Young Ill Is Carving Out His Own Lane in the Korean Hip-Hop Scene

A couple of days earlier, while looking into the Korean hip-hop scene, I found Park Dae-young, or Young Ill, as he’s understood in the market. Initially from Gumi, South Korea, Young Ill has actually been progressively constructing his profession in Suwon given that 2017, with an enthusiasm for hip-hop and rap that started at an early age. With one foot in the U.K.’s dynamic music scene and the other securely planted in his Korean heritage, he flawlessly blends categories like drum and bass, drill, and garage with Korean rap, developing a noise that’s both worldwide notified and clearly Korean. I connected with him, excited for more information about his story, and it ends up this talented South Korean hip-hop artist and manufacturer has actually because developed himself in the worldwide rap neighborhood, now splitting his time in between Seoul, Suwon, London, and Paris.

Influenced by rap artists like Drunken Tiger, Leessang, Eun Ji-won, and MC Sniper, Young Ill was influenced to pen his own lyrics right from the start. He was drawn to how music might communicate his ideas and feelings, especially on topics that were tough to resolve freely. After finishing his military service, he relocated to Suwon to concentrate on music full-time, where he started finding out music production. Young Ill remembers, “I wished to be experienced in every element. Beginning in 2022, I started getting calls from Europe. I was called by the French manufacturer Sonikem, which led me to take a trip to France, and around the very same time, I got in touch with Jodie Jo from London’s Playhouse Entertainment, which brought me to the U.K. too.” Young Ill confesses that, though his most significant impact up until then had actually been American hip-hop, he discovered himself highly drawn to European hip-hop noises and culture from 2022 onwards. “Today, I continue to move in between Korea, Japan, France, and the U.K., producing, producing, and launching music. Most just recently, I participated as a rap artist in Japan Expo 2025, among the most significant celebrations in France, and launched my very first LP album.”

Following his 2018 mixtape Permanently Young Illthe artist formally debuted in 2019. He broadened his discography with a number of releases afterwards, consisting of the EPs Drill Come T.R.U (2022) and Jet Lag 2024 (2024 ), along with his brand-new album, Situation # 01As a manufacturer, he discovered his own voice and design while drawing from Korean hip-hop’s cultural identity, something that has actually had rather an effect on his creative expression. He associates his development to the high level of skill in Korean hip-hop, stating, “In my view, Korean hip-hop has numerous extremely gifted rap artists. I have actually experienced varied hip-hop scenes worldwide, however I think the level of Korean beatmakers and rap artists is really high, and the total quality is regularly strong. Since of this, I had the ability to raise my own color and quality by dealing with excellent manufacturers and rap artists. This enabled me to easily blend spontaneous concepts and produce distinct work.”

He even more elaborates on what sets Korean hip-hop apart:”Korean hip-hop is differentiated by the usage of the Korean language’s special rhythm and rhyme to develop initial circulations.”He highlights the efficiency of the Hangul composing system, keeping in mind that it’s a very efficient and clinical composing system that can reveal every possible noise, enabling varied linguistic improvements within lyrics. He likewise keeps in mind that Korean hip-hop is understood for revealing a broad spectrum of feelings– love, social problems, and individual development– in a sincere and frequently remarkable method, which resonates deeply with listeners. “Beyond the music itself, Korean hip-hop is carefully connected to K-pop, style, video, and social networks, making it part of a larger pop-cultural experience. This mix has actually assisted Korean hip-hop develop itself as an unique cultural motion with worldwide appeal.”

To that growing appeal, Young Ill brings his own. His noise is a mix of international impacts and heavy beats. I ask if and how he integrates conventional aspects into his noise. “Regarding standard noises, I have actually worked a lot with my manufacturer flexx,” he shares. “Generally, we integrate East Asian samples with the drum noises and bass from UK Drill– the design I delight in– that makes the procedure much easier.” He information, “This principle at first began with my French group, ‘Stardust Korea’ manufacturer Sonikem, and Jodie Jo from the London business ‘Playhouse Entertainment.’ They highly accepted their African roots and revealed deep self-confidence and identity associated to their cities and backgrounds. At that time, I felt that just following other artists made me feel phony, so I started to explore what roots and concepts I alone might develop.”

This shift towards credibility is something Young Ill thinks will continue to affect the future of Korean hip-hop. With the music market in flux, he assesses the journey of the category– where patterns fluctuate, brand-new skill emerges, and the pressure to remain appropriate has all formed the market. He turns to the effect of truth television programs like Program Me The Money and how they’ve affected the method artists approach their music. “In the past, the annual program’Program Me The Moneydrawn out numerous rap artists. After Program Me The Money 11 ended and before 12 began, all rap artists revealed different methods to make it through separately. Around that time, there was a split in between artists who followed a more popular melodic noise and those who stubbornly developed mainstream or distinct noises real to their desires. Surprisingly, throughout that minute, the rap artists and listeners who enjoyed hip-hop and rap for the pure enthusiasm instead of cash or popularity were the ones who endured one of the most.”

Speaking more about taking a specific niche in the market, Young Il associates his creative development to his music as a reflection of his real self, sharing his dreams, hopes, and enthusiasms to get in touch with his listeners. He makes it clear that, unlike lots of rap artists, he chooses to guide clear of revealing individual social viewpoints or resolving delicate topics. “Rappers generally state what they desire, however I choose not to harm anybody or expose personal matters.” He highlights, “In fact, as an artist, I wish to concentrate on promising, pleasure, and psychological exchange with listeners. Due to the fact that social and delicate concerns do not quickly discover compromise, I wish to be more of a source of joy for individuals instead of a social activist.”

Expecting his vision for the future of his music, of Korean hip-hop, and how he sees independent artists like himself adding to the scene, Young Ill keeps in mind,”Program Me The Money 12 will be transmitted quickly. Because it is occurring once again after a long break, numerous fans have actually wandered away, so it is fascinating to see how this will affect the scene. Presently, hip-hop’s appeal in Korea is reducing, that makes the circumstance more worrying. I think the persistence on domestic hip-hop culture makes it harder for independent artists.” That being stated, he restates that uniqueness stays the essential to success. “I believe numerous artists who produce distinct images on their own, not just locally however worldwide, will make it through. From my profession experience, I wish to reveal other artists that the course isn’t restricted to Program Me The Money or stereotyped professions, and be an example to them.”