xitsuh

Don Malik - 7Interview with HiphopLE (screenshot)

Don Malik explains his diss track in interview with HiphopLE

Rapper Don Malik, who released a diss track a few days ago, has now explained his reasons in an interview with Korean webzine HiphopLE.

Three days ago, rapper Don Malik of daze alive released a diss track in which he targeted Xitsuh, P-type, and VMC. (Deepflow already responded to it.)
As many were wondering where this sudden dissing was coming from, Don Malik explained himself in a video interview with the Korean webzine HiphopLE.
Find the video above and a rough translation of it below.

 

Q1: Why did you suddenly release a diss track?

People probably expect me to name a good reason like “protecting the underground,” but I’m not flattering myself with reasons like this. The reason why I released it is simply because I wanted to express the things I found shitty and uncool. I was sad because all I had in my career was anger. I wanted to finally get rid of that in order to move on and do the next thing. So I decided to finally call out all those people whose names I hadn’t mentioned so far and state my opinion.

Q2: Is there a special reason why you mentioned names?

People I used to like a lot went “backwards.” What I mean is, if someone I don’t care about participates in SMTM, I’m just like “Aha,” but as for Xitsuh-hyung … After he participated in SMTM, he said this at the showcase for a compilation album: “Rappers these days, all they do is play video games, they’re f*cking lazy.” I was close to that hyung, I’ve played a lot of video games with him. And I’ve heard from others that he’s still playing a lot of video games even now. So that [what he said] doesn’t make sense. That hyung has released only one mixtape. Thus, that he said those things [at the showcase] felt very strange to me. It felt out of place.

As for VMC, I thought that their songs, like the ones I added at the end of my diss track, ‘NFS‘ and ‘Lookin’ Good‘, don’t match with the activities of some of their artists, they’re contradicting.

In the case of P-type-hyung, it’s like this: I had listened to ‘Street Poetry‘ and thought, “This is f*cking good, this is a f*cking masterpiece.” And suddenly I got sad, thinking, “This is messed up.”

So, basically, I was a fan of all the people I mentioned. I still know all of their lyrics. They lost their coolness to me and I felt empty, but I didn’t like that whole atmosphere of just accepting that. The feeling of regret was the greatest [reason].

Q3: Do you have doubts about the person whose name you censored?

First of all, it’s not Rhythm Power, that’s all I’ll say.
There was quite a long period between writing the track and releasing it. My feelings toward that person cooled off after those five months. Everyone whose name I mentioned I still feel angry and disappointed at, but in the case of this person those feelings just disappeared.

[omitted Q4]

Q5: How did the people around you react to you wanting to release that diss track?

At first, they all tried to stop me. When I was about to release it, I only told Jerry.k-hyung, not my team mates.
When I was making the track, I let many people listen to it, those who I wanted to show it to. However, the more I listened to the track, the more doubts I had about releasing it. After clearing my head I listened to it again and then just wanted to release it. Thus, I didn’t listen to anyone’s advice but just released it.

Q6: Do you have new music coming up?

I’ve got a single coming out on November 17. (laughs) Yes, it was noise marketing. (laughs) No, I’ve actually risked too much [with the diss track] for this to just be noise marketing. I’d never risk my life [as an artist] for marketing one mere single. I simply wanted to wrap up those feelings inside of me as soon as possible, that’s why I released the diss track.
I’m also preparing a full-length album for the end of next year. In that album I didn’t want to rap about these things [I mentioned in the diss track].

Q7: Would you like to say anything about SMTM?

The reason why I personally don’t really like SMTM is that I find it sickening that one single business has a hold over the entire scene. People ask, “How do you start rapping without participating in SMTM?” You just do it! SMTM has become everything, it’s no different from preparing for the SAT. Those standardized mechanisms make people think, “How can I appear on SMTM and sell myself well?” rather than: “How can I create new music?”
It is not the people’s fault for thinking that way, I think it is the fault of those who make people think that way. And that is CJ, that is SMTM to me.
Even after all these years I cannot believe that everyone just went along with this trend. I’d like people to be aware of this.

Finally, say something to those who dislike you!

Just talk bad about me and dislike me if you dislike me. I’d like to show [everyone] that such words do not faze me anymore.

 

Reactions

Korean fans reacted very positively to this interview, calling Don Malik “cool:” “Don Malik and Deepflow fought each other greatly,” “This is a good interview, someone has to say these things,” “He’s just f*cking cool,” “I’m a fan of VMC and didn’t like this but as it turns out he’s really cool, I’m supporting him,” “I like that he’s so honest.”


Source: HiphopLE

Don Malik - old Wave (cover art)

Don Malik disses Xitsuh, P-type, VMC, and more on ‘old Wave’

Don Malik released the track ‘old Wave’ via SoundCloud yesterday in which he expresses his dislike for SMTM, dissing several rappers along the way.

Independent from Simba Zawadi’s diss track at Owen Ovadoz two days ago, daze alive’s Don Malik has released the diss track ‘old Wave’ yesterday. The beat was produced by Cloudy Beats who Malik recently worked with on the single ‘Chungmuro‘.

Don Malik has been greatly acknowledged for his excellent rap skills, especially for the album ‘탯줄‘ (lit.: The Navel String) which he released together with producer Mild Beatz, and more recently for his appearance on Mic Swagger. He was scheduled to perform at this year’s SXSW which did not work out as he was denied entry into the US.

In ‘old Wave‘, the rapper mainly expresses his dislike for the commercialization of Korean hiphop through Show Me The Money. Notably, Don Malik dissed rappers he was thought to be on good terms with. This shocked and saddened many. It seems like Don Malik had felt betrayed by some of his colleagues and let out his anger and disappointment in this track.

“Let’s talk about that loser Xitsuh first, that one’s the tail of a lion who can’t do anything but freestyle”

(This refers to the idiom: “Better be the head of an ass than the tail of a lion.”)
Xitsuh (or: Seo Choolgoo) is part of ADV. The label is lead by JJK from who Don Malik took rap lessons. Just last year, all three of them could be seen freestyling together in peace.

P-type wrote Street Poetry but sold [it/himself] out to CJ Ent.”

Also at the beginning of 2016, Don Malik released the free track ‘Same Ol‘ together with P-type.

“And VMC, damn it, stop acting like y’all belong to the underground scene
Thinking we once lived under the same roof makes me want to throw up”

Here, Don Malik is likely referring to him and VMC both working with the same agency, STONESHIP. To top this diss off, the end of ‘old Wave’ features a snippet of Nucksal‘s ‘NFS‘, a track about staying free and not selling one’s soul, as well as a snippet of Deepflow‘s ‘Lookin’ Good‘ which is about hiphop being Deepflow’s one and only calling and in which he disses “mainstream” rappers.

In his lyrics, Don Malik also mentions a name that has been censored, some fans are guessing it’s referring to GEEGOOIN as the only hint is this:

“[censored] is just an afreeca BJ. […] Your hyung isn’t Gaeko but ChulGu”

(ChulGu is a BJ on the video streaming website afreecaTV.)

Furthermore, BewhY, JUSTHIS, Okasian, B-Free, Beenzino and E SENS are mentioned, but just as examples.

Korean fans liked the track, though some slightly criticized Don Malik’s delivery. Several fans are now looking forward to another huge dissing contest. Especially considering the amount of people Don Malik dissed in this one track, we can expect reactions.

 

This said, Deepflow has already responded with the track ‘신관예우‘ (roughly: treating newcomers with respect) a few hours ago.