From: http://m.koreaherald.com/view.htm?20120724000809

Hip-hop artist BNews, who opened for Yung Joc and Flo-Rida when they came to Korea, performs at an event with other expat artists, including DA Green (center, at rear). BNews

This is the first in a two-part series on the build-up of the expat hip-hop scene in Korea. ― Ed.


Any expat with a Facebook account knows that on any given weekend there are a number of live expat hip-hop events going on in Itaewon and Hongdae. 

What many might not know is that just about four years ago, the vibrant scene was virtually non-existent, outside of a couple open mics and a few random artists and DJs such as Pinnacle TheHustler and Black Ilumin. During a time when the likes of hip-hop acts Epik High and Drunken Tiger were popular in the Korean mainstream, there was almost nothing in terms of foreign hip-hop in Korea. 

And the same challenges seemed to plague every artist ― a lack of venues and gigs. 

No one seems to agree on exactly when or how expat hip-hop started. For ICONZ Media LLC CEO JC, who came to Korea in 2005, his first involvement with the scene started around the end of 2007 and early 2008. 

Read the rest of this article at: http://m.koreaherald.com/view.htm?20120724000809