Music Monday | Heo Won Hyuk — Meu Tempo (Feat. BIBI & Simon Dominic) (Prod. By GRAY)

Hello my BAYOG lovelies!~ It’s Monday! Y’all know it’s time for another Music Monday post! Again, I’m going with songs with fit a summer sound and/vibe~ Today’s song is “Meu Tempo” by Heo Won Hyuk and featuring BIBI and Simon Dominic. The song itself doesn’t really have anything to do with summer. However, it’s a catchy track with a Brazilian flare and sound that fits the sounds and vibes of summer~

Heo Won Hyuk (허원혁), also known as Bruno Heo, was a contestant on High School Rapper 4 (고등래퍼4). High School Rapper is a South Korean survival hip-hop show. It’s basically a high school student counterpart of Show Me the Money and Unpretty Rapstar. He was on team SiCo under Simon Dominic and Loco, two of my favorite well-known rappers. Honestly, I don’t much about him. All I know is he’s from Brazil. He left Brazil to follow his dream in Korea. Honestly, I don’t really watch any of the survival hip-hop shows. However, I did sit through most of season 4 episode 8 for this post haha. Anyway, he lived in Brazil with his mom. He went through some difficult and dangerous times in Brazil. It was his older brother in Korea who pushed him to audition for High School Rapper 4. Their relationship seemed pretty sweet. Heo Won Hyuk seems like a sweet kid who just wants to follow his dreams and make friends. He seemed happy just to live his dream and have these experiences. So good for him. Plus, for a high school kid… I think he’s a really talented rapper and performer.

Simon Dominic, previously also known as Simon D, was a member of rap duo [Supreme Team] with E-Sens. He continued as a solo artist after Supreme Team’s disbandment in 2013. He then departed from his label Amoeba Culture, the independent hip-hop label established by Dynamic Duo. In March 2014, he announced that he joined [Jay Park’s AOMG] as co-CEO. In 2018 he resigned as co-CEO. However, was remaining as an artist under AOMG. He also appeared as a judge and producer on Show Me the Money 5. He was also a producer and judge on High School Rapper 4 with LOCO, another one of my favorite Korean rappers. My most favorite track from Simon Dominic would be [“Won & Only (₩ & Only) (Feat. Jay Park)”]. It was produced by GRAY, one of my favorite producers and artists. The music video also featured a cameo of Tablo of Epik High with his daughter Haru. My other favorite Simon Dominic tracks would be [“Party Forever”] and [“밤이 되면 (Feat. LOCO)“] As a bonus, I recommend checking out the [CYPHER] performance from the 2012 SBS Gayo Daejun. It had Dynamic Duo, Simon D, and Epik High.

BIBI (비비) is one of my favorite more current female vocalists and K-R&B artists. She started off as a self-produced SoundCloud artist under the name Nakedbibi. She was signed under Feel Ghood Music in 2017 after Yoon Mi Rae discovered her songs on SoundCloud. Feel Ghood Music is a label by Tiger JK (aka Drunken Tiger), a very well known rapper and name in Korean hip-hop. Yoon Mi Rae (aka Tasha Yoon Mi Rae and Tasha Reid) is Korean-American rapper and R&B vocalist, as well as Tiger JK’s wife. Y’all can think of them like the Korean Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Both are considered legends and important figures in Korean hip-hop and R&B. BIBI was a [contestant on the show The Fan], and finished in second place. She made her debut in May 2019 with [“BINU (Soap)”]. I love BIBI’s vocals, but also that she uses a variety of genres in her music from R&B, soul, hip-hop, and ballads. Also, she’s super quirky and out of the box. I also just like that you can tell that she genuinely loves music and is really into it. My recommended tracks would be [“Restless(신경쓰여) (LISTEN 035)“] for something chill, and [“사장님 도박은 재미로 하셔야 합니다 (KAZINO)”] if you wanna get turnt. I also liked Min Kyung Hoon x Kim Heechul (Super Junior)’s [“한량 (Hanryang) (feat. 비비(BIBI)) (prod.딘딘)”], which is a hip-hop track with a traditional flair to it. If you wanna get another look at BIBI’s music, vocals, and her quirkiness…check out her peformance on [Dingo Killing Voice]. BIBI is also just really funny and down to earth, I recommend this clip of her on [Kangnam’s show].

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“Meu Tempo” is a track that Heo Won Hyuk performed for the semifinal of High School Rapper 4. Again, Heo Won Hyuk is from Brazil. “Meu Tempo” is Portuguese for “My Time”. The process in creating the track, and the performance appeared in episode 8. The track features BIBI’s vocals and Simon Dominic as well. Apparently, Simon Dominic originally had an chance to work with BIBI for one of his own tracks. However, he decided to pass that opportunity to Heo Won Hyuk instead. Won Hyuk said he wanted to share his difficult times in Brazil and his experiences living his dream in Korea. He also wanted to bring a bit of Brazilian flair to his performance. After all, his time in Brazil sets him apart, and is something only he could do. So Simon Dominic and Loco figured the right person to help them out with producing the beat would be none other than GRAY. Again, I freakin’ love GRAY. The guy makes such amazing beats and tracks. The result is a really fun and catchy track with a cheerful melody. I’m not sure if I’m describing it right, but it has a bit of that samba or moombahton (?) and dancehall (?) sound and feel. Either way, it has that Brazilian flair that Won Hyuk wanted to show. The lyrics are about Won Hyuk’s hardships in Brazil, to his experience of pursuing and living his dream in Korea. His dad wasn’t around as he already had another family. Brazil was also just dangerous, and Won Hyuk even experienced a bullet going through his house. However, he’s now in Korea pursuing his dream. He raps about how he’s been working hard and how his experience has been like a dream. It’s honestly sweet. I feel like the kid really did enjoy himself and appreciated everything. The lyrics also featured some Portuguese here and there~ Unfortunately, Won Hyuk did not advance to the finals with this track and performance. He ended up being eliminated. It’s alright though. He had a fun experience, plus…the track is still fire~ I listen to it on repeat all the time~ It’s just a fun track with a really catchy melody. It just makes me happy and wanna dance~

You can check out “Meu Tempo” and the other tacks from part 1 of the High School Rapper 4 Semi Final on Spotify, here:

You can check out “Meu Tempo” on YouTube, here:

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Lyrics & Performance

I’ll actually skip out on posting the full translations this time. You can check out the full translations from [Genius]. The videos also have translations in the captions. Anyway… once again, the lyrics are about the hardships he faced in Brazil. From the dangerous situations like stray bullets, not having enough money, and not having his dad around. It seems to start of kind of dark. However, the second half shows his hope and passion. He’s from Brazil, and feels like a stranger in this unfamiliar place. However, his life has changed since he’s appeared on the show. He’s working hard, facing new experiences, meeting new people, and making new friends. He’s gained alot during this time. It’s like a dream, and he feels like it’s his time. I think it’s great that he’s telling his story. I also love that you can tell that he’s really thankful and genuinely enjoying himself. He’s a young kid with a bright future ahead of him. Plus, again, this track is freakin’ fire~

Also, I recommend checking the performance with the commentary and reactions. It’s so great to see how supportive everyone is, and to see them all super into the track. Not only that, but you get a bit more of that the choreo looks like fun haha~ You can see Won Hyuk dance and enjoy himself too~ I think it’s also super wholesome and cute to see how proud Loco and Simon Dominic looked throughout the performance. I also died when everyone freaked the fuck out when BIBI came out. They fanboyed hella hard haha. The best part though is that BIBI surprised Won Hyuk with a kiss on his head at the end of the performance. Not only was Won Hyuk surprised and just gushing, but everyone was screaming and so jealous. His friends were also supportive and happy for him haha. It was really funny and cute~

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Anyway, that’s all for today’s Music Monday post~ I hope y’all enjoyed this track~ I feel like these tracks with Latin sounds and vibes go so well with summer haha~ They’re definitely fun to vibe and dance to. I have to say that this is probably one of my favorite K-Hip Hop tracks for this year too~ Simon Dominic, GRAY, and BIBI? YESSSS~ I absolutely love it. I also just love that Won Hyuk got to share his story, hopefulness, and gratefulness to his new friends and experiences. Good for him, and good luck to him in living his dream~ Anyway, what’s on your summer playlist? Got any recommendations? Let me know in the comments or my socials!~ Also be sure to check out the full [BAYOG Summer Vibes playlist] for more tracks from my summer playlist~ Take care, stay safe, and enjoy your summer so far~

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Stay safe and healthy out there, y’all.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

AS A GROUP OF BIPOC, BAYOG strongly stands with Black Lives Matter. We are all too familiar with the racism that we, our friends, and family have faced on a daily basis. Every life is precious. However, as BIPOC, we also recognize that black people are a group of people that face extreme racism and at a higher risk for their safety. We’ve individually done several donations. Of course, donations to support the cause and support change isn’t the only thing needed. Support for the cause and change also requires conversation and understanding. Make sure to have those conversations. Please remember to be an active supporter, be it through donations, sharing information, and/or conversations and speaking up.

If you can, please consider donating. I’ve donated more than once as well. For one of my donations, I donated through the BTS ARMY x BLM project. I recommend that if you’re unsure of where to donate. This is because the donation will be split amongst several different non-profit organizations. Of course, you can also choose a specific organization(s) if you wish as well. You can find that [HERE].

You can also check out the following:

• http://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
• http://blackliveswillalwaysmatter.carrd.co
• http://saytheirnames.carrd.co

STOP ASIAN HATE

As an Asian-American, racism, xenophobia, and hate crimes against AAPI isn’t new. It’s always been around. Unfortunately, misinformation and the pandemic has caused an insane surge in racism and xenophobia. There has also been an insane rise in hate crimes. More recently, we’re seeing a surge of hate crimes against the Asian elderly. Particularly in the California and New York areas. Some cases even leading to injuries and even death. The sad thing is that many cases do not get alot of attention, or are just looked passed. It breaks my heart and is cause for concern since it affects our community. Since some of the BAYOG Crew (including myself) are Asian-Americans ourselves, I wanted to use our small platform to help in anyway. Hate, racism, and xenophobia is an ugly thing. We’re friends, in the same community, and against the same social injustices. So be kind and let’s fight these things together.

You can also check the following for more information, ways to help, & to donate:

• http://hateisavirus.org
• https://gofundme.com/AAPI
• http://advancingjustice-aajc.org
• [Donate to Different Organizations to Support AAPI Communities]
• https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co
• https://stopasianhate.carrd.co/

Please report hate crimes at Stop AAPI Hate:

• http://stopaapihate.org

Volunteer
You can see if your community has a volunteer chaperone or neighborhood watch/patrol program.
Some examples:

• Compassion in Oakland @ Oakland, California| http://compassioninoakland.org
• Safe Walks @ NYC, New York| https://safewalx.com/en/welcome
• Guardian Angels| http://guardianangels.org/volunteer
  They’re well known patrol volunteers in NYC, but they do have other branches too.

Volunteer at any other organizations that provide assistance to Asian-Americans; Particularly the elderly.
Some examples:

• Heart of Dinner @ NYC, New York| https://www.heartofdinner.org/
  An organization that supports local businesses and provides meals and care packages to the Asian elderly in NYC.