When people talk about K-pop, the first words that come to mind are probably idols, performances, the system, and fandom. But there’s another crucial concept that defines K-pop today: hip hop and R&B. If you strip away the language and leave only the skeleton of the music, you’ll start to pick up on a familiar framework in quite a few of the songs.
808 drums, swing hi-hats, trap beats, rap verses, and R&B-style vocal lines that stretch single syllables across multiple notes as they slide through the melody—for K-pop, hip hop and R&B are like creative Legos you can pull out and assemble at will. In the intense process that is song creation, some songs jump on the two for the sake of following trends, while others share the same roots from the outset.
For LNGSHOT (OHYUL, RYUL, WOOJIN, and LOUIS), a group under Jay Park’s label MORE VISION, their music arguably falls more into the latter category. It’s the subtle difference in direction that differentiates the meaning behind the inspiration. Don’t be mistaken—it’s not about one being better than the other. At its root is the difference between a K-pop group that does hip hop and R&B, and a K-pop group that also does hip hop and R&B. In other words, it’s a matter of how genre shapes their identity. And of course, there’s one important distinction—that this direction only holds weight when it ultimately leads to decent musical output. LNGSHOT’s music, much like BIGBANG’s early releases once did, happily straddles the line between K-pop and other genres. What’s especially intriguing about the group’s music and choreography are the choices that bring to mind the American young male R&B groups that were popular from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s.
There was a specific sound to the music that led the golden age of the groups back then. The vocal style was more straightforward than run-of-the-mill R&B, with dynamic control, rhythmic choruses, and trendy hip hop influences blended together in just the right proportions. They minimized the influence of old soul and 1990s R&B in both the vocals and the music, embraced hip hop beats and a pop sound, yet still drew a clear line between themselves and mainstream pop. And just like the new jack swing groups of the ’80s, choreography was another key part of who they were.
That exact image is what came to mind as soon as I first heard LNGSHOT’s debut song, “Moonwalkin’,” and watched the music video. Of course, in keeping up with the times, LNGSHOT’s songs are layered in the trap beats and rap-singing of today, but the overall feel of the music, and everything from the fashion to the dancing that comes with it, draws a fairly straight line to the sleek sound of those 2000s groups. And that’s likely influenced, at least in part, by Jay Park, head of LNGSHOT’s label and their musical mentor. Park started at the ground floor of the K-pop system and turned a new leaf when he went on to become one of Korea’s leading R&B/hip hop artists—hints of which are present in the ease with which LNGSHOT moves back and forth between post-2000s R&B and hip hop influences.
It also has to be said that every member of the group is actively involved in the music-making process. It’s been a long time at this point since K-pop idols writing music has been seen as novel, but for a group built around a specific genre, it’s something of a different story, because there, a writing credit isn’t something that looks nice to have but is essentially a prerequisite that determines how convincing a group’s execution of that genre is. And the tracks they wrote together for their debut EP, “SHOT CALLERS,” are genuinely impressive. They transition from hip hop to R&B seamlessly within a single song, and all four of the boys’ airtight rapping and vocals are put on full display. “Backseat,” which lays a 1990s East Coast hip hop foundation underneath a combination of trap hi-hats and thick 808 bass, is a prime example—as is “Saucin’,” with its bass line anchoring the beat and bouncy rhythm section, and strategically placed breaks that step back to give the vocals room to breathe.
The same feeling carries over into the group’s follow-up release, “4SHOBOIZ MIXTAPE,” but this time around, they feel a bit more focused on highlighting what each of the boys brings to the table. That’s not surprising, given that, even though the mixtape was technically released later than “SHOT CALLERS,” it was actually made public first when LNGSHOT uploaded it to their YouTube channel. It was only after calls from fans that it was officially released to music streaming platforms. The fact that they made themselves known to the world before debuting through a mixtape—a format born out of hip hop culture—hints at the image the group is aiming for. “4SHOBOIZ MIXTAPE,” then, stays true to what a mixtape is meant to be. Freed from the considerations mainstream K-pop artists have to make for studio albums—things like marketable formats and perfectly polished themes and narratives—LNGSHOT opens up completely about the direction they’re pursuing. So, while it may feel less refined than an album, the mixtape couldn’t be better for capturing the distinct talents of each of the LNGSHOT members.
The mixtape is a mix of tracks from individual members, subunits, and the full group. Their emotions surface on the solo songs, while the subunit and group tracks are fusions of different shades of energy. “Are You Ready,” the opening track credited to LNGSHOT as a whole, is overflowing with that early-to-mid-2000s R&B sensibility mentioned earlier. You can’t help but crack a satisfied smile when a short record scratch gives way to the song’s smooth-as-butter synth melody. If you were deep into R&B back then, this track will, without question, feel like a time-travel experience that grabs you right by the collar.
RYUL’s solo track “Trust Myself” is another highlight, built around a heavy beat reminiscent of 2000s Southern hip hop. The lyrics are somewhat simple, but his tight rapping, perfectly matched to the mood and polish of the music, is deeply satisfying. The RYUL on this track, at least, blurs the boundary between “K-pop rapper” and “rapper” to the point where the distinction becomes negligible. Also memorable are the pop rap/2-step fusion “Thinking” by RYUL and LOUIS, and the smooth pop-soul-goes-K-pop “My Side” by WOOJIN and LOUIS.
“4SHOBOIZ MIXTAPE” is a release where the distinct emotions and rhythms of 2000s R&B and hip hop, with its spacious loops and free-flowing vocals, meet contemporary production techniques. A not-so-distant past works hand-in-hand with the present, functioning like a blueprint that outlines the group’s musical style for the future. This, more than anything, is one of the real pleasures of listening to a pre-debut mixtape.
After listening to “4SHOBOIZ MIXTAPE” and “SHOT CALLERS,” it’s hard not to agree with LNGSHOT and Jay Park’s decision to avoid making “music other people would probably like” because they “wanted to make what we know, what we genuinely love.” Most of all, it’s refreshing that they eschew chasing trends out of obligation and are instead making music that feels just slightly askew from the present moment.
