's a reason SNSD is the most popular group by far while everyone else is a solid mile behind. There is a strong correlation with talent and success. I mean it's either that or they're the hottest group. But haters always claim "oh SNSD aren't anything special in terms of looks", so I guess they must be really talented them? "Oh SNSD can't sing, their songs suck, they can't dance", then what is it? They're average looking, they can't sing, why are they on top then? SM's money? LOL if it was based on money, why is SuckJu in the dumpster? I rest my case.
^
ReplyDeletePlus Yoona is hot. RIGHT? RIIIIIGHT?
^No. A transsexual Chinese whore is not hot.
ReplyDeleteAnd Tablo is a douchebag.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1472556/cappadonna-drop-new-lp.jhtml
ReplyDeletecappadonna lives his lifestyle by choice
^
ReplyDelete^
how's Tablo a douche? O__o
@Combat. stop writing essays. i'm a girl and i don't overreact when people bitch about my bias like you and i'm only 18. =___='
^ freedom of speech. there's nothing wrong with putting your opinion out there. a long comment does not necessarily mean an overreaction.
ReplyDelete^
ReplyDeleteyou haven't seen him on the yoona article then? writing 5 essays just over something as simple as subjective view on beauty is overreaction.
Holy shit, the essays.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are so stupid..... Tablo signs with YG because they treat his wife well there if there's a big bang/2ne1 collab that's great if they were underground which gd and taeyang first wanted you guys would love them
ReplyDeleteYG won't change any of tablos music trust me just like psy
AND STOP JUDGING ARTISTS IF THEY ARE MAINSTREAM OR NOT IF AN ARTIST MAKES A WELL MADE POP SONG THAT SHOWCASES TALENT THEN THEY DON'T DESERVE ALL YOU CRITICISM BASED OFF THE FACT THAT THE GENRE IS POP
so how all you douchebags feeling now huh?
ReplyDeleteJesus christ man. We've heard his album. Fever's end. It was okay. I like it. Btw, nice essays. Well, guys, I don't know about you but Tablo is a fucking inspiration. You talk shit about him like you knew him since way back when or sth. Basically, you guys don't know shit about him. And who are you to judge? You guys are just behind the computer, typing away and jerking off to SNSD or some porn. Even you guys don't, have some respect for the man. He has enough shit in his life and you guys are judging him when you're achievements barely matches up his.
ReplyDeleteFYI, ‘Run’ was a good song. The lyrics are deep, the music video was pretty cool too. Honestly, I've been a big fan of Epik High since 2008-2009. Tbh again, YG is the better choice.
Wow, how do you idiots feel now? bashing tablo and calling him hypocritical for joining YG. He just wanted to make an album for his fans and he needed a label. Why don't you fangirls keep fingering yourself to SNSD you little ugly, weird-looking pricks. As for the fanboys who bash tablo, go masturbate to your plastic group like the rest of the fangirls do. Run was a good song, and despite the fact that he's gone a bit mainstream, he's still great. Other than that, he produced legendary rap underground albums. So fuck off and go listen to your plastic generation group.
ReplyDelete"Run was a good song?" Oh please, STFU I bet you probably didn't even know what Epik High was until they started becoming mainstream. Yeah, so many South Korean netizens are fucking morons for jumping on the "Tablo lied to us" bandwagon and raising their pitchforks without even understanding anything about the American education system, but you have to admit that Tablo brought some of the flak on himself, writing about how he's a genius blah blah blah, when if you really break it down, he just wrote some mildly witty lyrics on top of very familiar and obvious chord progressions. But then again, seeing as how so many Korean kids are obsessed with brand-name schools, like Ivy League and Stanford, I bet their explosion at the whole Tablo scandal probably stemmed from their extreme jealousy at seeing some lanky occasionally-arrogant rapper breezed through Stanford, something they know they would NEVER be able to do.
DeleteBTW, the only reason Tablo joined YG was out of convenience - his wife is an actress already signed to YG, so why the fuck wouldn't Tablo grab that opportunity, seeing as how Mithra is in the military and he has nothing else to fucking do (except maybe just go to church again).