EPIK HIGH(에픽하이) - Epik High Is Here上 Album Thoughts(K-hip hop)

 

     Epik High is a trio rap group that's been around since the early 2000s. They were the group to helped cement Rap into the mainstream in South Korea. This didn't come without hardships for the group though. Some of their music faced heavy censorship for the visual and lyrical content that member, Tablo put in Epik High's songs. Still these same kind of songs shot them to stardom throughout the years. Fast forward to a new year that brings Epik High's tenth album after mostly a year of fans seeing Tablo Podcasting.....   

Track List:
01. Lesson Zero
02. Rosario (Feat. CL, 지코)
03. 내 얘기 같아 (Feat. 헤이즈)
04. 수상소감 (Feat. B.I)
05. Leica (Feat. 김사월)
06. 정당방위 (Feat. 우원재, 넉살, 창모)
07. True Crime (Feat. Miso)
08. Social Distance 16
09. End of the World (Feat. GSoul)
10. Wish You Were

   Epik High is Here part 1 doesn't bring anything truly new to the Epik High signature style that long time fans know and love. These guys have always been about emotional expression in the form of poetry rap. Tablo kinda lays all his emotions out on a table in the span of a whole album, hopping that fans relate. I can't speak for everyone but I defiantly still relate to his internal struggles that only amplify when the problems from the outside would come flowing in. What I enjoy about this album is how Tablo doesn't try to have the answers to all his problems but he does let you know that you're not alone in feeling hopeless when he spits bars. Tracks like End of the World featuring G.Soul(didn't he change his name to Golden or something?) are written testimonies to his mental state. Like I said before, the music itself isn't anything we haven't heard from these guys, however,  I was pleasantly surprised at the featuring artist lineup. CL's appearance on Rosario's chorus reminisces old school rap recreated for the new school generation. True Crime with Miso takes me back to the old dark erie sound contributed from tracks like Fan. Epik High has never been rappers who follow one formula to get their point across to listeners. They've experimented using Pop, Rock, Classical, and Ballad genres. Some underground artists might say this is selling out but there's a difference between selling out for fame and just being artsy for the sake of self expression. Epik High is Here part 1 combines pieces of this very idea like a big middle finger to what's conventional. If the music is still good, I couldn't agree more. Even if I've never liked every track on an Epik High album before.  

   I recommend first time listeners to go backward through Epik High's discography before listening to this album. Some of their best works in my opinion are, Remapping The Human Soul, Map The Soul(This was before BTS ya'll), Pieces Vol 5, [e], Epilogue, and 99 which was the album that sounded the most mainstream due to them being under YG Entertainment at the time.