"This is a stage where a rapper performs with an orchestra, like a piano concerto."
A boy who once dreamed of majoring in classical piano but had to abandon that dream due to family circumstances has succeeded as a rapper and will now take the stage with an orchestra. Rapper Changmo's concert "Changmo: The Emperor," scheduled for May 9-10 at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts' Grand Theater, symbolically represents his musical growth narrative.
At a press conference held at Sejong Art Academy's Circle Hall on the 4th, Changmo said, "I'm grateful to be standing on a stage I dreamed of as a child. I'm preparing with great pressure to ensure that not a single penny or minute of the audience's time is wasted." Born in 1994, Changmo is a prominent hip-hop artist in Korea's hip-hop scene, known for hits including "Maestro" and "METEOR."
While popular music artists have occasionally performed at Sejong Center, this marks the first hip-hop musician's concert at the venue. Ahn Ho-sang, President of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, who attended the press conference, said, "Expanding the boundaries of art and providing new experiences to audiences is an important role and responsibility of Sejong Center. In that sense, I encountered Changmo's music—hip-hop with raw lyrics but beautiful melodies—in a popular music market dominated by K-pop, and decided to make this proposal."
Changmo said, "When I first received the call last year, I thought it was absurd," adding with a smile, "In our industry's terms, I want to give a 'shout-out' to Sejong Center." Shout-out is a greeting in hip-hop culture that expresses respect and gratitude.
The concert will feature orchestral arrangements of his hit songs, including Beethoven's Piano Concerto "Emperor." He also plans to present his growth story through four parts woven into the performance.
He said playfully, "After receiving the concert proposal, I traveled to Europe for the first time in my life earlier this year to receive energy from 'classical music seniors.' I plan to 'premiere' a song inspired by Beethoven's grave at this concert." He added, "I believe the desire to create good music is the same for classical composers and hip-hop musicians. Classical and hip-hop may seem far apart, but at their core, they are the same music."
Considering the venue's characteristics, some profanity will be self-muted. Admission will be restricted to ages 12 and above.
Meanwhile, President Ahn expressed his intention to continue collaborations across various genres. He said, "When I first planned the Cho Yong-pil concert in 1999 while working at Seoul Arts Center, I had my resignation letter ready. Society is more open now than it was then, and Sejong Center should also be a space for new attempts." He named G-Dragon as an artist he would like to collaborate with in the future, saying, "I particularly want to plan a stage with G-Dragon that combines not only music but various art forms."
Originally from Deokso in Namyangju, Changmo has also prepared an event offering a 10% discount on ticket prices for audience members whose address is in Wabu-eup, Namyangju.