BewhY has released his new single “SOUTHSIDE FREESTYLE,” marking his first major move since announcing the closure of Dejavu Group, the hip-hop label he founded in 2017. The track was written and produced by BewhY himself, giving the release a directness that feels especially tied to this moment in his career.
The single arrives shortly after BewhY shared that Dejavu Group would officially end operations after nine years. In his statement, he reflected on the weight of that decision, taking responsibility for the label’s ending while acknowledging the gap between what he once imagined and how the journey ultimately unfolded. Korea JoongAng Daily reported that BewhY described the decision as one that came after recognizing his own limits and choosing to face failure rather than avoid it.
That context sits heavily over “SOUTHSIDE FREESTYLE.” Rather than sounding like a polished comeback statement, the track plays closer to a personal reckoning. BewhY raps from the position of an artist stepping out of an operator’s role and returning to the mic with something to prove. The writing moves through faith, family, money, mistakes, exhaustion, and ownership, with one line cutting directly into the moment: “Failure is Dejavu.”
Musically, “SOUTHSIDE FREESTYLE” strips the focus back to BewhY’s delivery. His cadence moves with the precision that has long defined his work, but the song’s emotional weight comes from how exposed the writing feels. He references rebuilding, fatherhood, faith, and survival, framing the track not as a victory lap, but as a reset after a difficult chapter.
The release is also connected to BewhY’s upcoming third full-length album, POP IS CRYIN’, which is scheduled for release on May 29. According to StarNews, “SOUTHSIDE FREESTYLE” serves as a preview of the album and marks BewhY’s first full-length album project in around seven years, following 2019’s The Movie Star.
For longtime listeners, the timing is significant. BewhY rose to national attention after winning Show Me the Money 5 in 2016, then built Dejavu Group into one of Korean hip-hop’s most recognizable artist-led labels. The label later expanded with artists including C Jamm and Choi LB, before BewhY announced its closure in 2026.
“SOUTHSIDE FREESTYLE” now reads as the first page after that ending. It is not a clean farewell to Dejavu Group, nor is it a simple comeback single. It is BewhY returning to his own voice, carrying the consequences of the label era into a new phase of his work.
“SOUTHSIDE FREESTYLE” is out now on streaming platforms.
Official English Lyrics
The message of life, the message of freedom.
IX EX MACHINA 2.0 BewhY
My life’s a movie, so I pray
IX EX MACHINA
Throw away my perfect pic, full of flaws and stains
Failure now behind me, even if it collapses beneath my feet
Rebuilding a style like SOUTHSIDE FREESTYLE
IX EX MACHINA
2.0 BewhY
My life’s a movie, so I pray
Whippin’ da pyrex
Whippin’ da pyrex
She breaks that 9 eggs
Wifey designing it
Baby filling up her belly
Books for my child in Incheon
Mic check in Europe
Won sign, she resigned, now
No exchange, dollar sign stack
Trying to stay a 032 man, even in Seoul city
Lullabies hanging around the necks of my twin daughters’ mama
More than culture, I chase survival and gain
The more the better, songs filling nose and mouth
I want checks in my pockets and on my feet
But Lord, let me follow the stripes
Sweat forming above my lip, was that handshake my label?
I want abundance, whether in this life or the next
Throw away Take 1, now Take 2
Need a new house and new blankets
For 1 Queen and 2 Angels
IX EX MACHINA 2.0 BewhY
My life’s a movie, so I pray
IX EX MACHINA
Throw away my perfect pic, full of flaws and stains
Failure now behind me, even if it collapses beneath my feet
Rebuilding a style like SOUTHSIDE FREESTYLE
IX EX MACHINA
2.0 BewhY
My life’s a movie, so I pray
Trying to carry my own weight, so I spit
I long to lie down by the Han River
Mountain at my back, water before me, resting place
My first wife beside me
No concubines in my photo album
The cup overflows and fake friends start murmuring
Dirty hands grabbing at the hem of IX pants
Failure is Dejavu, mistakes are my new teacher
Words I spit flew far away like Pegasus
Claiming ownership again
Thinking again
New land, new company assets, new freedom
The lips on my own face that mocked my failures
And the twinkle star leaking out beyond her lips outside the door
Gathering fingerprints stained with money
And fingerprints stained with baby formula
Could I abandon my own children
Just to fill another man’s plate?
If I were righteous, I wouldn’t have knelt
Before the empty tomb
If I were righteous, I would have bowed
Before the hammer and sickle
The harlot incites
Trying to bring love to extinction
Success is in my voice
And in the beautiful woman’s voice—
IX EX MACHINA 2.0 BewhY
My life’s a movie, so I pray
IX EX MACHINA
Throw away my perfect pic, full of flaws and stains
Failure now behind me, even if it collapses beneath my feet
Rebuilding a style like SOUTHSIDE FREESTYLE
IX EX MACHINA 2.0 BewhY
My life’s a movie, so I pray