Chapter 187
Chapter 187
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: National Hip-Hop Top Spot
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Yuin's track sparked a brief controversy in the Korean hip-hop scene over whether it was truly hip-hop or not, but with endorsements from Elkind Logan and N. Hound, claims to the contrary became meaningless.
- Are there still people denying that our Yuin is the national hip-hop top dog?
- Nah, none.
- Undeniable national hip-hop top dog for real.
- Not just undeniable, it's impossible...
- Undeniable or impossible, whatever—national hip-hop top dog.
- Agreed.
Having cemented his place as the national hip-hop top dog, Yeonwoo's first digital single *Tempest* continued its ferocious run.
On the Melboard chart, it held the number one spot through week two, week three, and even into week five without budging.
It also maintained the top position across major streaming platforms in sixteen countries, including Spotify, becoming the hottest hip-hop track released in the past five years.
Amid all this, work on Elkind Logan's new album was accelerating toward completion.
In truth, Elkind Logan had initially planned to collaborate with Yeonwoo on just a single track.
But working together changed his mind.
Yeonwoo had evolved so rapidly—from a hip-hop novice to someone now showing Elkind Logan the future of the genre—that it was downright terrifying.
He was gaining new insights and fresh inspiration.
Elkind Logan, who had transcended master craftsman status to be hailed as the GOAT, with his musical world solidly entrenched, found his thinking growing flexible once more, reignited with passion.
Even though it could have grown stale by now.
*Hip-hop is always fun.*
Elkind Logan felt like he was back in those days when he'd coined the name Wolverine and was gearing up to leap from the underground to the mainstream.
“Eek, that's mine!!”
Elkind Logan, sitting side by side with Yeonwoo on the sofa and geeking out over music, turned at the sound of his granddaughter's voice from behind.
“Aaah! Hey!”
Amelia was pulling a face, staring somewhere in distress.
There, a dog nearly as big as Amelia was chomping away at something.
“Grandpa! He stole my cookie!”
Elkind Logan burst out laughing at Amelia's complaint.
Lately, Amelia had acquired a natural predator: Woong.
Woong, who was growing bigger by the day, treated Amelia like a joke.
The moment she held food and let her guard down even slightly, he'd snatch it straight from her hand with lightning speed.
And that was just the start.
On walks, Woong was the picture of obedience with anyone else holding the leash, but the instant Amelia took it, he ignored her completely.
Jiyeong came in a close second on his disregard list.
Conversely, he was utterly devoted to Yeonwoo—to the point where if Yeonwoo deliberately dropped the leash, Woong would pick up the handle in his mouth and bring it back.
For a dog as smart and loyal as Woong, his antics toward Amelia were...
“Mel, he's doing it because your reactions are so entertaining.”
“How can a dog tease a person like that!!”
“Woong's a genius. Right, Woong?”
Woong barked in agreement at Yeonwoo's words.
“Ugh, so annoying!!”
Yeonwoo laughed at the fuming Amelia and called Woong over.
Woong trotted up and rubbed his head against Yeonwoo's outstretched hand.
“Annoying? How can you say that to something this cute.”
“With that size? What's cute about it!”
Ignoring Amelia's shouts, Yeonwoo ruffled Woong's head vigorously before turning back.
“Anyway, back to the music. So for track ten, you'll lay down the beat, and you want me to add the melody on top?”
“That's right.”
“Then the chorus should be sung.”
“I was thinking the same.”
“You sing well?”
“Me? No way. Singing's my weakness.”
“We'll need a feature then...”
“Yeah. It's an upbeat track, so maybe someone who fits that vibe?”
At those words, Yeonwoo turned his gaze.
Elkind Logan's eyes naturally followed.
At the end of their stares lay Olivia Snow, sprawled on the long sofa, rolling around while crunching on a cucumber stick like it was a treat.
Sensing the looks, Olivia Snow glanced at them with a cucumber stick in her mouth.
“What? Why?”
Elkind Logan asked Yeonwoo as Olivia Snow scowled.
“Her okay?”
“Even with all that, no one delivers a song like this sister of mine.”
“True... but watching her lately, it feels like she's retired.”
At that, Olivia Snow propped herself up halfway and shot back.
“What are you talking about? Look how hard I'm working on my diet. Can't you see I'm filling up on cucumbers because I'm hungry?”
“...How long since you last showered?”
There was a stereotype that Americans didn't wash often [and in reality, more people skip showers or hair washes than you'd think], but Elkind Logan was a stickler for cleanliness.
Olivia Snow froze at his question, tilting her head.
“Hmm, when was it?”
Elkind Logan hesitated before saying,
“Well... you kinda smell funky every time you pass by.”
“Ow! No way!!!”
Olivia Snow sniffed herself.
Nothing?
“Yeah, sis. You should wash up...”
Yeonwoo piled on after Elkind Logan's bold statement.
Realizing the gravity with even Yeonwoo chiming in, Olivia Snow jumped up.
“I'll go shower.”
Olivia Snow vanished like the wind.
“She looks like a total star from afar, but up close? Not even.”
“That's just how she is offstage. She transforms up there. A star's a star. I've never seen anyone with star power that radiates like hers.”
“I see.”
“Yeah. Anyway, let's have Olivia Snow sis handle the feature on this one.”
“Sounds good.”
Elkind Logan nodded readily.
And so their album work progressed steadily.
Meanwhile, Yeonwoo was juggling tracks for others too.
Before *Tempest*, Ignite had held the top spot steadily, earning rave reviews as a historic idol debut, and Yeonwoo composed their second digital single.
Having rocked the idol scene with EDM before, he doubled down with EDM again for this one to solidify their position.
Normally, Yeonwoo would push for new experiments, but with Ignite, he was trying something different.
Establishing EDM as the trend in idols, tailored to their style.
Yeonwoo figured if this second single hit big, EDM could surge back.
On another front, he was producing Chae Hayeon's second album.
He handled only the main title track himself, enlisting other composers for the rest.
It was Yeonwoo's own challenge and experiment.
Shifting from composer to full-on producer role.
That's why he'd been sampling tracks from mainstream and indie scenes alike, scouting composers nonstop. It was nearly as thrilling as discovering singers.
He even floated the idea of recruiting composers to the company, not just singers or trainees.
One might think juggling all this was overwhelming, but it really wasn't.
Songs came together fast, and scouting composers just meant listening—no heavy lifting.
Three projects in play, but most of his time went to Elkind Logan.
Oh, right—there was one more thing.
Giving Jiyeong feedback on recruiting new singers for SSHIN.
SSHIN had spun off as a subsidiary and was now operating in earnest as a singer agency.
As a new entrant and latecomer, SSHIN wasn't small by any means.
With Melboard singers, a legendary rock band, and lineup-spanning artists like Chae Hayeon covering indie and mainstream.
But SSHIN wasn't content to stop there.
More precisely, Jiyeong wasn't.
A fledgling agency with overflowing funds and a deep talent pool—too good to waste. She wanted to scale up.
The parent company was headquartered in Japan and known as Japan's top office, so surpassing them was unlikely, but Jiyeong aimed to rank among Korea's elite agencies.
To that end, Jiyeong compiled a list of dream singers.
She wanted to sign them yesterday, but the one who'd write their songs and produce their leads was none other than Yeonwoo.
No deal without his buy-in first.
She asked Wakana to edit short clips of their performances and sent Yeonwoo the list with the videos.
Yeonwoo reviewed them.
Every single one was someone he knew.
No surprise—Yeonwoo was constantly immersing himself in music, scouting.
Hunting for fits for his tracks, or people he wanted to write for.
That said, honestly, after breaking Melboard charts, working with the likes of Olivia Snow and Elkind Logan, and surveying singers worldwide, his standards had risen. Far fewer Korean singers measured up than expected.
Korean media even said K-pop had entered a slump post-NGS, with few acts poised for global success.
Still, talent existed.
People like Kim Beomsin—how hasn't this guy broken overseas?
Artists who'd blow up with a style tweak.
Gems buried in the mud, unseen no matter what.
Yeonwoo marked those on the list.
Then he paused.
“No way, why's this sister here?”
Someone Yeonwoo coveted more than anyone was on the list.
None other than Lee Si-eun.
She was one of the handful with a fantastical voice that Yeonwoo had watched countless singers to find.
“We have to bring this sister on board.”
But wasn't she still active?
Curious, Yeonwoo dug online.
He could text her directly since he had her number, but prying might be rude if something messy was involved.
[Lee Si-eun, Feuding with Her Agency?]
[Lee Si-eun, No Contract Renewal with Agency.]
[Lee Si-eun Shopping for New Agency?]
Yeonwoo skimmed headlines, then comments.
-LOL, I'd bail on renewal too
-Fr real, treated like trash then tried to lock her down the second she blew up, total shitshow
-Her voice is shot now anyway, and her health too?
-Yep lol, collapsed from overwork at gigs twice already
-Company tasted success and now just squeezes her dry. If she was a goose, they'd slit her gut. This place...
-Juggling acting and promo, she's dying out there
-But at her level, won't everyone be salivating?
-Yeah, agencies fighting to snag her
“Everyone fighting to snag her?”
Yeonwoo's eyes gleamed.
“I'll snag her!!”
The voice Yeonwoo coveted most—the one he had to have if possible.
For the Lee Si-eun folder on his computer, steadily filling with tracks, if nothing else.