"Mad cause I'm hot. You not. I'll always finish up on top." Yes. MFBTY recently dropped one of their most hyped albums, 'WondaLand,' proving, once again, that they are still the foundation of Korean hip hop. By featuring two talented idol rappers, Junhyung and Rap Monster, MFBTY is out to change the K-Pop scene just as they had done with the hip hop scene.
If you haven't yet heard of 'WondaLand,' it's time for you to get acquainted with the three founders of MFBTY. Check out this exclusive interview allkpop did with the talented trio!
1. Which is your favorite song off 'WondaLand,' and why?
Tiger JK: I like "Half Time" because my singing is just out of space awesome on it. I only listen to my part of the song!
Yoon Mi Rae: My favorite song off the album changes depending on what mood I'm in. But if I absolutely have to pick one, I would have to go with "Bang Diggy Bang Bang" because it always puts a smile on my face. I was going to say "Fart Dance," which was produced by my son Jordan, for obvious reasons but that would be too easy.
Bizzy: It is so hard to pick just one song because I love getting lost in 'Wondaland,' but right now I'm listening to "Hello Happy" so I'll go with that.
2. What was the hardest part of producing this album? The most rewarding?
Tiger JK: Having no cash and having to sell a lot of my toys. The most rewarding? Forgetting reality during recording, then I realized it wasn't all a dream – I used to read Word Up magazine.
Yoon Mi Rae: The hardest part was probably trying to decide what songs and verses or hooks would make it on the album. It's like editing a movie. Sometimes you have to sacrifice some of your favorite scenes in order to make the movie flow.
Bizzy: Putting everything together was definitely the hardest part.
3. What did you have as inspiration for this music? In particular, "Bang Diggy Bang Bang" seems influenced by Indian music, making it an interesting cultural mix. Is that a sitar in the song?
Tiger JK: It was inspired by some Indian scat singing I heard. The scat singing sounded very Korean to me, and some of the scats even made sense In Korean. It was sheer coincidence I'm sure, but there were definitely some sounds that made sense in Korean. I was hooked from the moment I heard it.
Yoon Mi Rae: I just write whatever comes to me at the moment. I never know when, where, how, or why something inspires me. I will say this much though, I definitely write better, or maybe I should say things come easier, when I'm going through something dramatic in my life as opposed to when I'm happy.
4. How do you think this album shows your growth as artists?
Yoon Mi Rae: This album was really freeing for us. Trying different genres really taught us how to be more open-minded as artists and to not be afraid to take risks.
Bizzy: With this album, I got to experience making all sorts of different types of music, so as an artist it was challenging but fun at the same time.
5. What makes 'WondaLand' unique and stand out in the growing pop culture of K-Pop?
Tiger JK: Only time will tell and hopefully one day people can time travel with our music.
Yoon Mi Rae: It's a very eclectic album. There's hip-hop, EDM, R&B, and even some disco. But it's all very well put together and the album itself flows well. I don't get that "Wait, where did that song come from?" vibe at all on 'WondaLand'. There's a little something for everyone.
6. How was it working with idols like B2ST's Junhyung and BTS's Rap Monster? Are there other K-Pop idol rappers you'd like to work with in the future?
Tiger JK: They were all passionate and knew what they wanted to say. I enjoyed working with them and I appreciate their involvement in our project very much. They all treated this project as theirs and showed it nothing but love and respect. Junhyung texted me a lot. He was a bit shy, and kept text bombing me to make sure we liked what he did. Rap Monster was more active. He wouldn't leave the studio and even came to visit us on the set of our music video.
Yoon Mi Rae: Unfortunately, Junhyung couldn't actually join us in the studio because his schedule is super busy, but he worked really hard on his verse and it came out fantastic. Rap Monster really impressed me. He went hard in the studio and knew exactly how he wanted his vocals to sound. Afterward, he hung out and listened to music with us which was cool of him to do.
Bizzy: Rap Monster was so passionate when he was working with us and so was Junhyung. We're really thankful to both of them. And for other idol rappers, our door is always open. Welcome to 'WondaLand!'
7. You guys are considered the legends of hip hop in South Korea. What do you think about that? Do you have any advice for your hoobaes?
Tiger JK: You been lied to, man! But hopefully people get to hear my albums and see if they find a song they like. I have nine full-length albums. I'm just Tiger JK. Study my moves and then do and say the exact opposite of them! Don't be afraid to fail.
Yoon Mi Rae: I'm very flattered and humbled. It's a lot to live up to but it helps keep me on my toes. As for advice, never lose sight of why you fell in love with music and your reasons for wanting to make it.
Bizzy: Life is not easy, so stay strong.
8. Yoon Mi Rae, as a female rapper, what did you think about 'Unpretty Rapstar'?
Yoon Mi Rae: No disrespect, but I'm so over this question. I'm not a fan of the show, but I'm all for female MCs and the spread of hip-hop.
Tiger JK: As a rapper that's a human being with a Y chromosome, I used to listen to TLC's "Unpretty" a lot. I really, really loved that song!
9. What was your favorite fan reaction to your music/MV releases?
Tiger JK: All of them when they like it! I love them. Without those reactions, I'd probably quit music.
Yoon Mi Rae: Now this is a really hard question! Chantelly Squared was the first reaction video I saw for this album and I was laughing my butt off. I loved it! Also AK3R was hilarious. Seriously, I have so many favorites it's not even funny. The industry can be cruel, but when I watch these videos I'm like, "Man, this is why we do it" and I forget about the BS feelings and feel like I could record another album on the spot!
Bizzy: I like all of them. And they're really fun to watch even if you're not a fan of k-pop. Thanks to all who make those reaction videos. Those videos make me smile nowadays!
10. How do you think 'WondaLand' might act as an important stepping stone to your next project? What can fans expect from you for the rest of 2015?
Bizzy: More videos are going to come out and there are going to be lots of shows plus solo projects too. This year is going to be busy as Bizzy.
Yoon Mi Rae: Now that I'm more comfortable trying new genres I think fans can expect to hear something they wouldn't ordinarily picture me doing. Of course I'm not going to abandon the styles and sounds that people know me for. It'll still be me but with a little sprinkle of MFBTY!
Tiger JK: I got my passion back for music. I realized that people still dig to find something new or old. I learned the power of love. And I learned that my fans better than yours! Although we are outnumbered by allkpop's fans, my fans better than yours (MFBTY). This year is going to be the year for everyone. I wish all of you the best. And like Dead Prez said, "Drink water, eight glasses a day cause that's what they say."
You can follow MFBTY on Twitter here and also purchase the album on iTunes.
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