The New Low-Key Hip-Hop Wave of South Korea - Meet Kid Milli
Hip-hop has been quickly churning into multiple genres in the past decades, from grime to mumble rap, emo rap to hyper pop.
Streaming platforms have also contributed to this boom, and not only is this trend nowhere near dying down, it’s also one of the most profitable and sought-out careers among the youth.
This kind of impact buds into themes intercontinentally, and rap today is fairly connected to the country producing it, whether it be social topics, musical influences, and press matters.
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With the South Korean government generously investing in its music industry, it’s guaranteed that its hip-hop side is illustrious and busy. With the likes of rappers Dean and RM charming listeners all around the world, K-hip-hop is an incredibly popular genre.
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Specifically, Tokyo seems to have a loving bond with the multifaceted rapper Kid Milli, a particular gem of this industry. He has made national and international headlines aplenty and has previously collaborated with equally celebrated K-rappers PH-1 and NO:EL, as well as the charismatic Loopy.
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Although Kid Milli’s an important player in the East-Asian hip-hop community, he wasn’t always in the limelight. Born Choi Won-jae on October 26th, 1993, in Yeouidong, Kid Milli envisioned a completely different future for himself.
Having a humble childhood with no affiliation to music, he dropped out to shape a career in professional gaming, but that was exactly when SoundCloud hip-hop was making waves. Milli instinctively hopped onto the trend, and his music has been soaring since 2017, and gained a turbo boost thanks to his hit “WHY DO FUCKBOIS HANG OUT ON THE NET” in 2018.
This rapper is definitely one of the most refined artists in mainstream K-hip-hop. A charming jokester, Kid Milli has amassed fans all over the globe with his humble and authentic nature, inspiring his peers with his groundedness.
The self-proclaimed “cozy boy” caught the eye of the Sabukaru network, and we had the rare opportunity to speak with Kid Milli about his inspirations, his love for Tokyo, Urahara fashion, and the process behind his music.
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Kid Milli seems to be a Western-inspired name. Where does your name stem from, and what does it represent to you?
At first, since I liked Kid Cudi so much, I planned to use “Cudi” as a nickname. But as I came to learn that the nicknames such as “Friends of Kanye” and “Travis Scott” all came from Kid Cudi, I finally chose “Kid Milli”, also because of the pronunciation. It means Kid Millionaire, but since it’s too long to read or write, I shortened it. And that’s how the nickname was made.
I was not affluent when I was young, so maybe I just wanted to be rich. Now, as I earned some millions and am not a kid anymore, I am seriously considering changing my nickname.
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South-Korean music has been on a high rise for the last decade, and you’ve been surfing this wave with grace and innovation. Where do you see this going, and where do you see yourself contributing to it?
Until now on, I have not been working for the point of “culture contribution”. I was just doing what I love, and I am grateful to hear that I contributed to the culture. I believe other musicians in South Korea are not different from this. We entered this field because we wanted to be the kind of musician that we admired since we were young, and fortunately, people liked our music and it resulted in our contribution to music. It is very fascinating and cool.
In South Korea, there are lots of great artists, from world-renown stars like BTS to Balming Tiger whom I worked with in Japan, Rei Ami whom I really like, and Peggy Gou who is already famous abroad.
I am confident that there will be more South Korean artists in the future that will get the world’s attention. What I wish is that this phenomenon continues not only in South Korea but also in other Asian countries such as Japan and Thailand, so talented artists in these countries can become superstars like The Weekend and Drake.
In your latest album, we can see it features a band format with rock music as the core musical element, which is a little different from the ones you made before. What were your primary inspirations, and what are you trying to express?
When I was working on the album last year, which was based on youth culture, it felt kind of one-dimensional and somewhat childish. Then I met a producer named Dress, who had worked with many artists in NCT or YG, and we started working together. I think I once talked about this, but I am the kind of person who gets interested in something I have never done before, so I just started working with him.
It was my first time working on music with real instruments, and singing according to vocals that someone else has written. I learned so many things and I have no regrets.
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You were a pioneer of Undercover in the world of South Korean hip-hop, and your outfits have become templates for young people. How would you describe your style, and what other Japanese or Urahara brands and trends do you want to push forward?
In previous times, I tried to incorporate the feeling of Urahara of the early 2000s. And, since I was young, I didn’t like when people copied my style. It was like, I bought andwore clothes because I thought it was cool, while not wanting other people to wear the same things.At that time I really hated it, not realizing that it is something I should be really grateful about. [Laughs] I want to hit myself if I can go back.
There is one friend who owns the brand XLIM, well now I should call him a CEO [laughs], his name is Kim Do-Hee. He is really cool and gives me lots of inspiration. He visits Japan often. We talk a lot and check each other’s outfits secretly [laughs]. We are like, “Hey, are you wearing this? What do you think about this brand?” We always talk about fashion, and my style has changed from grunge-ish to different stuff.
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Recently, I’m enjoying a fashion style called normcore, or was it golfcore? Something like that. I used to wear outdoor brands often, but these days I wear more formal clothes. And most of my friends, including Do-Hee, dress similarly. I think it is because most of them work in the fashion industry. I think trends just grow if many people feel positive about them, and Do-Hee has already made the brand XLIM, which many people are following.
As I still have a lot to learn, it is difficult to do on my own, but I want to inspire people. If I do what I love, people will find inspiration from me someday.
What led you to the road of music, and when was that?
I think it was around 2014, I quit school to do other things, and it didn’t go well, so I was attending an academy for high school graduates where I met an old elementary school friend. He was doing hip-hop, so I did it too. At that time, people who make music felt like rivals I could easily compete with and win, and I actually won. End of story.
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In terms of art, your references are incredibly clever and diverse. What triggers your creativity? Who inspires you and pushes you when it comes to fashion and music?
In the case of fashion, it changes often, but I learn about trends from Kanye, and ways to pose from Asap Rocky. For outfits, there is no specific person because it changes so often, but recently it is KayCyy. In the case of music, it also changes often, but to pick three, they are Lancey Foux, Steve Lacy, and Baker. When these people make something new, I feel like I want to be like them. This mindset is something that never changed since the very beginning.
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You work with a lot of artists, brands, and crews, and you built a community around your art, making you one of the most polyvalent artists in your scene. What does this mean to you, and why do you find it so important to connect with different people?
As a human being, I think it is essential to have good relationships with others since we are born. And as we get older and older, those “webs” gets stickier and wider. If I go back to when I was just starting music and say “Hey, you will get to know G-Dragon, BTS, and lots of musicians who will fill in the music charts ranking”, I would just ignore it and work a part-time job.
But, this network is not something I made alone. Coming to Seoul while working, we got to know each other through common friends. In fact, I was not so sociable. Any album, any music would not have existed without communicating with others. I know this very well, so I am always trying to communicate better. I am kind of awkward so sometimes it is difficult, but I always try and spend lots of time loving everyone.
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You stated that your first visit to Japan was in 2015. How was that initial experience?
Wow, I wonder how you knew the exact year, which I almost forgot [laughs]. That was in fact the first time I'd ever been on a plane. It was a crazy decision because I decided to travel alone. I booked the plane and the accommodation all by myself. At that time, there was no service like Skyscanner. It was a really tough thing to do, but I did well.
Anyways, on my first visit, I was so overwhelmed. The sight of a foreign country is really fascinating to anyone who goes abroad for the first time.
Looking back, I'm still surprised that in Tokyo, there are tall buildings that are never-ending. They were really, really tall! Unlike South Korea, subways in Japan ran above the ground, so I could continuously see the city view in Tokyo during the ride, which was amazing. At that time, there was no such thing as Lotte Tower in South Korea, and even places like Gangnam in Seoul had only a few tall buildings. But in Ginza, there were so many tall buildings everywhere, filled with all kinds of luxury shops.
In the streets, the only place I could buy something was a convenience store, where I walked for several hours because I was amazed by the sights I saw for the first time in my life. I came back home after 3-4 days, and it felt like I had a great experience, so I thought I should make money and buy everything I wanted to buy in Ginza.
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The next year, I wrote down my goal, which was to wear luxury collections from Tokyo from head to toe! Looking back, I was so cute. But that's how I felt. It was a valuable experience that gave me big dreams and goals.
Additionally, it’s undeniable that Tokyo is an inspiration to you. What makes you come back again and again to this city?
First, people looked freer, or at least it seemed that people knew their exact preferences about what they wanted to wear and what they want to do. I thought if I stay with them, I will also be freer, without caring about other people’s opinions, which would make my work more authentic.
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I don’t have much experience living a long time in Japan, but in South Korea, I sometimes feel the regulations are too much, and that we constrict each other. When things are moderately ruled, it’s fair and keeps people happy, but sometimes it is too much. After some time, I also become strict towards other people. Then, authenticity disappears, and only “learned” and “allowed” actions remain. I am not criticizing a specific person or organization, but it is what I feel.
In Japan, maybe it can be because I am a foreigner, but things are more moderate, so I am more natural. Actually, complete individualism and freedom like in the USA do not fit me well either, so this kind of difference in the atmosphere makes me freer and gives me new inspiration. I will visit Japan often again, just like before Covid19.
How would your friends describe you when you’re in the studio, during your creative process?
It is nothing special, really. I think it is very similar to office workers. The only difference will be that office workers have phone calls often and I don’t.
In fact, rather than working in front of a desk, I work by thinking about my music. I mean I am not doing freestyle, but whenever there is a funny comment I find browsing the web in the car or at the club, I write it on my phone to archive it so I can use it later. I don’t think it is work, it just became a habit.
You have previously stated that you would like to do something other than music in the future. What is the future of Kid Milli, and is there any project that you are currently working on?
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My ultimate dream is to earn a lot of money, and when I get old I want to open my own small pub where I serve the food I like with maybe five seats.
For the next three years, I want to learn lots of things: foreign languages, fashion design, which I want to learn with an apprenticeship under my favorite designer, cooking, and, if possible, mechanical design! For any project I do, I want to do it when I learned sufficiently and feel ready and smart because I can believe in myself secretly!
The modern rapper stereotype involves obnoxious parties, luxurious purchases, and hard-headedness, but you seem to prefer to indulge in cooking at home, hanging out with your cat, gaming, and watching anime. Is your introversion essential to your creativity?
It is not like introversion is necessary. It is just that I am introverted. I envy those who are sociable and extroverted. It’s not like I don’t want to do obnoxious parties, but it’s more like I can’t do it.
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I already know that pleasure from luxurious purchases doesn’t go a long way, and partying does not fit my characteristics. Also, if I continue that life, I start to feel guilty, maybe because I have the desire to be a rightful person. It feels like I get punished by God. I’m not joking, and I feel like I will be punished by some greater power.
I totally agree that partying and luxury are not bad things, but I often see bad things happen at a party. Besides that, it is just difficult for me to network with people. I am looking for someone to provide me with ease in social connections.
If you could give one piece of advice for young creatives, what would you want to share?
Watches are such a waste and not useful at all. Don’t buy those.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
Photos by ifucktokyo.
