Chapter 406 |
Side Story (23)
[“I think that crossed the line. Lee Chise looked genuinely pissed.”] [“Man, he went way too far that I was like, is this really okay? Get a grip, this is just a diss battle for the show…….”]
As lilQ’s rap ended, reactions came pouring in from the other rappers watching the battle. Then, as if trying to squeeze out a provocative scene no matter what, the MC handed the mic to Lee Chise, seemingly asking for his thoughts.
[“Give me a beat.”]
That was all Lee Chise said the moment he took the mic.
And then, with no beat at all, he started rapping.
[“Seo Yutae once said”]
As if by some miracle, the beat dropped at the exact timing of the next bar.
If you get hit once, don’t come back until you put ’em dead in the place]
The crowd on site clutched their mouths and screamed. Compared to his usual style, Lee Chise put far more force into his projection and diction, every single syllable hitting like a bullet. It stood in stark contrast to lilQ’s mumbling tone from just moments before.
From the very first line, he was flaunting the thrill of saying, “I’m on a completely different level than you”, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Then came an interview with the rapper who had been assigned to the same team as Lee Chise.
[“There were other lyrics originally written for this. I mean, we practiced together because the team has to plan a strategy and coordinate our reactions But the moment he started with ‘Seo Yutae once said’, Ohh! That wasn’t a line I knew.”]
[“It was full freestyle. He just threw everything away on the spot and beat the crap out of him with freestyle. That hyung is seriously insane (bleep). This is peak swag. Respect. BAAM.”]
Proving that watching someone else’s fight is the best kind of entertainment, they were absolutely having a blast.
Lee Chise himself, though, came back from filming that diss battle without showing me any sign of it at all. So, I only realized just how angry he’d been when I watched the broadcast.
‘…Look at his expression.’
Even if you weren’t a Prism member, anyone could tell he had completely lost it.
From beneath the shadow of his cap, only his ferocious eyes gleamed sharply.
Lee Chise was usually known for grinning casually and throwing cool gestures along with the beat, but there was none of that now. He just stood there, gripping the mic, silently staring down lilQ from right in front of his face.
lilQ tried to hold his own against Lee Chise by swaggering around and glaring as hard as he could, but because Lee Chise’s build was so much bigger, it only ended up looking ridiculous.
[“I don’t really like bullying people Keep it up, and you’ll end your own life, just like our lilQ here”]
lilQ was a rapper who had been accused of school violence during his high school days.
[“You must be losing your mind hating idol rappers ’Cause guys like you, school-violence perpetrators Get kicked out this industry on sight Your body’s probably shaking from inferiority Because I’ve got everything That you could never get, even if you gave your whole life”]
At the time, lilQ wasn’t that well-known to the public, and since image isn’t as crucial in the hip-hop scene as it is for idols, the issue had been glossed over with vague excuses like “It’s not true” or “We’ll sue the victim for defamation”.
But Lee Chise had just slammed those past right into his face on camera.
What’s more, he did it on a show hitting record-high ratings thanks to his own presence, targeting a guy who was just starting to gain some serious momentum.
[“Oh, if Jaewon feels wronged, go ahead and sue I’ve got money overflowing, more than enough to deal with you”]
lilQ’s real name was Kang Jaewon.
Among the evidence the victim had released were screenshots of messenger chats, where lilQ had been saved under the nickname Jaewon. That was how his real name became widely known.
Lee Chise deliberately dropped that name into his lyrics to remind everyone of it.
At the same time, it was a direct counter to lilQ’s earlier diss, where he mocked Lee Chise by mentioning my father and sneering that “Lee Chise doesn’t actually have much money for someone with that much fame.”
[“You wanna be popular with women You wanna make lot of money
That’s all there is inside your empty head Your lyrics give you away every time Money, money, women, women Guess there’s nothing else you can write
Standing in front of me, everyone’s idol, the legend who topped the industry Shows how shallow the life you lived really be”]
Naturally, the audience there was made up of hip-hop fans, so most of them already knew about lilQ’s school-violence controversy. As Lee Chise openly called out what everyone had been only whispering about, the crowd exploded in cheers.
[“Wooooah!”]
lilQ’s face stiffened visibly.
It seemed he couldn’t stand the fact that the people who were hyping up his rap just seconds ago—people he thought were on his side—had instantly turned their backs on him and started cheering for Lee Chise.
‘What were you even expecting?’
Resting my chin on my hand, I sneered as I watched him fail miserably at managing his expression. It was obvious he didn’t have much experience performing in front of the public.
This wasn’t a concert hall filled only with fans who supported him. Those people weren’t on anyone’s side. They were just there for the thrill, cheering for whoever was stronger and cooler.
The public is honest.
And that’s exactly why they’re cruel.
‘…Prism members succeeded because of me? Those guys would’ve succeeded even without me.’
In this industry, success is decided by who can dazzle the public faster and harder with a stronger impact. Walking out there that defenseless, spaced out like that, you’re bound to be offered up as someone else’s sacrifice.
‘They instinctively know what the public wants.’
It was just pitiful.
[“Yeah, I’m the Monster who dominates this scene Knockout a loser like you is nothing to me”]
Domination and Monster were the titles of Prism’s national hit songs. Loser and Knockout were the only songs of his anyone had even heard of.
‘I guess it’s true that you become your song titles?’
It was almost uncanny how even their song names exposed the difference in standing between Lee Chise and lilQ.
[“Funny, isn’t it They say when your own life is boring You end up living by tormenting others They say human nature never changes And you’re proving it yourself with that stupidity
Your friend’s been begging the show to edit you nice But you just flushed all that effort down the drain without a trace”]
lilQ was part of a crew led by xoxo, the winner of the previous season.
They’d gone to the same schools from kindergarten through high school, growing up as best friends while dreaming of becoming rappers together. Then xoxo hit it big by appearing in the last season.
To his credit, he didn’t abandon the people around him just because he’d made it. He supposedly took good care of those who had helped him before.
Thanks to that, lilQ—who had been stuck in obscurity—finally built a name for himself by featuring on his friend’s tracks. Hip-hop fans often said lilQ was decent but couldn’t quite match xoxo’s rap quality, yet they kept releasing songs together. It really was an impressive friendship.
‘And yet he still had the nerve to say Lee Chise only made it because of Seo Yutae.’
Sure, there were plenty of positive reactions too, such as “I discovered a great rapper thanks to xoxo” and “Their friendship is so admirable, I hope it lasts a long time.”
‘So he probably convinced himself he wasn’t just riding his friend’s coattails. He probably thought that they were equals … that he was talented, just unlucky. Well, it’s always hard to be objective about yourself.’
But that doesn’t change the truth.
Every praise becomes fuel for arrogance, and every criticism gets dismissed as haters’ tantrums?
When you live like that, the whole world would look like a field of haters to you.
He isn’t even that famous, so he shouldn’t have many haters to begin with. That’s why I’d found it strange that throughout the earlier rounds he kept rapping about haters, haters, but now, I was starting to understand. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, it must have kept circling his head unconsciously.
As a senior in the entertainment industry, this was about all I could say to him.
‘Accept it. And try to live with a kinder heart.’
[“Maybe he’ll end up thanking me For letting him finally cut loose The leech who can’t even rap but keeps clinging to him”]
Otherwise, you might end up picking a fight with someone terrifying like Lee Chise and get beaten half to death.
Haven’t I always said it?
Lee Chise isn’t some foolishly kind guy.
He only seems docile compared to the other Prism members who go around bristling with thorns all day. If he wants to harbor malice, he can do that just fine.
‘Seriously, why did you have to bring me up…….’
And his line was always Prism.
By now, the momentum had completely shifted. lilQ was in tatters, on the verge of tears, but Lee Chise showed no intention of going easy and kept spitting his verse to the bitter end.
[“Or maybe he’ll stay loyal till the very end‘My poor friend, pride’s all he’s got Probably can’t even get hired anywhere else So I gotta drag him up myself‘
Playing the friendship game is his choice to make But just know people are gonna start doing a double-take They say birds of a feather flock together
So maybe him too?]
It was a calculated move to block any room to retreat, making sure lilQ had absolutely no way back into the industry.
That line was practically a warning aimed at xoxo, ‘If you ever bring this bastard back, you’re the same bastard as him, so cut him off while you can.’
And sure enough, after the episode aired, xoxo seemed to have cut all ties with lilQ.
[“If I’m hitting the mark, send a signal, X or O”]
To snipe at xoxo, Lee Chise lifted his free hand while quoting the exact lyrics from knockout, a song they had worked on together. As if on cue, the audience roared the rest of the line in unison.
[“X or O!”] [“X or O!”]
It was incredibly rare for the crowd to chant the lyrics together, and it wasn’t even a hit song, just freestyle. To pull that off, the rapper on stage needs enough skill and stage control to completely pull the audience in, along with the sense to quote the right lines at the right moment.
Lee Chise met every one of those conditions.
As the audience surrounding the arena-like stage shouted together, an enormous pressure burst forth. Arms waved toward the stage in time with the beat.
[“Hey! Hey! Hey!”] [“Yeah! Yeah!”]
It felt like pure mockery of a lilQ who could no longer do anything.
At that overwhelming sight, the producer from lilQ’s team appeared on screen, sighing and shaking his head. It was his way of saying the battle was already lost.
[“Yeah, call this Deus Ex Machina A play that ends the moment you carelessly speak of it How dare you How dare you mention my member?”]
The beat cut off right on ‘a play that ends‘, but he didn’t stop. He kept rapping unaccompanied. It was like watching someone stomp on an opponent who could no longer move, making sure they were finished for good.
[“Look, there’s a camera right there Don’t cry, keep your face in check This’ll be the biggest hit of your life I’ll make your face famous off Lee Chise’s name
Since you looked curious about how it feels To succeed off Seo Yutae’s name”]
Lee Chise grabbed his chin roughly, forcing him to face the camera, but lilQ’s mental state had completely collapsed. He didn’t even resist, just hung his head low. Lee Chise crouched down, locking eyes with him to the very end, and ground his final lines out.
[“Let me tell you one more thing You seem way too obsessed with my hyung I guarantee you, Seo Yutae doesn’t even know who you are He only ever deals with the best, like us“]
After that diss battle, no song dissing me ever appeared in the hip-hop scene again.
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Translator’s Corner:
Guys wish me luck