Back in July, 2020 it was announced that Mnet would be accepting audition tapes for the ninth season of the much anticipated hip hop survival show Show Me The Money. Applications were accepted until August 21, 2020 via email, through the official website and instagram. Any artist passionate about rap, whether amateur or professional, was encouraged to apply.
Having completed 8 successful runs of the show, fans are overly excited about the 9th season, especially after the incredible lineup of producers was announced. The 9th season is set to showcase a new and unique format of competition but will retain the same diverse cast of producers. The major difference will be in the final prize. The winner of the show will receive the title of "Young Boss" who stands as the new force to be reckoned with in the hip hop scene.
Besides, the usual prize money, the artist will also receive a considerable investment in their artistic endeavours, be it concerts, album production, marketing or other business ventures.
A teaser was announced on the official Youtube channel of Mnet which only fanned the ambers of excitement. This season consists of 4 producing teams: Zion.T & Giriboy, CODE KUNST & Paloalto, Dynamic Duo & BewhY and JUSTHIS & GROOVYROOM.
Let us now get to know the amazing line-up of producers set for SMTM9.
1. Zion.T X Giriboy
This was the first group of producers revealed for SMTM9. Zion.T is a South Korean hip hop and R&B singer, rapper and songwriter under The Black Label (a sub-label of YG). Zion.T is part of a crew called VV:D which includes members: Crush, Zion.T, Elo, Gray, and Loco. He's also featured in numerous drama OSTs including The King: Eternal Monarch. Zion.T was a producer in SMTM5 with Kush in "Team YG".
Giriboy is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer signed to Just Music Entertainment. Giriboy was previously a participant in SMTM3 that aired in 2014. He was a producer in SMTM777 for the team "Just Music" winning with Nafla and in SMTM8 in "BGM-v Crew" winning again with Punchnello. He was also a mentor on the hip hop survival show "No Mercy".
2. CODE KUNST X Paloalto
This was the second team to be revealed for SMTM9. Together, they were producers in SMTM777 in team "CODEPALO". Paloalto was also a producer in SMTM4 with Zico for team "ZiPal". Code Kunst is a South-Korean rapper, producer and composer. He debuted independently in 2013. He joined AOMG in June 2018. He was a judge on Show Me The Money 777, Signhere and High School Rapper 3.
Paloalto is basically a household name in South Korea for his multiple TV appearances in Show Me The Money 4, Show Me The Money 777 and Tribe Of Hip Hop. There is no hip hop fanatic in Korea that does not know Paloalto. He is also the founder of Hi-Lite Records. He's active as a DJ and his music is popular among the youth of Korea as well as worldwide.
3. Dynamic Duo X BewhY
The third team to be revealed was Dynamic Duo and BewhY. Dynamic Duo is a South Korean hip hop duo that consists of rappers Choiza and Gaeko. They rose to fame with their 2004 debut album, Taxi Driver, which became the best-selling Korean hip hop album ever. They are signed to Amoeba Culture, a hip hop record label that they founded in 2006.
Known for their sophisticated style and unmatched flow, their distinct style has helped propel them to the top of the hiphop scene and retain their position over generations of rappers. Dynamic Duo were producers in SMTM6 for the team "4Duo".
BewhY, known for his staunch faith and the unabashed expression of Christianity in his music, he is known as one of the fastest rappers in the industry. He's also known for his high production music videos that have a cinematic quality to them. He was a contestant in SMTM4 but didn't win. He decided to try again and won SMTM5. He was a producer in SMTM8 for the team "BGM-v Crew" winning with Punchnello.
4. JUSTHIS X GROOVYROOM
This team was revealed as the final team of producers for SMTM9. JUSTHIS is a South Korean rapper who debuted independently in 2015 with the single No One. He's currently under Indigo Music. His impressive discography is known to any fan of hip hop in South Korea and he has a considerable fanbase among international fans as well. JUSTHIS performed in SMTM777 with Kid Milli and SMTM8 with EK.
GROOVYROOM is a South Korean producer duo under H1ghr Music consisting of Park Gyu-jeong and Lee Hwi-min. They're a part of YELOWS MOB Crew but had debuted independently in 2015. GROOVYROOM will appear on Show Me The Money for the first time. The duo is popular both as successful producers and DJs.
