“Fear” (겁) by Mino ft. Taeyang, Monday, October 21, 2024
In season three of the South Korean hip-hop reality program Show Me the Money, winner BOBBY showed that K-pop idols can be taken seriously as rappers. Previous seasons had eliminated rappers from idol groups quite early in the competition, but iKON’s Bobby won the season. This victory by a rapper of a boy band set up season four, in which Song Min-ho, known professionally as Mino was a fan favorite. The singer, rapper, and songwriter Mino began his career in a ballad group called BoM before joining YG Entertainment and debuting with the group WINNER in 2014 after he won a spot in the group on the show WIN: Who Is Next. The next year, Mino was on the fourth season of Show Me the Money, on which he was the show’s runner-up.
WHEN I TURNED AROUND, I SAW THAT I CAME FARTHER THAN I THOUGHT. Each season of Show Me the Money contestants compete through various rap battles, performances, and challenges, with the ultimate goal of becoming the season’s champion. The format typically includes multiple producers (well-known rappers and producers in the Korean hip-hop scene) who serve as mentors for the contestants. These producer teams guide and collaborate with the participants, helping them to refine their skills and craft original tracks. Influential Korean rappers like Zion.T, The Quiett, Jay Park, and Zico have served as mentors on the show. Show Me the Money Season 4 (2015) was one of the most highly anticipated and impactful seasons of the series, partly due to the involvement of high-profile contestants and producers. Mino was one of the standout contestants in Season 4. His participation generated huge attention because of his idol background. Despite initial skepticism about an idol rapper competing in a hardcore hip-hop show, Mino proved his skills and charisma, ultimately becoming the runner-up. His performances, especially “Fear” (겁) featuring Taeyang of BIGBANG, became iconic and highly praised.
I PRACTICED ABOUT SEVERAL THOUSAND TIMES. WINNER shared a label with BIGBANG as well as iKON. After placing second on Season 4 of Show Me the Money, Mino joined with labelmate BOBBY of iKON to form the duo MOBB. Korean Hip-Hop record labels function differently from idol labels which often include more labelmate promotion than cross-label collaboration, Mino honored label mates with his collaborations. One of the highlights of Season 4 was Mino’s collaboration with BIGBANG’s Taeyang on the song “Fear.” Known for his R&B singing, Taeyang isn’t a rapper but is closely associated with the genre because of his close friendship and frequent outside collaboration with BIGBANG’s band leader and rapper G-DRAGON. In 2015, BIGBANG’s status as a veteran boyband held a more hardened and cool reputation than a fresh-faced boyband like WINNER. With “Fear,” Taeyang passes on the “cool” torch and aims to legitimize Mino as a rapper. The introspective lyrics of “Fear” detail Mino’s fear of loneliness and the pressure of public life. The song endeared him to his audience, gave him lasting power as a rapper, and got audiences to consider the talent behind idol groups.
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