Epik High exclusive interview with KpopStarz Japan Part 3.

Continued from Part 2 - Check out Part 1 HERE.

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◆What do you think about your sound in the Japanese language? Especially for rapping, the Korean language has sharp ends, so people say it may fit raping better in terms of the sound. How does it compare to Japanese?

TABLO：Oh! Actually it was the other way around before. When a label called FUTURE SHOCK (a Japanese Hip Hop label) did a performance in Korea, MITHRA was on the stage together, but back then, Japanese rappers like Zeebra and SOUL SCREAM said that it sounds more difficult to pronounce RAP in Korean.

When EPIK HIGH first worked with dj Honda, dj Honda also said "I think it's difficult to RAP in Korean." But we have worked hard for 11 years, and meanwhile, BIGBANG and G-DRAGON also appeared, and now Korean RAP has come to the stage where Americans also comment that "it sounds natural and good."

◆From now on, would EPIK HIGH also want to try Japanese RAP?

TABLO：We are good at it (Laughter)

MITHRA：Huh? (Laughter)

TABLO：(In Japanese) Moshimoshi, Tomodachi, Yo! Yo! Moshimoshi! Tomodachi! Tamagocchi! My name is TABLO! Yeah!

◆Wow! Improvised RAP (Laughter)

TABLO：We are prepared like this (Laughter) Japanese may be easier to rhyme.

◆From the feeling now, TABLO seems to be No.1 in Japanese among members?

TABLO：(In Japanese) Really!? Thank you! (Handshake) My best is.... Umm... (Japanese)

DJ TUKUTZ：At most this is the best of his Japanese (Laughter)

◆This time, your live concert in Japan takes place in a club.

TABLO：Those who have been to a club in Korea should know this, but the Korean style is to work hard from Monday, and play hard in club on the weekends! In Japan too, since the stage is in a club this time, we want to make sure that those who join can sweat, get excited and enjoy the concert a lot. The concert will compose of not only this album's songs but our songs from the past 11 years.

◆How many songs do you have for the past 11 years?

TABLO：We have around 200 songs. Because we have 200 songs, they cannot fit into the concert's set list, so we change the list every time and perform many different songs.

CONTINUE TO PART 4

[Text: Kiyori Matsumoto / Photo: Akiya Uchida]