Everyone recognizes the name Tiger JK. As a pioneer of the first generation of Korean hip-hop, there’s more than a handful of listeners who grew up inspired by the timeless music. Yoonmirae is certainly a leader in that respect as well, as illustrated by her singles which rise to the top of the music chart shortly after their release.
The hip-hop duo then met Bizzy. After forming the project group ‘MFBTY’, the three released their first full-length album [WondaLand] with a monstrous 16 tracks.
The new album features an impressive list of artists of varying genres: Yoo Hee-Yeul, Jun In Kwon, Dok2, Kim Banjang, EE, Song Seung Yeon, Rap Monster, Yong Joon Hyung of BEAST, Dino-J. The hip-hop couple even featured their eight year old son who created an entire track by himself.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, MFBTY will be making a comeback with three title tracks: ‘Hello Happy’, ‘Bang Diggy Bang Bang’, and ‘Make It Last (눈빛에)’. The piano portion of ‘Hello Happy’ is played by artist Yoo Hee Yeul himself. The eccentric beat and flowful ‘Bang Diggy Bang Bang’, and concluded by the electronic track ‘Make It Last’.
The impressive line-up, track-list, and triple title tracks accompanied by teaser videos – all garnered attention in the music scene.
HOWEVER, MFBTY’s points in the music chart is disappointing. The title track ‘Hello Happy’ has hit #27 on average. Two hours after the album drop, the single hit #22, but no higher.
The expectation was very high for the listeners of the new album. The reaction of the album, which was filled with passion and genuineness by three well respected artists, was positive overall. However, the listeners could not connect the three artists under the project name MFBTY. In various articles, the album reviewers were unaware that MFBTY comprised of Tiger JK, Yoonmirae and Bizzy. In other words, the name is too difficult for the Korean public.
The difficult group name is what appears to hold the three artists back. Ironically, the name is dedicated to the fans: MFBTY (My Fans [Are] Better Than Yours).
The three artists acknowledge this dilemma. During an interview before the album drop, the three commented, “Many [listeners] have difficulty with [the name] MFBTY. We are debating whether if we should change our group name. Between the three of us, we discussed in length about this topic. We even explored names like “Horse Radish and Scallion Roots” and ‘Yoonmirae and the Flowers.'”
Of course, the three were most certainly joking. However, the name appears to be the core of the issue. It would be a shame if the group name is what draws back the potential of the trio’s success.
Dear Tiger JK, Yoonmirae and Bizzy, will you consider changing your group name?
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[ Article | Kim Yena @ TVReport ]
[ Translation | HiphopKR ]
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Given the current issue surrounding the name, do YOU think the trio should reconsider their group name?