Rap acts parodying themselves or the music scene they are a part of is nothing new. But many would draw the line at bee costumes.
In the music video for their new single "Jam," from the album "Grand Carnival" released on Tuesday, Choiza and Gaeko of the South Korean hip-hop act Dynamic Duo look like they're having more fun playing the fool than any rapper since Eminem donned his Robin tights in his 2009 clip "Without Me."
In addition to playing bees of varying social classes, Dynamic Duo also dress up as a father and son and even as all five members of K-pop boy band Big Bang. What is striking is how easily the pair knocks down the tough guy, streetwise personas that most rappers seem to spend every waking moment trying to build up.
So what does this mean for the music?
Artists locked in a specific persona visually are often attached to certain patterns or rules about how they construct their music. One only needs to survey the differing array of compositions on "Grand Carnival," and the blistering speed with which the two MCs hammer the mic across the album to realize that, for Choiza and Gaeko, this simply isn't the case.
Interestingly, even though there are certainly more experimental, edgy or aggressive moments on the latest Dynamic Duo release, it is "Jam" that is the most listenable. There is something magnetic about the playful dance groove of the single, that makes it the most satisfying of the collection of...um, jams.
"Sure, that's why they call it pop music," you may be thinking to yourself. "It's the most easily palatable."
But the appeal of "Jam" is something more than that. Combining the squealing synth swagger of Mark Morrison's 1996 dance staple "Return Of The Mac," the neo soul electric piano of the same period and a ripping electric guitar solo from 10 years prior, it's clear these guys aren't simply looking to pad their recording with more songs or broaden the appeal of their band by trying on different specific retro throwbacks.
Dynamic Duo is simply in search of the most fun they can find, which also happens to be exactly where most of the best party sounds are found.
Listen to the single "Jam" from the new album "Grand Carnival" by South Korean rap group Dynamic Duo RIGHT HERE
