In a recent episode of The Tablo Podcast, Epik High's Tablo answered a question from a listener who wonders what steps to take to get into the realm of Korean music as a producer, an artist, or a sound engineer. The fan further stated that the field doesn't offer many career opportunities apart from trainees who aspire to be idols.
Tablo responded by saying that the industry is actually "super corporate not just in Korea but everywhere." The pioneering idol, who now works as a producer as well, expressed his disliking towards the misinterpretation of the international media about the Korean music industry.
"Judging from the many interviews I've done with the foreign press, I really do not like or appreciate that they try to pigeonhole K-pop and the Korean music industry as this super factory-like corporate machine. Because where the hell do you think we got that from? That's been around for a very, very long time and it happens everywhere else too," he said.
"Also, I don't like how they only focus on a few specific cases where that happens and make it seem like every single part of this scene here is like that," he added.
This kind of perception made him mention the flamboyance of other areas in the realm.
"I think we have possibly the most interesting independent scene anywhere in the world. The music scene here-from live concerts to clubs to just people performing on the streets, the different genres we have, the different messages, the different crews-everything is very, very vibrant and alive," he said.
Moreover, Tablo mentioned that there are many artists who are independent and have a gift of creativity.
"Even if there are certain things that they have to do to-like choreography and stuff like that-certain things that they have to do, they still have enough room to write songs and be creative," he expounded this because according to him, there is a common misapprehension regarding the industry, calling it a money-making domain. In reality, he added, every business industry's goal is to make profits.
Tablo then added that there are more opportunities for someone if he or she wants to be an engineer or a producer. He shared that he took the independent path because at the time, entertainment agency giants were not into hip hop and he even received a harsh remark that whatever music he produces wouldn't make it big.
"You just have to work at it, you just have to try," he concluded.
