Beyond Pop: Khh/Krnb Edition

You’ve heard of K-pop, but have you heard of K-hiphop? K-rnb? K-rap? 

Altogether, these three alternative music styles form a massive genre with more artists than there are K-pop groups in South Korea. And, what’s more, people from other countries are beginning to find out that this treasure trove of music exists. 

Unlike K-pop groups, which are collectively referred to as one “artist,” most K-hh artists are truly on their own. While there are some duos (Dynamic Duo) and trios (Epik High), these artists either write and record all their own songs, or collaborate with producers who make music for them. Regardless, they usually perform without dancing, and with more emphasis on singing and rapping. 

There’s something to be said for solo acts, as they need to be good enough performers to carry their careers themselves, instead of groups that share that burden with each other. That's why you can find many K-hh artists with a unique sound. They had to develop it well in order to stand out. Not to mention, K-hh artists get a lot less promotion and recognition than K-pop artists.

It’s important to note that K-hiphop and K-rnb go hand in hand. Khh has more rap, and K-rnb has more vocals, but there’s a large overlap between the two. Some artists do both. Others stick to one or the other, but they feature each other on their tracks often. In fact, collabs happen all the time. 

If you like K-pop, giving this genre a listen should be worth it for you. The artists have a similar dedication to being aesthetic. Their whole sound resembles a K-pop b-side rather than a title track. It’s mellow. It’s lofi. It’s trap and bass. Those are just a few of the sounds on the K-hh/K-rnb spectrum. 

For an introduction to the wide world of K-hh/K-rnb/K-rap, here are the artists I recommend starting out with:

Bibi

Coogie

Sik k 

Leehi 

Code kunst