Will RAP:PUBLIC's innovative format succeed in reshaping the landscape of Korean hip-hop survival shows, or will it stumble under the weight of spectacle and popularity?

RAP:PUBLIC has become a notable addition to the Korean hip-hop survival show scene, continuing the legacy of the groundbreaking Show Me The Money (SMTM) series. Widely regarded as a cultural phenomenon, SMTM played a key role in mainstreaming Korean hip-hop, contributing to the growth of the subgenre since the late 1990s and early 2000s (Maher, 2015). As SMTM seasons progressed, criticisms mounted over favouritism from the judges (also known as “producers”, usually established rappers and beatmakers), who often prioritised public appeal and marketability over their skills. RAP:PUBLIC has set itself apart from its predecessor with a bold, innovative twist: a “no judges” format. In this format, no established rappers or beatmakers serve as judges. Instead, the decision-making power is entirely in the hands of the participants. Its first round is particularly intriguing, with 60 contestants facing off in 1v1 battles, voting among themselves to decide who performed better in each round—all while wearing masks. With their identities hidden from plain sight, the rappers’ skills and performances stood on their own, upholding the objectivity of their fellow contestants’ judgement. Even so, this new rap show created one crucial question: if participants are responsible for voting each other out, can we ensure that their decisions remain free from bias during the elimination process?

Prior to its airing on October 2, RAP:PUBLIC had garnered significant attention from the public. A key element in building this attention was the announcement that Jay Park, founder and former CEO of AOMG and H1GHR Music, would be the show’s MC (RAP:PUBLIC, 2024). This announcement alone generated excitement, considering Jay Park’s prominent status in the industry, including his recent experience as the winning producer of SMTM 11. The show’s marketing also capitalised on the mystery surrounding the contestants’ identities. The 60 masked and uniformed contestants were introduced with one-word clues, prompting fans and viewers to guess who might be behind the masks. Some guesses were obvious because many contestants were former SMTM participants—for example, SMTM 777 first runner-up Loopy, SMTM 8 winner Punchnello, SMTM 10 winner Jo Gwang-il, and School Rapper 4 first runner-up and SMTM 11 semifinalist Roh Yunha. Even so, the season also included new faces—notably P-Nation solo artist Daniel Jikal, Dirty Play Records artist Tray B, and the 2024 Korean Hip Hop Awards Rookie of the Year Shyboiitobii—adding an element of unpredictability. By turning the contestant reveal into a guessing game, RAP:PUBLIC set the stage for its eventual debut and strong viewership since the interactive guessing fueled widespread buzz in social media.

RAP:PUBLIC’s promotion had painted a promising picture, but survival of the fittest became increasingly complicated after the first round. It was a team competition with the contestants divided into eight ‘blocks’, each comprising 6 to 8 members. These blocks served as strategic alliances, with the eight highest-voted rappers in the first round selecting their block members. Most rappers preferred to join Block 2 and Block 3, led by Loopy and School Rapper 2 winner Kim Ha-on, respectively (Cho & Jeong, 2024a); they wielded considerable influence as contestants sought to join stronger blocks to improve their survival odds in the subsequent block matches. This situation became our first look at how RAP:PUBLIC as a competition operated, in which aligning with skilled or popular leaders was fundamental to these rappers' survival. In contrast, Hippie Kunda, a member of 99 Nasty Kidz who defeated SMTM 5 and 6 contestant Hash Swan despite being a newcomer, struggled to attract team members for Block 8. The influence disparity highlighted the layered social interactions at play, echoing Canadian-American sociologist Ernest Goffman’s (1956, p. 8) notion that a 'performance' in society included every calculated move an individual makes to fulfil their roles and influence others’ perceptions. In RAP:PUBLIC, rappers aimed to perform well to create strong first impressions and gain a competitive edge, highlighting that the show is as much about impression management as it is about raw talent. Loopy and Ha-on, who had previous broadcast appearances, cultivated a more favourable impression among the other contestants than Hippie Kunda, who was making her first appearance. This contrast underscores how these rappers’ initial impressions became key in determining their next steps.

As RAP:PUBLIC shifted into a stage where the rappers carefully crafted their impressions, the show’s rules on block leaders and member recruitment amplified its strategic dimension. The rules permitted cross-block recruitments and guaranteed the survival of block leaders; another block member could also replace the block leader if a majority of the block agreed. On the one hand, the rules created a dynamic where power was fluid, negotiated, and contingent on social consensus, as illustrated by Block 5. Initially formed by SMTM 9 semifinalist Khundi Panda, Block 5's dynamics were disrupted when School Rapper 4 participant OSUN, formerly from Block 3, exploited the rules to secure his immunity by agreeing to join Block 5, on the condition that he be made its leader, thereby guaranteeing his survival in the next block match (Cho & Jeong, 2024b). This specific rule on the leader’s survival became a critical bargaining chip for OSUN, who feared being chosen as an elimination candidate in Block 3. He negotiated to assume leadership of Block 5—then critically low on members with only five people—thereby securing his own immunity while enhancing the group’s chances of success in the next round. This step reflects the 'team performance' concept by Goffman (1956, p. 33), in which each individual manages their impressions and simultaneously engages in collaborative efforts to maintain group identity. Therefore, OSUN strategically aligned his personal survival with the collective goals of Block 5, reinforcing the notion that individual actions are often driven by the need to support the team’s overall performance and cohesion—even when individual rationality is also a factor.

What happened next for Block 5 also demonstrated how technical skill and crowd engagement shaped the block performances within the survival show. Considering the decision-making power given to the contestants, survival was primarily driven by the need to captivate fellow contestants in the audience. Initially recognised for their strong individual skills, Block 5 faced a crisis in the fifth round, where all blocks competed against each other in a group performance. Block 5’s performance showcased its members' unique rap styles, but it was the best strategy to grab all the votes to stay. The absence of external judges resulted in a crowd-driven voting system among the contestants, where engaging with them through chants and catchy hooks often precedes objective quality. As a result, Block 5 was declared defeated, and OSUN, as the block’s leader, had to choose three candidates for elimination. OSUN’s self-preserving decision led him to eliminate talented rappers, including Khundi Panda, independent artist Luci Gang, and Eclipse Empire crew member Owen (Cho & Jeong, 2024c). Such an outcome left competitors from other blocks disheartened, as many believed these rappers were too skilled to be eliminated early in the competition. In the meantime, rappers with less impressive individual skills could remain in the competition owing to their strong alignment and harmonious teamwork with their blocks. Nevertheless, the resulting drama and unpredictability—where even the most talented can fall victim to the competition’s social intricacies—kept the show’s viewers at the edge of their seats with the show’s unpredictability, albeit at the cost of Block 5's potential to excel in the competition.

Finally, RAP:PUBLIC reverted to the familiar SMTM formula by introducing live audience voting in its final rounds. This decision directly opposed the show's original idea of being a "real hip-hop, pure rap" competition when it was meant to be different from SMTM, which had faced a lot of criticism for its way of choosing a winner. In previous seasons, the winner was determined by live audience voting, which enabled a more immediate and engaged assessment of the rappers' skills. Still, in SMTM 11, the series' final season, this method was changed to online voting (원썬 Sakkiz’, 2023). As a result, the outcomes were no longer based solely on the rappers' skills; instead, they were also influenced by the participants' popularity before the show. One clear demonstration of this impact was when three members of Block 2—Busan hip-hop representative J-Tong, SMTM 11 semifinalist Khan, and Korean-American rapper Nosun—performed their track Zigle Zigle (Cho & Jeong, 2024d). Standing out for its upbeat tempo and catchy hook, the track resonated strongly with the live audience. Another aspect that significantly amplified the performance’s appeal was having Zico, a K-pop idol who was also the winning producer of SMTM 6, feature in the song. Zico’s popularity and engagement with the audience elevated Block 2’s performance and significantly boosted their popularity, securing them the first spot in the finals through an overwhelming number of votes. Bearing this case in mind, the change from contestant-driven voting to live audience-based voting sparked discussions on the integrity of the competition, diluting the strategic gameplay that had defined the competition, similar to Marxist theorist Guy Debord’s (2021, pp. 20 & 32) criticism on how modern systems prioritise spectacle over substance. Most importantly, the move cast significant doubt on the show's consistency—what was the point of all the intricate alliances and strategic eliminations if, in the end, it all boiled down to popularity?

RAP:PUBLIC may determine a winner based on public votes, but one question still irked viewers: if an entire block wins, is it truly a team effort, or are weaker contestants merely benefiting from stronger teammates? This dynamic, potentially influenced by early luck in block assignments or the overall popularity of certain blocks, disappointed those who had hoped for a competition grounded in skill and collaboration. While this format increases exposure to newer faces, viewers still observe familiar outcomes driven by fan preferences. By prioritising spectacle over substance, RAP:PUBLIC had transformed its revolutionary format into a predictable display of popularity over artistry, alienating a segment of the audience who were initially attracted to its innovative approach. As a spectacle, RAP:PUBLIC became “the present model of a socially dominant life,” reducing the lived experience of these rappers to survive with their skills into passive consumption of staged drama, with one notable example being Loopy and Ha-on’s leadership in their respective blocks. Even if a segment of these viewers hoped for a competition purely focused on rap, RAP:PUBLIC championed spectacle-driven voting to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Regardless of which block ultimately wins, the show undermined its promised authenticity. In the end, this condition left viewers questioning whether its claim to meritocracy—along with the rules, performances and the rappers’ relentless efforts to survive each round—was ever more than an illusion.

Summing up, RAP:PUBLIC attempted to position itself as a refreshing alternative to SMTM by offering a platform where politics and personal strategies take centre stage. It highlighted the complex interplay between performance and politics, in which rappers have the power to champion a democratic, participatory-driven process instead of adhering to the traditional top-down judging systems. By eliminating judges and empowering contestants alongside the audience to influence outcomes, the show challenged the conventional boundaries of Korean hip-hop, showcasing the current trends and the ongoing struggles for authenticity. In spite of its ambitious aspirations, the show's reliance on spectacle-driven elements—such as live audience voting in the final stages—detracted from its original promise of authenticity and meritocracy. By reverting to familiar patterns reminiscent of its predecessor survival show, RAP:PUBLIC risks undermining its innovative premise. This conflict makes viewers question whether the strategic gameplay and rapper-led eliminations are superficial. While RAP:PUBLIC has the potential to redefine Korean hip-hop survival shows, its lingering dependence on SMTM's legacy hinders it from fully realising this vision. As the genre continues to evolve, the actual test for RAP:PUBLIC lies in whether it can break free from these constraints and carve out a distinct identity or remain, as Debord might suggest, a spectacle cloaked in the illusion of innovation.

Bibliography

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Cho, H., & Jeong, W. (Executive Producers). (2024b, November 6). Episode 7 [TV series episode]. In H. Shin (Producer), RAP:PUBLIC. CJ ENM, Mnet, Studio Take One.

Cho, H., & Jeong, W. (Executive Producers). (2024c, November 20). Episode 9 [TV series episode]. In H. Shin (Producer), RAP:PUBLIC. CJ ENM, Mnet, Studio Take One.

Cho, H., & Jeong, W. (Executive Producers). (2024d, November 27). Episode 10 [TV series episode]. In H. Shin (Producer), RAP:PUBLIC. CJ ENM, Mnet, Studio Take One.

Debord, G. (2021). The society of the spectacle. Unredacted Word. 

Goffman, E. (1956). The presentation of self in everyday life. University of Edinburgh Social Sciences Research Centre. Anchor Books. ISBN 978-0-14-013571-8.

Maher, D. M. (2015, March 2). The rise of South Korean underground hip-hop. Complex Music. Archived from http://uk.complex.com/music/2015/03/the-rise-of-south-korean-hip-hop-keith-ape-interview on April 28, 2016. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20160428020503/http://uk.complex.com/music/2015/03/the-rise-of-south-korean-hip-hop-keith-ape-interview

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원썬 Sakkiz’ (Director). (2023, January 2). 원썬이 리뷰하는 쇼미더머니11 파이널  [SMTM 리뷰하는 SAKKIS’ 10-2] [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIoODHbOEdU