On September 26, South Korean rappers JUSTHIS and Paloalto released a joint full-length album 4 the Youth. The two artists first announced their collaboration during JUSTHIS’s solo concert in November 2016. They pre-released singles “Cooler Than the Cool” and “Brown Eyes View,” gaining favorable feedback from both critics and the public.. According to HipHopKR, which delivers Korean hip-hop news, 4 the Youth is “a compilation of hip-hop music in 22 tracks.” The album portrays various genres of music and creatively utilizes hip-hop’s many sub-genres, including boom bap, trap, and ratchet.

JUSTHIS and Paloalto dedicate the album 4 the Youth to young people and to their ow n youth. The coexistence of certainty and uncertainty is depicted through the “sharpness and softness,” as stated in HipHopKR, of beats and rhythms that symbolize the blossoming of youth. Not only do they create music that is for the youth, but they make sure the process of creation is also for the youth. To achieve these goals, they placed “the right person in the right place,” even in terms of the producer or featured artists. A total of 29 participants helped bring original and bright talents to the scene.

The collaboration of JUSTHIS and Paloalto has allowed the incorporation of individual colors in completing a masterpiece. JUSTHIS is a South Korean rapper and production, associated with Indigo Music. He debuted independently in 2015, releasing his singles, “No One” and “Veni, Vidi, Bitch” in 2015 and “Tru Rich” in 2017. He also released many other albums as a leading artist. His musical style is known to be incredibly unique yet advanced in skill and technicalities in which his flow, a term that refers to the rhythms and rhymes of a hip-hop song’s lyrics, is liberal and natural. In addition to JUSTHIS’s aggressive tone, Paloalto’s expertise in the music industry adds authority and tradition to their album. He was the winner of best rap album at the 2014 Korea Popular Music Awards and has released several hit songs such as “Good Times” and “Turtle Ship.” In brief, rappers JUSTHIS and Paloalto have combined their styles of music in 4 the Youth to speak out to Korean youth. 

“From the start. From the start. From the start.” The song “Cooler Than the Cool” starts off with the repetition of these lyrics, enabling listeners to take a moment and focus on the rappers’ words. The first English lyrics, “Let me spit some verses for Seoul City real quick,” gives off a mixed sensation between asking the audience for permission to rap, but also enforcing their message in a firm manner. Seoul City is the symbol of the lively and ever-changing nature of youth. Therefore, the reference to Seoul City in the lyrics narrows down the audience of the song to Seoul youth. Moreover, the artists criticize the government, private firms, and the media for their bloodthirstiness for money and wealth and sly schemes planning fraud. They also comment on “the suicide growing within our minds.” In sum, “Cooler Than the Cool” reveals the flaws of Seoul City, displaying raw emotions and real facts. 

“Seoul Romance” discusses the generational conflict between the MZ and X generations. The rappers question the audience on the rights and wrongs in life, including societal reputation and parental expectations. Throughout the entire song, they lament and criticize the pitiful situations in which elders do not support the dreams of young adults. Furthermore, the lyrics, “believing that money does not buy all is romantic,” signify the view that it is foolish to believe that wealth does not correlate with happiness. The song ends off by claiming that Seoul only strives to survive without considering the meaning of thriving. 

JUSTHIS and Paloalto are emphasizing that nobody is being able to keep their cool nor is being able to cope with the frenzy in Seoul. They are saying that only “real rappers don’t die” and are able to withstand any sort of hardships coming their way. Through their fast-paced rhymes and vibes, the rapper duo intends to catch the eye of the Korean youth.