Seo Taiji
South Korea, 1989–now
South Korean musician (b. 1972), the father of K-pop. A teenage metal bassist in Sinawe, he formed Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 and detonated the Korean music industry - rap in Korean, new jack swing, metal and social criticism that fought the censors. Every K-pop act since is built on that template.
MusicRoots documents 4 artists who influenced Seo Taiji and 1 artist Seo Taiji influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.
Who influenced Seo Taiji?
- Rage Against the Machine — Seo Taiji took the socially conscious fury of Zack de la Rocha as his model on the third album, where rap-metal became the vehicle for attacking the Korean school system.
- Cypress Hill — 'Come Back Home' was his gangsta-rap turn, built on Cypress Hill - the high nasal delivery lifted from B-Real of 'Insane in the Brain'.
- Beastie Boys — The Beastie Boys' rap-over-hard-rock is part of the American fusion Seo Taiji rebuilt in Korean.
- Teddy Riley — The debut that broke Korea open was built on new jack swing - Teddy Riley's welding of hip-hop drums to R&B melody, transplanted into Korean pop.
Which artists did Seo Taiji influence?
- BTS — Seo Taiji is the blueprint BTS were built on - a hip-hop group speaking for the young against the system. They remade 'Come Back Home' for his 25th anniversary, where he told them: this is your generation now.