[TRANS] BOBBY FOR ARENA HOMME INTERVIEW
Interviewer: Your nickname has become “Hacked Kim,” since so much of your childhood information has been hacked.
BOBBY: Oh, how did you know? (laughs)
[translator’s note: “hacked” doesn’t necessarily refer to being a victim of hacking, but rather that fans have revealed and spread much of this information.]
Interviewer: How long did you live in the States?
BOBBY: My family and I emigrated to the States when I was in fourth grade. I came to Korea alone after completing elementary and middle school.
Interviewer: How did you come up with the name “Bobby”?
BOBBY: I really like Bob Marley. Also, there weren’t many kids my age in the States named Bob.
Interviewer: It’s an “old-school” name.
BOBBY: It’s kind of like the English equivalent of “Chulsoo”? I think there is a rarity to it.
[translator’s note: Chulsoo is a very typical and old-school Korean name.]
Interviewer: Did you become a YG trainee because you wanted to do hiphop?
BOBBY: I originally just had the vague notion of wanting to do music, not necessarily hip-hop or rap. At the time I didn’t know enough about the hip-hop genre in a professional sense. I gradually ended up writing lyrics, matching rhymes, spitting out raps and recording, listening to my own voice..That kind of stuff became fun.
Interviewer: Did you ever consider doing community activities or making a mixtape?
BOBBY: Around my second year of middle school, I would write lyrics and record songs with a close hyung in the States.It was really something we just did between ourselves. It was just something we did alone as a fun hobby (laughs). Even at that point, I didn’t have a dream. It was by chance that I ended up at the YG audition in the States, passed, and became a trainee, but even then, I couldn’t even imagine that I’d become a rapper.
Interviewer: It couldn’t have been easy to leave your family in the States to come to Korea without even a guaranteed debut.
BOBBY: Rapping was more fun than studying for me. Even now, I do it because it is so much fun.
Interviewer: Did you come to realize the appeal of hip-hop after becoming a trainee?
BOBBY: After coming into the company, I began to see how cool it was by listening to a lot of music and exchanging songs with B.I. B.I taught me a lot about the appeal of hip-hop. Turns out hip-hop is a really awesome thing.
Interviewer: What about it specifically?
BOBBY: Well first, it has a manly charm. Um.. just rawness. There is no embellishment to it.
Interviewer: It’s cool because it is honest, without pretending or trying too hard?
BOBBY: That’s right, that’s right. That’s what I like about it: there is an aura to it even when it’s just there without doing anything. I keep falling deeper into it because of that. Hip-hop isn’t just music; it has a culture. Like when you’re simply hanging out with your friends and high-five each other, that’s hip-hop. For example, waking up in the morning and going to school without showering, that’s hip-hop too.. It’s just raw.
Interviewer: I know what you’re saying, the mindset is important. But when I’m talking to you like this, you don’t seem like a kid with a fighter-like tendency.
BOBBY: I think I’ve changed a bit after coming to Korea. When I was in the States, I was with my parents, but I’ve had to spend my adolescence here alone and realized that I need to take care of myself. I’ve also changed a lot through <Show Me The Money 3>.
Interviewer: It’s a spirit that really fires up your fighting spirit, right? (laughs)
BOBBY: It really made me want to protect myself..No, more importantly, to make sure other people wouldn’t look down on me. It’s a childish thought, but that’s how I felt then.
Interviewer: Even after you had already experienced the survival show <WIN>?
BOBBY: I was with my friends then, but <Show Me The Money 3> was different.
Interviewer: It was probably like that because you had to fight by yourself. What processes did you go through to create your own unique tone or personality as rapper Bobby?
BOBBY: I originally just tried to copy a lot of foreign rappers. In doing so, I took and changed some of the cool elements in order to better suit me.
Interviewer: When did you realize that your unique sound had been completed?
BOBBY: That time still..has not come yet.
Interviewer: Didn’t you have to appeal with and carve out your own personality on <Show Me The Money 3>?
BOBBY: On that show, I focused on my performance the most, over tone or style, because there are so many elements that you show on stage. One thing that really helped was that the motions that work well for me had become naturally ingrained in my body as a trainee. When my favorite rappers perform, they move their bodies visually to the rap, all while performing an amazing live. I want to become a rapper like that, too.
Interviewer: It kind of seemed like you were too conscious about the title “idol rapper.” If you have the talent, it shouldn’t matter if you’re an idol..It’s not like all underground rappers are talented.
BOBBY: I think I was conscious about it because I’ve gotten so much criticism on the subject.
Interviewer: It’s probably just the excuse they have to attack you.
BOBBY: True, true. (laughs) If I messed up, I would be eliminated because “all idol rappers are like that. They’re nothing special.” I hated that so much. I wanted to be recognized as a rapper and really wanted to prove myself.
Interviewer: Considering how huge the burden and pressure must have been, it was amazing how honorably you dealt with it. But like you said, hip-hop is appealing due to its simple and raw nature. It’s the dominant stereotype that “idol rappers” are far from that.
BOBBY: I think showing my true self is hip-hop. I like living doing what I enjoy and feeling small happiness every moment, because that’s hip-hop. But it hurt my self-esteem a lot that people would just stick me under the title “idol rapper” without even considering my actual talents, just because I was a YG trainee. It hurts a lot when your self-esteem is scarred. (laughs) On the other hand, if they really do pay attention and listen to me but still don’t like it, then it’s my fault. I can acknowledge that. I have to figure out what my faults are and fix them. I can always accept criticism as long as it isn’t attack.
Interviewer: The freedom for a rapper to freely write lyrics is part of hip-hop. What do you have to say to those that you won’t be able to do that as part of such a large company?
BOBBY: Hm, that is a task I will have to work on in the future. There are things I want to express as a rapper, but since I am under the big picture of YG, I’ll have to consider how I can go about this wisely.
Interviewer: On <Show Me The Money 3>, you mostly showed a very intense and powerful image. This vibe came across effectively on the site of the show, but to someone listening through the recorded album, the emotions may be so strong that the lyrical message or impact may be compromised. (Bobby is silent for a while.) Are you listening to me right now?
BOBBY: No, no, I am listening. It just feels like something I really need to hear right now..
Interviewer: You surprised me because you got so serious all of a sudden. (laughs) You could have been doing it on purpose because you thought you needed it.. That’s why I asked.
BOBBY: I’m not doing it on purpose. It’s just..I end up that way without even realizing it.
Interviewer: It seems like “that person” has arrived. (laughs)
BOBBY: I think you’re right. Oh, I should fix that. (laughs) Honestly, most of the songs I’ve showcased so far have been quite intense.
[translator’s note: “that person” refers to another side of Bobby’s personality.]
Interviewer: Are there lots of hidden cards that you haven’t shown yet?
BOBBY: I think so. I have lots of things I want to practice and develop and do.
Interviewer: Do you want to be someone who does music, or do you want to be a star through music?
BOBBY: I want to be someone with influence. I want to inspire and influence people, not just through music, but through the way I live. What kind of person has practiced for 4 years, been on <WIN: Who Is Next>, won <Show Me The Money 3> and done a third survival show with <Mix & Match>? There is only one 20 year-old, December 21st born Kim Jiwon in this world. Only I can write the lyrics that come out of my own experiences.
Interviewer: Your life itself is like a song lyric.
BOBBY: Right, that is hip-hop.
trans cr; yvonne @ ygikon
please take out with full credits!
Source: http://ygikon.tumblr.com/post/105783454676/trans-bobby-for-arena-homme-interview
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