Rapper The Quiet is facing growing criticism as he remains silent regarding a performance mired in controversy for mocking the late former President Roh Moo-hyun.
Rapper Rich Iggy had announced a solo performance for May 23 at 5:23 PM, with a star-studded lineup including famous rappers like The Quiet, Paloalto, and Deepflow.
The issue stems from the fact that the performance date coincides with the anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun’s passing, and various elements of the show were seen as mocking the late president. Yeonnam Space, the venue that initially allowed the booking, cancelled it, stating, “We do not support concerts that promote hate, derogatory expressions toward specific individuals or groups, or social conflict.”
Rich Iggy apologized, admitting he had engaged in behavior mocking the deceased since his debut just for fame, and visited the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation to express his regrets. Cho Su-jin, a director and lawyer at the foundation, warned, “We will see if this apology is sincere. If he continues to perform songs containing hate speech toward President Roh Moo-hyun, pedophilia, or misogyny, we will pursue lawsuits to ban the songs, the use of his stage name, and seek additional damages.”
Paloalto, who was listed as a performer, apologized, saying, “As a human being before being a musician, I do not agree with expressions that mock the deceased or could be perceived as hateful, nor lyrics and attitudes that can hurt many people. I have no intention of defending or supporting such things.” Deepflow also stated, “Honestly, I didn’t know the meaning of those numbers, so I didn’t make the connection when I saw the poster. Even if I didn’t know, as a professional and a senior in the industry, I feel a great sense of responsibility for my naivety.”
Meanwhile, The Quiet, considered one of the giants of the Korean hip hop scene, has yet to release any statement. Consequently, his past remarks are being revisited, fueling further criticism.
Last year, while appearing on the YouTube content ‘Shoes Off Podcast’ with Omega Sapien of Balming Tiger and producer Cho Jun-ho, The Quiet shared his thoughts on Rich Iggy.
Omega Sapien mentioned that typical lyrics about money or girlfriends are no longer shocking. He noted that people now seek “new stimuli,” such as Rich Iggy’s lyrics about President Roh Moo-hyun or feminism, the kind of content often found on Ilbe (Ilgan Best Save Storage), which is why he is rising in popularity.
To this, The Quiet responded, “It’s always about touching taboos. That’s what hip hop and youth are.” He explained, “I don’t do this work to be loved by everyone. It’s enough if just a few people like it. Instead, those people need to love it intensely. That’s how things can change.”
Rich Iggy has already released several songs with lyrics mocking the late President Roh Moo-hyun. Given that The Quiet made these comments while aware of this, his description of it as simply “hip hop and youth” has caused an uproar. Netizens are now criticizing his current silence as an indirect way of condoning or defending the mockery and hate.
Comments on The Quiet’s social media are pouring in, such as “Is he an Ilbe user or does he just go anywhere if they pay him?”, “Hip hop really isn’t cool. Lee Chanhyuk wins again today”, “Silence instead of an apology, is this hip hop?”, and “If he represents Korean hip hop, he must answer whether immorality and insults truly constitute hip hop.”
