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[INTERVIEW] G2 & Reedy: Two men – One pathdone

Nadia Gorvits
16 мая 2018 г.
5 мин. чтения

Hip-hop is not just a musical genre, it is a lifestyle.

Korean music industry has been developing quite rapidly. In the mid-90s first hip-hop groups and solo artist started to spring up in Korea. A little later their popularity reached a whole new level. Due to participating of Korean hip-hop performers in various music championships and festivals Korean hip-hop was noticed by international platforms.

Reddy and G2 are representatives of a new hip-hop generation. They grew up around hip-hop, found themselves in it and now enjoy sharing their talent with everyone. They met each other for the first time being rivals on Show me the money and seemed to be completely different but later they became each other’s greatest suport.

What else can you possibly dream about? Performing together, collaborating with popular artists, having solo projects. But they do not want to stop there!

In early July, Reddy and G2 went on a US tour. Happy fans have already written numerous reviews on social networks. What do the musicians think about the tour? Who inspires them to make music? And what do they think about each other? These popular hip-hop artists gave an exclusive interview for Style Society Magazine.

Real name: Kim Heon Woo Stage name: Reddy / 레디 Date of birth: November 11, 1985 Education: University of Art and Design and Space Directing Debut: November 2011 Agency: HI-LITE RECORDS

Real name: Kevin Hwang Stage name: G2 Date of birth: May 1, 1992 Debut: 2014 Agency: HI-LITE RECORDS

SS: Hello! Introduce yourself, please. R: Hello! I'm Reddy from Hi-Lite Records. G2: Hello! I'm G2 from Hi-Lite Records. SS: How did you become interested in hip-hop? R: When I was in the 6th grade, one day my elder sister came to visit me, and we decided to listen to the music that she liked together. Later on, I found out that those songs were by the groups CB Mass, Drunken Tiger, and the artists from Master Plan Label. That is when I started to listen to hip-hop. G2: I grew up in the US, and hip-hop was quite common for the environment I was in. SS: How would you describe each other? R: G2 is a rapper who is good at rapping. G2: Among everyone I know he is the most hardworking elder brother who can also hear you out when you're upset. SS: Tell us about the first time you met. Has anything changed since then? R: I don't remember well, it was just like meeting someone for the first time. To be honest, I've only started to realize who G2 really is at the beginning of last year. G2: I think we became best friends since I left Show Me the Money. During the program, I relied on him a lot, and now he is my closest friend. SS: Since you've started rapping, what have been your happiest and saddest memories? R: The happiest moment was when I released the Universe album. I wanted to make an album that could represent my true self and I felt like it had come out well. Besides the year before was depressing, and last year was really hard for me in many ways. G2: The happiest thing was being able to tell my story via my album. But I was worried if it was right to do this through music. SS: You've collaborated with other artists a lot. Is there anyone you would like to work with next? R: Anyone would be great. Collaborations teach me a lot. G2: I'd like to work with J. Cole, he has a big influence on me.

SS: Where do you find your inspiration? R: In my everyday life. I listen to my emotions during work. G2: In alcohol and my surroundings. SS: Is there an artist who influences you anyhow? R: I think, every musician I've been listening to since childhood had their impact on me. Like Gaeko and Kanye West. G2: J Cole, because I think it's a beautiful thing when music can make you feel compassionate and relieve stress. SS: You both have unique styles of rapping as well as in appearance. What is your ideal girl type? R: I don't have a type, but I like people who speak well and have a beautiful smile. SS: Reddy, you seem to be interested in fashion. Would you like to try working in that industry? R: I actually used to work for Korean companies like Kasina и Humantree. Designing, modeling, I've tried everything. SS: G2, you grew up in America. How did you manage to make your way in Korea? G2: I was just looking for chances and always said yes to everything.

SS: Your rap is special. What message did you want to convey with your songs? R: Each song has its own meaning, but it would be great if they brightened the mood. G2: Like I said before, I want my music to cheer someone up, to relieve stress and let people like me know that they're not alone. SS: Let's talk about Show Me the Money. You had to compete against each other, what did it feel like? Do you have any regrets? R: I wasn't in my right mind. G2 made mistakes and I felt sorry for him. There are no more regrets. G2: I felt like I have to do my best and that's all. Even though I had another team, I thought that we have to work hard as if it was my real team. My concern is that people take the entertainment industry too seriously and project it into the real life. SS: How do you spend your free time? Do you hang out with each other often? R: We share a schedule, so we do see each other a lot. If there is no work, I stay at home or in the studio. G2: I stay at home or in the studio or go out for a drink with friends. Reddy and I share a schedule, so I see him more often than my family. SS: Reddy, you have a lot of tattoos. Do they have any special meaning for you? R: No, there is no particular meaning. I just get whatever I like done.

SS: Tell us about your American tour. How do you feel about it? Have you ever thought about coming to Russia? R: First of all, I would like to express my gratitude towards everyone who loves us even outside of Korea. If we had a chance, it would be great to come to Russia. G2: I'm happy and grateful for people in other countries who know our music, like us and spend their money to come to our concerts. It makes me think I have to work even harder. I really want to come to Russia. SS: Do you know anything about Russia? R: Cold! Vodka! G2: I heard vodka is popular. I'd like to drink it in Russia.

SS: Finally, say a few words to our readers. R: Thank you for taking interest in us. If there was a chance, I really would like to give a concert in Russia. Thanks. G2: As I said, it is incredible that we are known in Russia and I'm happy that even without knowing each other's languages we still can communicate through music. And thanks to this magazine for making it possible for others to get to know us.