K-Culture Night: Exploring Korean Hip-Hop and its Influences

The GW Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS) invites you to join us for a special K-Culture event on Korean Hip-Hop! While K-Pop is now known throughout the world, there is also a burgeoning hip-hop community in Korea which has gained popularity in recent years. For an introduction to Korean Hip Hop, GWIKS will be screening two parts of a documentary from Arirang TV: Korean Hip-Hop - Part 1. Rise of the Hip-Hop Scene (코리아 힙합 1부 - 힙합, 한국을 뒤흔들다) and Korean Hip Hop Part 2. A Way of Life (코리아 힙합 2부 - 힙합, 세상을 향한 긍정의 힘). The documentary is in Korean with English subtitles.

Our screening will be followed by a discussion led by Dr. Crystal S. Anderson from George Mason University on the influence of African-American Music on Korean Hip Hop. Dr. Anderson's 2020 book, , explores the impact of African American popular music on contemporary Korean pop, R&B and hip-hop and the role of global fans as the music press. Dr. Anderson has written extensively on issues related to K-Pop and Afro-Asian cultural studies. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about Korean Hip Hop and how American artists have influenced Hip-Hop in Korea.

Dinner will be provided and the evening will end with a drawing for two free tickets to see the popular Korean hip hop group, EPIK High on March 13th at the Warner Theater in DC!

Time: Thursday, March 9, 2023, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Venue: Lindner Family Commons (Room 602), Elliott School of International Affairs, the George Washington University,1957 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052

Event Schedule

6:00 – 6:15 p.m. Introduction

6:15 – 7:15 p.m. Film Screening

7:15 – 8:00 p.m. Discussion and Q&A

About the Film

[Part 1]: Hip-hop was an import into Korea’s music scene that caught the attention –and ears- of its Korean listeners. Learn about the evolution of hip-hop in Korea through one-on-one interviews with noted hip-hop journalist Kim Bong-hyeon and well-known Korean hip-hop artists.

Fans of Korean hip-hop will instantly recognize artists like first-generation artist MC Meta as well as high caliber rappers like San E, Huckleberry P and many more! Join Basick and Layone at the OUTLIVE Concert, and get a glimpse of performances on Korea’s biggest rap competition TV show.

[Part 2]: As Korean hip-hop continued to develop, the artists became acutely aware of the fine line walked between ‘disrespect’ and ‘respect.’ Diss battles began to steal the stage, but there was also a maturity and level of respect that artists maintained through it all.

Korean hip-hop grew into a way of life, impacting people of all ages and walks of life. We’ll introduce you to some college students with a love for rhyme, and bring you exclusive interviews with major artists like MC Meta, San E, Huck P, Ja Mezz and insights from hip-hop journalist Kim Bong-hyeon.

Dr. Crystal S. Anderson is a dynamic scholar working in the fields of Transnational American Studies, Black Internationalism, Global Asias and Digital Humanities. Her first book, Beyond the Chinese Connection: Contemporary Afro-Asian Cultural Production (2013), uses the films of Bruce Lee to interpret cross-cultural dynamics in post-1990 novels, films and anime. Her 2020 book, Soul in Seoul: African American Music and K-pop, explores the impact of African American popular music on contemporary Korean pop, R&B and hip-hop and the role of global fans as the music press. It was translated into Korean in 2022. She has also published book chapters on overlapping masculinities in Korean popular music and the impact of the Korean wave in the United States. She manages several digital humanities projects, including KPK: Kpop Kollective, the oldest and only public scholarship site for K-pop, and KPOPCULTURE, an open educational resource on K-pop music for educators. A veteran blogger on Asian popular culture, she is also a former associate chief editor for hellokpop, an online entertainment site for Korean entertainment.

This event is on the record and open to the public. Your photo or video may be taken during the event for education or promotional purposes. Your visit grants permission for our use of these photos and videos.

The Elliott School can coordinate with the university to reasonably accommodate most disabilities. If you need specific accommodations, please contact GWIKS at [email protected]. Requests should be made as soon as possible, but at least three business days prior to the event to ensure full accommodations: Disability Support Services | Motherhood rooms | Gender Inclusive Bathrooms.

Host or Publisher The George Washington University Institute for Korean Studies - GWIKS