Chapter 78: Break the Wall

Geon initiated the drum beat using the Cu Base program. As he tapped out the bass notes electronically, he suddenly paused at the keyboard, chin in hand, lost in thought.

"Even with a basic beat, when overlaid with the lyrics of renowned rappers, it can spark a sensation. But can such an ordinary beat move Dre's heart?"

After pondering for a while, Geon glanced at the Hakú guitar lying nearby. Opening Hakú's hard case, he gently caressed the beautiful body of the guitar, lost in contemplation. Abruptly, he ceased his movements, eyes widening momentarily in realization. He swiftly reached for his phone and accessed a streaming music site.

"The method used by Korea's music genius, Seo Taiji. The fusion of hip-hop and rock. That's it! It's the only way I can truly excel at this."

After listening to "Sad Pain" and "When They Ruled the Earth in 1996" by "Seo Taiji and Boys," Geon pulled the earphones out of his ears, nodding in affirmation.

"This is it!"

Geon dialed a number on his phone.

"Vinnie? It's Geon. Are you busy right now? Oh, by any chance, where is Rex? Perfect. Could you lend me a hand for a moment? Yes, I'm in Compton. Three hours? Great, I'll wait. Thank you, Vinnie."

Geon's eyes sparkled as he ended the call. After shutting down the Cu Base program, he retrieved a notebook and began sketching on the manuscript paper. In the solitude of his studio, only the sound of pencil scratching filled the air.

Three days later, Eminem sat in his backyard listening to music when his phone buzzed. With earphones still in place, he glanced at the screen and saw a text from Geon.

"It's Kay. Work on the music is finished, so I'm texting you. Please check the attached file and proceed with your part. The deadline for completion is one week. Exactly 8 days from now, at 1 PM, we'll release it as a digital single simultaneously. I'll register this track for free at the same time. - Kay -"

Reading the message, Eminem smirked and downloaded the attachment, hitting play.

"Huh? Guitar sounds? Is this rock?"

His eyes widened in surprise as he scrutinized the screen, noticing the title of the playing file.

"Break the Wall"

Focused on the music, Eminem's lips curled into a grin. After listening to the slightly over three-minute track in its entirety, he sprang up from his seat.

"Hahaha! This is awesome! It's going to be fun! Exciting!"

Like a child, he waved his hands excitedly and dashed to his own studio. And this was the reaction of other rappers who received the same text at the same time.

At that moment, Geon was conversing with Ice Cube in the lobby of his hotel. Ice Cube wore an expression of delight as he spoke.

"Look at this, Kay. The music you provided has climbed up to third place on the hip-hop charts."

Geon grinned upon seeing the chart displayed on Ice Cube's smartphone. Ice Cube then remarked with a pleased expression.

"Been a while since I had a single that critics praised. It's thanks to you. But surprisingly, there hasn't been much reaction from Korea, has there?"

Geon nodded in agreement.

"Korean fans have raised their standards compared to before. With more people expressing their thoughts on social media, they're not easily swayed by the media. Also, your incident happened a long time ago."

As Ice Cube pocketed his phone, seemingly relieved, he said, "I was worried for no reason. Anyway, thanks to you, I've built a great career. I'll buy you drinks for life."

Geon chuckled, clapping his hands.

"I'm laying off the drinks now, Ice."

Ice Cube burst into laughter.

"Haha, the more you drink, the more you want to drink. If you don't want to suffer, just drink more until you get used to it. Haha."

Geon shrugged, sharing a laugh.

"I don't really want to get used to it. Haha. By the way, have you listened to the track I sent you?"

Ice Cube nodded, arms crossed, vigorously nodding his head.

"Of course! It's fantastic. But hey, was it you singing in the middle of the song? You killed it again this time. Oh, by the way, have you seen the articles that came out after my song featuring your vocals?"

Geon shook his head.

"What articles? I've read everything about Pantera though."

Ice Cube sighed, shook his head, and then pulled out his phone to show Geon an article.

"Music Genius Kay Steps into Hip-Hop Scene This Time?"

Renowned as a music genius, Kay has caused a stir by joining the hip-hop scene after his forays into film scores and rock. Although it was just a feature, his contribution as a featured vocalist on Ice Cube's recent digital single "Dear Buckwilds" played a significant role in propelling it to the top five of the hip-hop charts in a short span of time.

Geon tapped out drum beats on the Cu Base program first. Pausing from his bass synth, he rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

"Even with a basic beat, overlaying lyrics from renowned rappers can create a sensation. But can such an ordinary beat move Dre's heart?"

After much pondering, Geon glanced at the nearby Haiku. Running his fingers over its beautiful body, lost in thought, Geon suddenly stopped. With wide eyes, he hastily reached for his phone, accessing a streaming music site.

"The method used by Korea's music genius, Seotaiji. Merging hip-hop and rock. That's it! It's the best approach for me now."

After listening to "Sad Pain" and "1996 When They Ruled the Earth" by "Seotaiji and Boys," Geon pulled out his earphones.

"This is it!"

Geon dialed a number.

"Vinnie? It's Geon. Are you busy? Oh, by any chance, what's Rex up to now? Great. Can I borrow a moment of his time? Yes, I'm in Compton. Three hours? Sure, I'll wait. Thanks, Vinnie."

With a gleam in his eyes, Geon ended the call. After shutting down Cu Base, he retrieved a notebook and began sketching on the manuscript paper. The sound of pencil scribbling filled the solitary studio.

Three days later, Eminem sat in his home garden, listening to music when his phone buzzed. Glancing at the screen with earphones in, he saw a text from Geon.

"It's K. Music production is done. Please check the attached file and proceed with your part. You have one week. The digital single will be released simultaneously exactly 8 days from now at 1 p.m. It'll be registered for free at the same time. - K -"

Reading the message, Eminem smirked and downloaded the attachment, playing it.

"Huh? Guitar sound? Rock?"

His eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the screen.

"Break the Wall."

Engrossed in the music, Eminem's lips curled upward. After listening to the three-minute-plus song, he jumped up.

"Wow! This is awesome! It's going to be fun!"

Excitedly waving his hands like a child, Eminem dashed to his own studio. And the same excitement was shared by other rappers who received the same message at the same time.

At that moment, Geon was chatting with Ice Cube in the lobby of his hotel. Ice Cube's expression brightened.

"Look at this, K. Your music has climbed to No. 3 on the hip-hop charts."

Geon grinned after seeing the chart on Ice Cube's smartphone.

"Even critics are praising the single as exceptional. It's all thanks to you. But surprisingly, there's no response from Korea?"

Nodding, Geon replied, "Korean fans have become more discerning than before. With more people expressing their thoughts on social media, they're not easily swayed by the press. Plus, Ice's incident happened a long time ago."

Ice Cube sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket.

"I was worrying for nothing. Thanks to you, I've gained a great career. I'll buy you drinks for life."

Geon chuckled, clapping his hands.

"I'm laying off alcohol, Ice."

Ice Cube laughed heartily.

"Ha-ha! The more you drink, the more you want to drink. If you don't want to suffer, just keep drinking until you get used to it. Ha-ha!"

Geon shrugged, laughing back.

"I don't particularly aspire to get used to it. Ha-ha. By the way, have you seen the news about the music genius K? Is he into hip-hop now?"

The news read:

"Music genius K, into hip-hop this time?"

K, known as a music genius, has stirred up the scene by participating in hip-hop after movie soundtracks and rock. Although it didn't create a big stir due to the level of featuring, K played a significant role in Ice Cube's recent digital single, 'Dear Buckwilds,' which quickly entered the top five on the hip-hop charts.

CNN News. Marice Shane. <Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited>

Reading the article, Geon squirmed uncomfortably, gesturing with his arm.

"They've really exaggerated. I didn't ask for this. Ugh, it's cringy."

Ice Cube chuckled oddly.

"You'd be the only one refusing even if it were offered to you. Ha-ha."

Geon shook his head.

"I don't care about the articles. I'm not eager for instant popularity. It's more important to focus on 'Break the Wall.' Bringing back Dre's favorite Drake is the priority."

Ice Cube nodded solemnly, then asked abruptly, "Oh, it's a different story, but did I ever check into what you've been doing so far? But it's strange, why do you perform other people's songs? After working with Tim Burton and making your music, even if it's a song without lyrics. Santana and Pantera do the same. Why restore and perform existing songs? With your talent, making your own music should be enough. Even this time, you didn't participate in the music you made. You just give good tasks to other rappers. You're not even making a penny from it, why do you do that?"

Watching Ice Cube fire off such a long question like a machine gun, Geon laughed.

"I'm not ready yet. I don't want to be someone who shines brightly for a moment with just average skills. Why perform others' songs? At the moment, I'm learning through the footsteps left by someone else. These footsteps are from the best teachers who maintain their details even through storms and rains."

After pausing for a moment, Geon continued.

"When asked why I do something that doesn't bring in money, I think I might have to quote from a book I read when I was very young. It was a story an old grandfather told his grandson who visited him, 'If you tell adults you saw a beautiful brick house with pretty flowers blooming by the window and white birds playing on the roof, they won't care about the house. But if you tell them you saw a million-dollar house, they'll admire it.' "

Ice Cube marveled, nodding.

"That's killing, man! You can use it in rap."

Geon wagged his index finger.

"Don't do that. It's from the Talmud, you might get sued. Ha-ha. Anyway, as long as I'm doing art, I want to live by admiring and being impressed by the house itself and the surroundings and atmosphere that envelop it, rather than just the price of the house."

Arms crossed, Ice Cube said.

"Right. From your perspective, it might look pathetic when our rappers boast about money in their lyrics. Honestly, I'm getting a little tired of it myself."

Geon shook his head, as if to say no.

"Hip-hop is a genre where you express what you want to say. In that sense, it's an art form where rappers who have been oppressed and lived in poverty do their best to make money and then tell stories of success after achieving their goals. I think that's a part of great art in its own right. That's how I see it, Ice."

Ice Cube revealed his agreement with a smile, extending his fist.

"You're like a black Eminem. Ha-ha."

Geon bumped fists with Ice Cube, then stood up.

"Okay. Time is running out, so I should get going now. I haven't even written the lyrics yet. I'll see you later."

After seeing Ice Cube off, Geon went up to his hotel room and sat by the window. Looking out at the quiet Compton downtown in the afternoon, he spent his time watching the occasional passersby through the window.

Exactly 8 days later, at 1 p.m.

An alert appeared on the screens of all those who enjoyed music and used streaming services, notifying them that a new song with the same title had been registered as a new release. Instantly, there was a lot of attention as many people followed their favorite musicians on the app. But many hip-hop fans who turned on their streaming services had to scratch their heads when they saw the song list on their screens.

'Break the wall. feat. Snoop Dogg'

'Break the wall. feat. Eminem'

'Break the wall. feat. 50 Cent'

'Break the wall. feat. Ice Cube'

'Break the wall. feat. Master P'

'Break the wall. feat. Dogg Pound'

'Break the wall. feat. Warren G'

Seven songs with the same title flooded the American continent like the beginning of a massive earthquake and tsunami.