Sometimes, it's easy to forget that the Korean music scene isn't just about idol groups -- there's a serious lack of mainstream coverage that prevents international fans from appreciating other wells of music. So, when Jungle Entertainment and Mnet announced that they'd be holding a concert in L.A. on December 2nd, K-Pop fans felt instinctively that this was a significant event in the Hallyu music movement. But could Jungle successfully pull off a K-hip hop concert across the Pacific? In a single word, yes. Packed to the point where it was pushing fire codes, The Wiltern witnessed a massive turnout for 'The Jungle Concert in L.A.'. The line-up boasted some venerable names; the pioneer of Korean hip-hop, Drunken Tiger, and his queen Yoon Mi Rae were slotted to perform, as well as their fellow labelmates Leessang, Jung In, and Bizzy. There were also special guest appearances by Korean-American freestyle rapper Dumbfoundead, Styliztik Jones, Ann, and Jay Park. Together, these artists delivered not just great music, but also a down-to-earth vibe that allowed everyone to let go, get crazy, and have some serious fun. --

As the opening act, R&B singer Jung In kicked off the show with an entrance fit for a diva in her sparkling black mini-dress. She began with "As I Live", a song from her first album, before introducing herself briefly to the audience. Following up, she performed "Rainy Season" and "I Hate You", a combination that had the effect of drawing a spell of awe over the audience. Lightening the mood for the next act, Jung In then sang some upbeat renditions of popular Korean songs, such as Lee Moon Sae's "Sunset Glow" and a rock version of "Rascal". She ended her act with "Love Is", and assured everyone that she would be coming back on stage later to sing with some of the other performers.

As the next big act, Leessang stepped out in all black, kicking things up a notch with "Let's Do It Together" before immediately transitioning to "I'm Not Really Laughing", "Ballerino", and "The Girl Who Can't Break Up, The Boy Who Can't Leave". After singing four songs straight, the dynamic duo paused and took the time to introduce themselves and Jung In once again, whom they referred to as "Leessang's woman". A few jokes later, Leessang asked Jung In to sing a trot song for the audience on the spot, which she did marvelously without any hesitation. Following their introduction, Leessang sang "Gary and Gil (Simple Life)" and "Leessang Blues", a song they described as being a gift to their girlfriends back in 2002, when they didn't have much to give. After singing "Clown", the two artists said their goodbyes and walked off stage, leaving the audience begging for an encore performance. The cheers got louder with every second, and it convinced Leessang to re-emerge onto the stage. Member Gil commented, "A singer feels the best when he hears the word 'encore' from his audience. You guys will determine if our encore will be just one song, or many more." The strong bond between Leessang and the crowd was enough to inspire four songs for their encore: "Turned Off the TV", "You're The Answer To A Guy Like Me", "I'm Cool" (from 'Infinity Challenge'), and "Let's Meet Now".

After a brief intermission, rapper Bizzy stepped out and asked the audience to root for him during his performance. Maybe he felt the pressure of having to perform after Leessang, but Bizzy soon realized that he had nothing to worry about -- the audience was whooping and cheering for Bizzy non-stop as he spit out line after flawless line in "All Right (A Song Made for People Who Can't Dance)", "Music is a Time Machine", and "The Day After You Left". Taking a moment to catch his breath, Bizzy then launched into "Return of the Tiger", which brought out the man of the night, Drunken Tiger himself. Screaming at the top of their lungs, the crowd hailed the King of Korean hip hop, whose entrance was long anticipated. Drunken Tiger was definitely the highlight of the show, enthralling everyone with his amazing stage presence and laidback charm. After performing "Emergency", Drunken Tiger officially introduced himself and confessed that he was a bit tipsy from having a few shots backstage. His interaction with the crowd was on point, and he pumped up the atmosphere with his next track, "Jet Pack", which had surprise appearances from Dumbfoundead and Styliztik Jones (fellow SUNZOO member). He then directed the show through a course of adrenaline-kicking highs as well as more low-key tracks. Drunken Tiger slowed the mood down a bit with my personal favorite, "8:45 Heaven", and before blasting it into high gear again with "Thumb" and "Good Life", which drew out surprise guest appearance from Korea's heartthrob, Jay Park.

After Jay Park left the stage, Drunken Tiger sang "True Romance" and was joined by Korea's Queen of Hip-Hop, Tasha (a.k.a. Yoon Mi Rae). She sang "Let's Dance" with her husband, before pausing to greet the audience in both Korean and English. Amusingly, Tasha also confessed that she drank a few shots before her performance to alleviate her nervousness, as it was her first time performing in the States. Tasha, Drunken Tiger, and Bizzy then plunged into "G?? (Ghwaja)" and "Black Happiness", where Ann (who's famous for ballad songs like "One-Sided Love") joined the stage as the last surprise guest of the night. Tasha then wrapped up her set with "Pay Day", "Soul Flower", and her latest single, "Get It In". Ending with Drunken Tiger's "Monster", the Jungle artists left the stage, before coming back for a final encore performance of "I Want You". _ It's a no-brainer as to why the artists of Jungle Entertainment are so highly respected in the Korean music industry. 'The Jungle Concert in L.A.' was by far the most impressive and most memorable show I've ever seen, and it was a breathtaking experience to see them perform live in person. With Los Angeles being their first step into international waters, we can only hope that Jungle Entertainment recognizes that there is a legitimate hunger for K-hip hop overseas, and that they'll be bringing more concerts not just to the U.S., but to other countries all over the world. Photography by: Alex Gao