[INTERVIEW] 'I Am Hip Hip' : KOREAN HIP HOP ARTIST 'ARTLOVER (아트러버)'

(Image. I Am Hip Hip)

I Am Hip Hip : With K‑Pop being such a dominant genre in Korea, how easy is it for female rappers to establish themselves? 

ARTLOVER : The short answer is no, I don’t believe that K‑Pop is preventing female rappers from getting attention. The K‑Pop phenomenon helps everyone who is singing or rapping in Korean language.

I Am Hip Hip : Do you have any female role models that are currently in the industry?

ARTLOVER : I really like Mi-rae Yoon.

I Am Hip Hip : Do you feel female Korean rappers are overlooked when compared to male Korean rappers?

ARTLOVER : They do get attention, but perhaps they may have some trouble getting credibility in the underground because Hip-hop historically has been a male dominated genre. Am I overlooked compared to my male counterparts? Yes, in certain ways I am.

I Am Hip Hip : What is the current scene like in Korea? What attracts you to this scene?

ARTLOVER : The scene is booming and it attracts me because its fusion at it’s finest. It’s fascinating to see how Korean’s take a cultural phenomena such as Hip-Hop which is at it’s core as far from Asian culture as can be, and turn it into their own thing.

I Am Hip Hip : Are there other genres / music scenes that you would like to explore? If so, why that specific genre / music scene? 

ARTLOVER : I would say that my music is a fusion between, Hip-Hop, RnB, Rock and Jazz so I feel that I’m already exploring other genres. And I feel that these different influences all have their place in my debut single “Want U Back”.

I Am Hip Hip : Do you feel that Hip Hop can break language barriers?

ARTLOVER : I guess it can at times but generally Hip-Hop is very lyric driven and if you don’t understand the language you may not be compelled to listen. In my opinion melody breaks language barriers more than rap and that is why I love melodic Hip-Hop and try to include as much melodies as I can in my music.

I Am Hip Hip : How important are lyrics to you? Do you focus on any specific themes within your music?

ARTLOVER : Lyrics are very important for me, I wrote “Want U Back” with Swedish producer Max Billion who penned Mike Perry’s song “Rocksteady” and DIMA’s single “Boots”. Max doesn’t have a clue about Korean language but he can hear if it sounds good anyway. I love nostalgic themes, such as my debut single, which is about longing for lost love.

I Am Hip Hip : Who would be your dream Hip Hop collaboration?

ARTLOVER : G‑Dragon.

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/3oioGZ0iMj2lNlju2hjw5k?fbclid=IwAR1glV_M4tT3etc_I9Y15ECBaj63pUrUO9xFkB7Ho7qIQhR4EcFYrKwVmdU

iTunes https://music.apple.com/us/artist/artlover/1346187846

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/artlovermusic

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mynameisartlover

Twitter https://twitter.com/artlovermusic

Press Release; 

I Am Hip Hop https://www.iamhiphopmagazine.com/interview-korean-hip-hop-artist-art-lover-artlovermusic/