This week, WTK was able to sit down with Core.Low, Korea’s newest indie R&B artist. The 24-year-old from Seoul just released his newest single, entitled “Netflix and Chillin,” on December 21st— a sleek, jazz-infused hip-hop track that is just as chill as its name. Coming up next on Core.Low’s schedule is the release of a mini-album in early 2019.
Core.Low has recently made his way into the hip-hop and R&B scene into Korea, and as such, we were able to sit down with him and talk about his new single, as well as what it was like for him becoming an artist.
WTK: Thank you for talking to us today! Could you give a brief introduction about yourself?
CL: Hello, My name is Core.Low. I mainly sing R&B and Hip-Hop in Korea.
WTK: What style or genre of music are you most drawn to?
CL: Currently, I am interested in old school music such as Royal Kanos. I listen to a lot of LP records. I’m mainly interested in this type of music because it helps me visualize a theme. In the future, I would like to collaborate with a lot of jazz artists because I think it would blend well with this style of music.
WTK: These days, there are a lot of survival shows about music and hip-hop. How do you think this affects the genre?
CL: In Korea before, hip-hop was not that popular, but through these shows ,it has become more mainstream. Also, because of these shows it has influenced the music industry by breaking walls between genres. These days you see a lot of singers from other genres wanting to collaborate with hip-hop and rap artists.
WTK: Are there any specific artists you would like to collaborate with?
CL: There is a Korean artist named Radical Museum, They have a different type of sound from me and I think that if we collaborated, we could create something different for listeners. My style has a lot of transitions between rap and vocals, so mixing in the vocals of Rad Museum [would be cool]. They do a lot of performances overseas as well, and I think that if we did that, it would be a very unique show.
WTK: What do you think about the rise in the interest of Korean music overseas?
CL: I am very proud to see it becoming more popular. It has enabled artists like myself to dream bigger and challenge ourselves, and I have a huge amount of respect for the artists who are paving the way for Korean music to become globally recognized. The music industry in Korea is not easy and there is a lot of competition. With interest from fans overseas, it opens up a lot of opportunity for Korean artists.
WTK: What is your main inspiration for writing music? How do you decide what you are going to write about?
CL: Most of my inspiration comes from human relationships based on my own experiences. I like to write about my own stories and struggles. A lot of the melodies and lyrics will come to me when I am out taking a walk or while I am just waking up from sleeping, so I record them a lot on my phone. I like having a lot of material stored in case I will use it later. Most of my songs are about things that I have actually experienced in life, and I would like to share these experiences to maybe help or inspire others.
WTK: What advice would you give to people who would like to become hip hop artists but may be to afraid or don’t know where to start?
CL: This career path is very unrealistic to a lot of people. Compared to normal jobs, it’s not like a salary based job, and it can be difficult not being able to buy what you want or go out when you want to. You have to learn how to give up a lot of things others may take for grated to be able to make it in the industry. You need to have a lot of courage and belief in yourself to succeed. After you pass the difficult stages at the beginning, for myself at least, I am able to focus more when creating music. I have no regrets giving up what I did to be where I am today. If others want to choose this path, they should also do it with no regrets.
WTK: Can you tell us about your current project?
CL: I released my single “Netflix and Chillin” on December 21st. The lyrics are a mixture of Korean and English. The song will also be included in my EP album that I want to release at the beginning of next year. With this single, I would like to share my experiences and hardships with my audience. I want to alert and inspire them to challenge themselves. On the surface, the single is about relaxing, having a good time, and enjoying life. But it has a message of overcoming all the negative feedback and criticism I had while starting my career as a hip-hop artist. [It’s about] surpassing this and being able to succeed.
WTK: Finally, is there anything you would like to say to our readers?
CL: This is not just for people interested in Korea but for everyone. I just want to say don’t be afraid and don’t hesitate. Don’t put yourself down and have self-respect. Challenge yourself to do whatever it is you want to do in life. If there is something you wish to succeed at, then put 100% effort into it and do it without having any regrets. It is not always easy, but when you accomplish what you wanted to, you will be so much happier.
After talking to Core.Low, we are very excited to see where he goes in the future! He is such a polite and nice person and was even kind enough to bring all the WTK staff members at the interview the first copy of his single— which he signed for everyone. He is very proud of how hard he has worked, and it definitely shows in his music. He wants to share his hardships with everyone— which takes a lot of courage when showing the difficult sides of one’s life. His passion for his work shows, and we can’t wait to see more from this promising young artist.
Thank you to E&P Company, as well as AnotherView Label, for inviting us to sit down with Core.Low.
Check out his newest single below!
Audio: AnotherView Label
Photography: WTK