Many people enjoy ‘RAP music’, which is one kind of Hip-hop music. Rap music is all about delivering lyrics with a rhythm, so it is essential to have a sense of quick beats to sing. There is a tendency to believe that many men sing rap music, compared with the relatively few women who sing rap music. Therefore, most people might think that rap music is a male-dominated major. However, there is a woman, who is fairly well recognized for her outstanding rapping ability. As a woman rapper, she is breaking this prejudice. She is known as ‘Miryo’ (Jo Mi-Hye), a member of Brown Eyed Girls. In an interview with her, CAH inquired about her life and its relationship with rap music.
Miryo: I used to sing ‘To J’, which is a song by senior singer ‘Lee Sun-hee’, which was televised on TV when I was young. I concretely had thoughts to be a singer when I was in second grade in elementary school. At that time, I said I wanted to be a singer. My kinsfolk had a cynical smile and said, ‘Really? Do you seriously think you can become a singer?’ They were not satisfied with my dream that I want to be a singer, because my household was full of educators and there is no one who is an entertainer in my family. When I was a middle school student, I was clever to enter a genius class as representative of my city. (Smiling) For that reason, my parents had many expectations for me to enter an honorable university. By the way, when I said that I wanted to be a singer, my parents stubbornly opposed my decision. I was not especially beautiful, nor could I sing or dance very well. Therefore, they thought I was not series.
CAH: Then, what did you do to become a singer?
Miryo: In my high school days, I studied hip-hop music by myself. I was interested in hip-hop and rap music, and I wanted to join an hip-hop circle. However, the circle I tried to join was not a hip-hop or rap music circle, but hip-hop dance circle. I could not find a circle that treated hip-hop music or rap music professionally. Along the way, I happened to know a famous black music circle ‘Blacks.’ As I joined that circle, I could download and listen to black music. I wrote lyrics, too. Perhaps, if other people saw me doing those activities, they thought I was trying to be a singer, but I did not think so. The reason I did those things was that I earnestly love to do them. Because the thing, which I was truly eager to do, is music, to sing a song and write lyrics were felt like an interesting play for me. That was just a funny play!
Miryo: I became interested in hip-hop music, when singers such as, ‘Seo Tae-ji & the children’ and ‘H.O.T’ came out. During this time hip-hop music gained a lot of popularity, and touched off a boom. Actually, I was fond of danceable music. It was fascinating, exciting, cheerful and rhythmical music. Foreign renowned musicians also affected me. For example, there was Missy Elliott and Timbaland. Generally, the crowds think that hip-hop music has a correct beat. However, their sound is not a correct beat, but has characteristic attraction and electronic style music. I like their sexy music style.
CAH: Do you have any embarrassing episodes as an entertainer?
Miryo: I often forget lyrics on stage. After Brown Eyed Girls debut, I sometimes made mistakes. For example, there were many ceremonies for awarding prizes last year. Perhaps I could not a rap on those stages exactly. If I forgot the lyrics while doing the rap, I did a free style rap instead. Every time I forgot, I felt ashamed of myself. Although I did wrong rap, the crowds still clapped their hands; I breathed a sigh of relief.
CAH: Why did you enter Chung-Ang University the department of Advertising & Public Relations?
Miryo: Frankly speaking, I thought that I did not have to enter University to be a singer. I wanted to be a singer after graduating high school. However, my mother persuaded me to get a university diploma. When I searched universities, I was thinking ‘If I surely go to University, what is the best department for me?’, I accidentally saw a published promotion for Chung-Ang University, and its department of Advertising & Public Relations on EBS. I felt that this department was smart and stylish. If I could not be a singer, I wished to advance in the advertising field. Fortunately, the results from my examination were good due to my home had a strong passion for learning. I also did well with memorizing.
CAH: What was your enjoyable experience in CAU the department of Advertising & Public Relations?
Miryo: To be honest, I could not devote myself to the departments living style. As a ‘Da C Side’ circle member, their activities accounted for more than 90% of my university life. It had many meanings for me. Even so, I chose amusement matters with Skull, who is member of the singer ‘Stony Skunk.’ Skull & I were from the same department and were classmates. We sat in the back of the classroom, wrote rap lyrics and did not pay attention to lessons. Then, Skull pointed out merits and demerits of my lyrics. Skull had an effect on me and introduced ‘Da C side’ and I started hip-hop music.
CAH: Finally, what do you advise to CAU students?
Miryo: Since I was young, I was doing the things that I really wanted to do. I think that if I do things that I really want to do, I could do it very well more than other people could. The reason why I could do more is that I enjoy and find pleasure in what I do. I recommend that CAU students should decide what you really want to do and concentrate on it. A few days ago, I had a new goal. I watched Beyonce’s performance in Korea. After I saw that, I want to do sexy, talented, and sophisticated music.
There is a saying that ‘If you are not crazy, you can not reach the top.’ This means that you can indulge in something; you could get an unrivaled position in that field. All the time during the interview with her, CAH felt her love and passion for rap music. Why don’t you be addicted to something like her?