Gaeko reflects on past "traitor" labels for hip-hop artists performing vocals and his recent work with G-DRAGON

Appearing on KBS 'The Seasons S9', Gaeko discussed how Dynamic Duo once avoided vocal credits to prevent being labeled "traitors" by fans. He also shared recent experiences writing lyrics for idols like IVE, NMIXX, and EXO, including assisting G-DRAGON.

Having moved past the era when hip-hop artists faced strict scrutiny for performing vocals, Gaeko of Dynamic Duo has now established a unique musical territory and reflected on his journey. Appearing on KBS 'The Seasons S9', Gaeko shared behind-the-scenes stories regarding the perceptions directed at vocals during the early days of hip-hop and his recent activities writing lyrics for idol groups.

"Hip-hop vocals are traitors?"... The motivation to start vocal work

Gaeko recalled that in the past, there was a negative perception among core hip-hop fans that rappers performing vocals were "traitors." During the early stages of hip-hop, there was significant resistance from fans toward rappers taking on vocal roles. Because of this, Dynamic Duo was also cautious about releasing vocal tracks under the team's name, even when melodies came to mind.

At the time, they attempted to avoid fan backlash by listing credits as "Chorus by Choiza and Gaeko" or "Dynamic Duo" instead of putting their names directly on the main credits. "When composing, melodies come to mind, but in the past, we were careful because we were afraid people would say we had changed if we released them under our names," Gaeko said. He added that vocal work naturally became part of the team's musical color after member Choiza first suggested the charm of vocal tracks. Gaeko noted that performing vocals is no longer as daunting or difficult as it once was.

G-DRAGON and the "honorifics" incident... Expanding his spectrum through idol songwriting

Gaeko's recent musical activities have expanded to include idol groups. He revealed that he has participated in writing lyrics for famous idols such as IVE, NMIXX, and EXO, and specifically mentioned assisting with G-DRAGON's song work.

During this process, Gaeko shared an incident where he unintentionally used honorifics when dealing with G-DRAGON. Despite G-DRAGON being much younger, Gaeko expressed embarrassment over the fact that the phrase "I helped him" (using the honorific form) slipped out, saying, "The honorifics came out automatically without me realizing it." He also wittily expressed G-DRAGON's overwhelming influence by mentioning an anecdote where G-DRAGON left a 'Power run' emoji on a performance photo Gaeko posted to Instagram.

Singing 'Beautiful Farewell' in his late father's clothes

On this day's stage, Gaeko delivered an emotional performance of Kim Gun-mo's 'Beautiful Farewell.' The weight behind the song selection was significant. "My father passed away this year, and I contemplated how it would feel to sing while thinking of him," Gaeko confessed. His stage attire also created a scene that matched the emotion of the song, as he wore clothes passed down from his father.

Pointing to the clothes which had holes in the sleeves, he said, "These are clothes my father passed down to me, so they are very precious, and I wore them today." Recalling a memory of receiving encouragement from a musical senior who told him, "You can never sing like me," he showed his determination to protect his own unique vocal color. Gaeko is scheduled to continue his concerts in places such as Busan, including a Seoul performance this coming November.

Source: KBS WORLD TV (YouTube)