1st generation rapper Issac Squab has just released the first solo album of his life!
Any musician in the Korean hiphop scene, especially those who have been active since before 2010, know this ‘Hongdae-hyung‘ very well: Issac Squab. The first generation rapper has only been part of teams or project groups so far: Trespass, ShowHow, Naachal & Issac Squab, and the CCM band ‘DIJ’. Now that he has been making music for 18 years, he is releasing his very first solo full-length album.
‘Dilettante (딜레탕트)‘ was released on November 23 and implies that Issac is someone who simply likes music and does not do it as his job. When you have a job you retire at one point, but you do not retire from hobbies. So, escaping the boundaries of competitive structures a job has, he can create more freely, individually, and creatively. Befitting to the album’s intention, Issac has filled the eleven songs with stories about himself and his feelings that he has never told anyone. Not one of the tracks features another rapper, merely the pre-released ‘그대는 결코‘ features a singer.
An interesting thing about the album are the lyrics. Most tracks have a thematic consciousness that can rarely be seen in the Khiphop scene these days. The topics range from the current political situation, the use of smartphones and media, over youth unemployment to the life of indie musicians, all problems described with a wry humor or based on the artist’s own past experiences. The sharp criticism in the lyrics is also hard to find in the scene lately. This is how much Issac devoted himself to rapping his mind and this again emphasizes that this truely is a solo album and the simple creation of a hobby artist.
The track ‘이유 (Reason)’ is generally about Issac’s change of mind during his 18 years of music activities, ‘빽스텝 (Back Step)’ satirizes Korean politics of 2016, ‘그 날 이후 (Since That Day)’ describes the rapper’s feelings after having been involved in a major car accident in April, in ‘Isaac’s Mind’ he honestly speaks of his views on current affairs, faith, and education, ‘불합격 (Disqualification)‘ is about the life of a young indie musician, and the title track ‘Street Romance’ pictures the ‘dream of the streets’, recalling the reason why Issac started to rap in the beginning.
The beats were made by The GitA and Cha Sunsoo who are in DIJ together with Issac. As diverse as the stories, each beat has its very own, distinctive color. However, since the album’s genre simply is ‘Issac Squab’s rap’, the tracks were not created in different styles but rather in various styles that show off his rap the best.
Issac Squab is currently in touch with hiphop fans through Korea’s longest hiphop internet radio ‘Spicy Radio‘ (매콤한라디오), and starting with this album, he is planning a wide range of solo activities.
Track List & Credits:
- 이유 (Reason)
Lyrics by Issac Squab | Composed and arranged by The GitA - Street Romance TITLE
Lyrics by Issac Squab | Composed and arranged by The GitA - 인생여행 (Journey of Life)
Lyrics by Issac Squab | Composed and arranged by Cha Sunsoo - 빽스텝 (Back Step)
Lyrics by Issac Squab | Composed and arranged by Cha Sunsoo
[x_video_embed type=”16:9″][/x_video_embed] - 불합격 (Disqualification)
Lyrics by Issac Squab | Composed and arranged by The GitA - 그 날 이후 (Since That Day)
Lyrics by Issac Squab | Composed and arranged by Cha Sunsoo - Issac’s Mind
Lyrics by Issac Squab | Composed and arranged by Might - 바뻐 (Busy)
Lyrics by Issac Squab | Composed and arranged by The GitA - 광화문 (Gwanghwamoon)
Lyrics by Issac Squab | Composed and arranged by The GitA - My Fit
Lyrics by Issac Squab | Composed and arranged by The GitA - 그대는 결코 (You Never) (Feat. Tae Hee-un)
Lyrics by Issac Squab, Wijaeryang’s Song | Composed by Cha Sunsoo | Arranged by Cha Sunsoo, Yahmine
Album produced by Issac Squab
With team ‘DIJ’
Recorded by Lee Kyunghwan at His Garden Studio
Mixed by The GITA & Cha Sunsoo at DIJ Studio
Mastered by Kang Sangwook (R-Est) at Sound Wave
Artwork by Jay Cy
Related Links:
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Source: Mnet