A couple of weeks late we continued our commentary series on Mnet’s hip-hop variety Show Me The Money with the semi-final last week. After catching up on the still active commentary series, here’s what we had do say about the final episode which aired on August 10th where four teams fought for the money. In addition to myself the commentary panel consists of Youngmi of duReset, Sangha of strangeseasons and Ranya of K-Underground Sweden.
Final Things
Top 4
Anna: Looks like Double K and Garion have exchanged rookies. Will we get to see how it happened later on?
Youngmi: I have no idea how they divided the teams but from the looks of it, it was just a free for all. I guess it’s nice to let all the rappers decide who they want to team up with because at this point each person must know who they are most comfortable with.
Prices
The winning crew gets to share 50,000,000 won with the pro rapper(s) getting half and the rookie rapper getting as much.
Anna: A most generous cash price, I’d say! For the rookie rappers it must be pretty swell. Not only to get their name out there and learn from some of the best known names in Korean hip-hop, but
Youngmi: Do the pro rappers get the money too? Because dang…
Rookie Rappers Top 4 Solo Stage
Preparations
Anna: The rookies all seem to consider Kwon Hyuk Woo their biggest competition. Modern beats and whatnot. Ooh! Looks like Double K will have both Bobby Kim and Mad Soul Child’s Jinsil on stage later on!
TakeOne: “The Tae Kwen”
Anna: Going for one of his own mixtape songs – I like it! And wearing the stop dumping music t-shirt, just like all of the other people on stage. His parents are both there to support him. This was good!
Kim Jung Hoon: “나처럼 해봐”
Anna: Beats provided by J.Shin and daddy in the audience to support him. This rap sounds quite monotonous, but I’m sure there are plenty of nuances in the lyrics that I fail to pick up on. Not an instant favorite with me, but I still like that he focused on the rap rather than just counting on the beats doing the work for him.
Youngmi: Bahaha his first line was great! It nice to see him so confident and to be honest I wasn’t so impressed with his lyrics before but he really brought it with this one! I like he expressed his opinions towards his experience on the show. “Put your dogs in the air!” Yeah Jindogae!
Illtong: “흔적”
Anna: Illtong got his beats from Ryu-K. This sounds pretty great! Of course I have no actual clue with regards to lyrics, but to me this is on par with TakeOne. Perhaps even slightly better. Illtong doesn’t really offer much action in terms of movement though.
Kwon Hyuk Woo: “See The Light”
Anna: Kwon Hyuk Woo has been working with Gray to put this together. I really like his delivery – studded, but still very on point. The pro-rappers seem to like his lyrics. I have a feeling we didn’t get to see all of it though as it feels quite short compared to the rest.
Youngmi: Kwon Hyuk Woo always has great lyrics and this performance he looks more powerful and confident than ever before! Good for him!
Solo Stage Results
1. Kwon Hyuk Woo
2. Kim Jung Hoon
3. Illtong
4. TakeOne
Special Guests
Kim Jin Pyo is promoting 45RPM, Skull is promoting Joosuc, Bobby Kim is promoting Double K, and HaHa is promoting Garion.
Anna: Some fairly high profile names, those. I hope we also get to see them perform otherwise I don’t really see the point.
Garion
Preparations
Anna: Is there some kind of friction between Garion and TakeOne or is it just that there was nothing better to show than clips of them looking generally unhappy?
Youngmi: First of all I think this is the most awkward pairing for the last performance and I don’t think Garion is too happy. But that doesn’t worry too much because Garion always gives a great performance no matter what. NaaChal is peeved at TakeOne for constantly bragging about his ability to keep a beat in his lyrics when he can’t. TakeOne believes there is some misunderstanding but NaaChal still nags on him for being a little bit off rhythm. I think it’s all an effort to make TakeOne and the last performance better! Hwaiting!
Performance: “껍데기는 가라“
Anna: A new Garion song? Not bad. And TakeOne goes really well on stage with Garion. It’s very rap focused with only the three of them throughout. It’s not something I could listen to every day, but I very much respect what they’re doing.
Youngmi: Holy….. I’ve never seen Garion go this hard ever during the competition. Their lyrics are brutally honest and straightforward but also ambiguous for you don’t really know exactly who they are talking to or about. You really have to read between the lines because the whole song is a diss track targeting the Show Me the Money program and fellow rappers. I am very shocked right now and if you see the faces of the pro rappers throughout the song they are too! And TakeOne does not back down as he indirectly targets his haters for misjudging him based on Show Me the Money’s editing. Overall, I’m very happy with this performance because all three of them really gave it their all. It was true Garion style with the arrangement and they entertained the audience just with their words. I respect Garion’s honesty despite the controversy it may have caused.
Money: ₩2,800,000
Anna: A very good score for Garion. A million more than their best score till now and well deservedly so. TakeOne looks so happy
Youngmi: Yeah! I guess the audience took to the performance well! Happy for them!
45RPM
Preparations
Anna: Illtong is such a good fit with 45RPM. But it seems he’s not feeling very well and is eating medicine. And he’s been having trouble remembering the lyrics.
Youngmi: 45RPM knows that they were never the most popular hip hop group to begin with. However, they are really proud that they kept their distinct style all throughout the competition. I also like to add onto that and say that no matter what I’ve always looked forward to watching 45RPM’s performances. They are awesome whether they are popular with the public or not!
Performance: “박치기”
Anna: 45RPM open by addressing the audience, asking them to listen to the music and smile. Once the actual performance begins it’s not at all as much fun to watch as usual, but with all the people on stage it’s still a very energetic performance. Like in the semi final 45RPM have done a really good job accommodating Illtong’s style of rap.
Youngmi: Dang they are really bringing it. I’m really impressed with 45RPM here. Their lyrics are always really witty and they’re probably the most self deprecating team in the competition. But through their humor they are also talking honestly about their struggles and people’s opinion of them. It’s really sad actually but them performing it the only way they know how (energetic and fun!) is a sign that they aren’t giving up and they are looking towards a brighter future! Way to go 45RPM you have my respect!
Money: ₩2,450,000
Anna: A fair amount, I’d say.
Youngmi: I’d love to see this team win. I think they are the dark horse in the competition!
Joosuc
Preparations
Anna: Joosuc seem to have elaborate plans both for the arrangement and the stage show. Why didn’t we get to see more of Kim Jung Hoon?
Youngmi: Joosuc and Jung Hoon’s relationship is so cute! They’re like brothers so it makes perfect sense that they end the competition together despite previous results.
Performance: “최후의 만찬”
Anna: Joosuc reminds me of MC Sniper, except without all the jumping around. With some more flair the arrangement could’ve suited MC Sniper too. Oh, where did that choir come from? Something about this all feels very much like Korean hip-hop did around Y2K. Once it all is over I can barely recall what Kim Jung Hoon contributed with. Was I not paying enough attention? But what’s this? Joosuc just walks off the stage leaving Kim Jung Hoon all alone?
Youngmi: Man, every single team is stepping up and really going in with the lyrics for their last performances. This is crazy. I feel this great strength coming from Joosuc as he passionately describes his story with one fist in the air. It’s inspiring and powerful. Jung Hoon did a great job as well with his lyrics. I felt the choir didn’t need to be there though.
Money: ₩1,050,000
Anna: Kim Jung Hoon must’ve felt so uncomfortable waiting for the results
Youngmi: Uhh… awkward. Poor Jung Hoon lol. Joosuc later explains that he said all that he needed to say through the performance so he didn’t need to see what price attached to it. Understandable.
Double K
Preparations
Anna: Double K and Kwon Hyuk Woo should prove a good team, and it seems they’ve been getting along well. Kwon Hyuk Woo’s mom is there for rehearsals to show her support, but it seems to move Kwon Hyuk Woo a bit too much.
Youngmi: I can’t wait to see this team. I like the approach that Double K and MC Loco are going for. They are dedicating this performance to some of the special people in their lives. Kwon Hyuk Woo has written some really emotional lyrics and Double K is concerned that it might be too emotional. I hope he can get through it!
Performance: “Home”
Anna: There’s a very solemn feeling to the beginning of this performance, with just a small spotlight on Double K and a simple arrangement. The first few lines out of Jinsil felt misplaced to me, but before she’s done I’m loving how beautiful this all sounds together. And when Kwon Hyuk Woo joins? This is all fairly simple, but I’m loving it! Kwon Hyuk Woo’s mom has been moved to tears.
Youngmi: This is just truly beautiful! I felt Double K’s lyrics and MC Loco’s lyrics really complimented each other nicely and they just bring it home at the end. Jinsil added a very sad yet soothing element with her voice that was just icing on the cake! My favorite part has to be when Double K and Kwon Hyuk Woo talked about their fathers in their second verses. And with Loco dedicating the song for his deceased father? It was meaningful and what made me most emotional throughout the performance. Gahh! *grabs tissues*
Money: ₩3,000,000
Anna: In this episode for the first time my own ranking perfectly matches what the money meter indicates.
Youngmi: I was very impressed with Double K. I never seen such an emotional performance from him before. He credits Kwon Hyuk Woo for giving him the courage to say what he wanted to say. Awesome! They truly deserve it this time.
Personal Picks
Anna: 1) Double K, 2) Garion, 3) 45RPM, 4) Joosuc
Youngmi: *Everyone was SO GOOD! THIS IS TOO HARD!
1) Double K 2) Garion 3) 45RPM 4)Joosuc
The Results
The results from the audience vote are revealed a few votes at a time.
Audience Votes 1-50
Garion: 12
45RPM: 16
Joosuc: 7
Double K: 14
Anna: Joosuc says something about how Kim Jung Hoon is always in the bottom..
Adding Audience Votes 51-100
Garion: 21
45RPM: 31
Joosuc: 11
Double K: 33
Anna: Considering what we’ve seen of the viewer votes on screen during the show I’m very surprised to see so many audience votes for 45RPM. Double K and Kwon Hyuk Woo look very happy to be in the lead.
Double K vs. 45 RPM
Anna: I had wanted to see Garion in the top 2, but after what we did get to see of the audience votes this is quite expected.
Viewer Votes
Viewer votes as shown over time (percentage on the y-axis, time on the x-axis)
Garion: 18%
45RPM: 12%
Joosuc: 16%
Double K: 54%
Winner: Double K
Anna: We get to see that 45RPM only got 48 votes compared to Double K’s 87. Very well done and congratulations, Kwon Hyuk Woo! And congratulations also to Double K. He was the most popular rapper coming into this competition, so even though I personally was the least familiar with Double K prior to this it’s not all that surprising to see him come out as the winner.
Youngmi: Couldn’t be more predictable and I was actually hoping for 45RPM to pull off an upset but I send my congrats to Double K and Loco. They really worked hard and truly talented rappers! I was a fan of Double K in the beginning but wondered if he was good enough to be in this sort of competition. He definitely proved his worth. I can’t wait to see what kind of rapper MC Loco will become! You made your mother proud!
Final Thoughts
Sangha: Well that was anticlimactic. I expected the show to go on until the top 2 (with er, congratulatory stages, all that jazz to fill up the time slot I suppose) but ending with the top 4 is just so… underwhelming. I wasn’t expecting the show to end with this episode, so when I saw that it was the “final episode”, I was taken aback. I enjoyed the show, I thought it was great and I got to know so many fantastic artists, but I just wish it would’ve gone further.
Anna: I had expected the show to go on for longer as well, but this explains why they hurried stuff up so much. Though if they knew already ahead of production that they would only get 8 episodes maybe they could’ve held back on the ambition a bit? Or may that’s what those “no cut” VODs were for, bringing a more complete show to those lucky enough to be in Korea with a cable provider offering that service. I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to and hope they’ll bring the format back for a second season. Really liked the idea of having rookies team up with pros and teams rotating every episode.
Youngmi: I had all sort of opinions about the show before it even aired (mostly negative) but overall I think this was a really good program to showcase Korean hip hop. There are a lot of “rappers” in Korea but it’s hard to find any talented ones. I also felt that this was a good way to introduce other people (especially Koreans) to the history of Korean hip hop. I hope people continue to support underground rappers and acknowledge those who helped pave the way for hip hop culture in Korea. Lastly, you guys rock! Thanks for having me on board! I had a lot of fun :)