In a way, Artisanship, the following song, can be an illustration of this persistence, in 덥덥이’s (dubdubee) lyrics for instance:

먼 미래만 보며 치니 늘어난 비거리
reloaded 재충전 그딴 건 없지
밑빠진 독 물 부어도 거 덧없지
천천히 그런건 없지 몰아붙이니
금세 닳아버린 건전지
새 취미 갖는 것도 벅차

“Aim for the far future, longer distance

Reloaded, no recharging

Bottomless pit, fleeting

No slomo, I push myself

Worn out battery

Even hobby is too heavy”

덥덥이 (dubdubee) in Artisanship

But persistence is not an easy path, as signified by his last verses:

내겐 구원이 필요해 절박한 나의 절규
Arkestra 그만 보고 나는 걸어
쓸데없는 일 그만 접고 전불 걸어

“Desire for salvation, my desperate cry

Arkestra, I walk with my eyes closed

Fuck useless works, now we bet everything”

덥덥이 (dubdubee) in Artisanship

Persistence can be a lonely path, as one tunes out the world to dedicate themselves to their craft, as pictured in 격’s (Kyuk) lyrics:

8-1번 going home
고립시켜 무인도
골을 식힌 후 tuning on
MIC 켜지면 안 들려 초인종
내 경지 초인종
세 번째 눈의 깜빡임
Arkestra여 내 미랠 보여줘

“8-1 going home, Isolated in a deserted island

Cold head, tuning on

Mic turned on, doorbell, turned off

Me, a transcend human

Third eye blinking

Arkestra, show my future”

격 (Kyuk) in Artisanship

Sonically Artisanship has a menacing side but is also characterized by a quite dystopian vibe that could resonate with this feeling of isolation.

But then again, they are on a mission, as reminded in the song Homo Drumiens featuring NAVY EGO:

그는 신들의 신이야
불은 동북쪽에, 인간은 못 해 진화
신발은 신화, 내 전진은 곧
귀 통해 전해진 그의 점 믿는 것
나를 시 낭독쯤으로 친 자, 조준하고
1마하 근접한 Rhyme 시위 당긴 다음에
심장 관통해, 꺼 신음도
듣고 싶겠냐, 그가 더럽혀지는 꼴

“God of gods

Northeast fire, only human extincts

Mythological shoes, take a step

For my eyes only, his fortune-telling

Never was a poetry reading, I aim’em

Rhymes on bowstring, 1 Mach

Pierce the heart, mute moanings

No tainted voice for the god, fuck’em”

NAVY EGO in Homo Drumiens

Rap is often referred to as Rhythm And Poetry, but here in NAVY EGO’s verse, it’s not poetry anymore, it’s a weapon, a weapon to serve the god, against the “tainted voice”. The term “tainted voice” might be a metaphor for the autotune, or alternatively any rapper who wouldn’t be genuine about Hip-Hop, tainted as in ‘corrupted’.

It seems that it’s what is implied in 격’s (Kyuk) part as well:

fake이라 붙여놓고 real 한척하니
얼마나 같잖냐
쇼프로란 명목,
Arkestra에게 대신 사죄, 난 없어 면목
내가 그 들이라면
fake 스티커를 찔러 같이 할복
내가 꼰대
힙합은 말이지 bla bla bla
사는 방식,
뱀새끼들은 분란을 틈타
목걸이랑 교배
1년마다 교대
발전이 없는 놈들 올해 잘 버텼네 용케

“Put a fake mark on, pretend to be real

Fucked up, titular show program

Apologize for Arkestra, can’t face him

Will rip my fake mark and stomach, If I were

Them

Stick in the mud,

HipHop is like bla bla blab la

Way of living

Snakes fuck with chains, under disorder

Take turns, annually

No progressions, they survived luckily”

격 (Kyuk) in Homo Drumiens

I might be overreaching, but those lyrics might be interpreted as a diss toward Show Me The Money (SMTM), with the “titular show program”, the reference to the chain, or the “Take turns, annually”, as in: rappers taking turns on the show every year.

This would somewhat resonate with a common criticism of SMTM and how the same popular rappers would attend the competition again and again. But then again, I might be wrong.

That being said, in Homo Drumiens they assert once again their dedication to Arkestra, especially in 덥덥이’s (dubdubee) lyrics:

Arkestra 너에게 유일한 선택
Arkestra 섬겨야 하는 존재
Arkestra 그에게 바치는 고해

“Arkestra, only god for you

Arkestra, only god to serve

Arkestra, a confession for him”

덥덥이 (dubdubee) in Homo Drumiens

Even describing themselves as “3-headed Cerberus” with NAVY EGO.

IV/. In the Depth of the Cave | The Temptation of Success

But there is a but. As much as they are on a mission, the three next songs are a painful reminder that life can be tough sometimes. 격’s (Kyuk) emphasized this point sternly in Memoir:

세상은 나 없이도 참 변화무쌍하게
변한다는걸 알기에
나 역시도 변하는 사람이었지
돌이켜보니 세상은 혹독하게
그걸 원한듯 하다
인간이라 함은 어떻게든 살고
지옥에서도 희노애락을 찾아 적응하지

“The whole world changes, even without me

I also changed

Looking back, the world wanted it harshly

Humans, live somehow

Adapt with joys and sorrows, even in hell”

격 (Kyuk) in Memoir

More often than not, you have no other choice but to adapt, not everything is under your control. This is not a new concept in the album though. This idea of having to face things slipping out of your control is actually noticeable in previous songs, and especially in 덥덥이’s (dubdubee) Artisanship lyrics mentioned earlier. Sound-wise, this could also be a reason for the discordant vibe of Homo Drumiens and how the piano takes a dramatic turn.

In comparison, Memoir is sonically more tamed, with a vintage patina that could be reminiscent of some sort of recollection. In a way, Memoir can feel like a life review, an assessment of how things went, we saw that on 격’s (Kyuk) part but it’s also the case for 덥덥이’s (dubdubee) lyrics:

난공불락의 요새 성공이란 존재
늘 숭배 해왔지만 이젠 보내야 할 듯해
목 노아 울어도 넘지 못하는 경계
롤렉스는커녕 대출 빚 갚기에 급급해
내 선택 언제나 옳았다고 믿고 해왔건만
이젠 보내야 할 듯해 샴페인 든 축배
사지에 몰린 두려움은 사질 뜯긴 듯한 고통
아이 같던 내 순수함은 아쉽게도 종료

“Impregnable fortress, the name of success

Was a word to worship, now it’s time to let go

Crying out, still below the threshold

Everyday paying off for loans, no Rolex dreams

My choices, always believed they were right

Now it’s time to let go, toast with champagne

Fear of death, limb-tearing pain

My pure heart stopped beating, no more

Childness”

덥덥이 (dubdubee) in Memoir

Those verses are hitting quite hard. Disillusionment of success. Sobering reality.

Pursuing music was the right choice, but even though it felt right, still the tough reality is that there was no guarantee of success.

So what to do? Well, you can only leave it to superior forces.

난 진심으로 이제 뭘 해야 될지 모르겠어
그저 신에게 빌어 기회를
한 번만 더 주기를 빌어
이 지겨운 사이클 나로 인해 비롯됐어
인정해 거 그러니 회생의
기회를 한 번만 더 주기를 빌어
한 번만 원해 기적
한 번만 원해 기적
더 바라지도 않아
한 번만 줘라 기적
한 번만 주기를 기적

“Don’t know what to do now

Just pray to god, for one more chance

This blinking cycle, all my fault

I admit everything, give me one last chance

Only one miracle

Only one miracle

Nothing more

Only one miracle

Only one miracle”

덥덥이 (dubdubee) in Memoir

Paradoxically, 덥덥이’s (dubdubee) first verse on Purgatory, the next song, can convey a contradictory spirit depending on how you interpret it.

운이란 말은 나와는 상관없는 말이었지
난 감이 없지 그저
장신정신 태도로 한걸음

“The word luck has nothing to do with me

No instinct, takes a step with craftsmanship”

덥덥이 (dubdubee) in Purgatory

There is no such thing as a miracle, instinct, or luck, it’s all about craftsmanship. Or, conversely, does it mean that he has no luck?

It’s tough to say, especially with verses such as:

여전히 고파 배
나 랩다운 랩
하고픈게 전부였네

“Still hungry

All I wanted was nice bars”

덥덥이 (dubdubee) in Purgatory

Or even more striking:

믿음 지워 그저 지독히도
고독한 싸움일 뿐
무명의 시선
100명 중 한명일 뿐 scene stealer
인기척 없는 내 타임라인 진취적
발상을 할 수 없는 이 구조 안에
날 단 한번만 구할 수 있다면
나 뭐든 할게
Arkestra 제발 나를 거부하지 말길

“Erase the faith, a lonely fight

Unkown’s gaze

Only one 100, scene stealer

My unpopular timeline

No enterprising ideas in this system

Willing to do anything, for a single rescue

Arkestra, please take my hand

Once is enough, please don’t leave me”

덥덥이 (dubdubee) in Purgatory

And maybe this dichotomy is on purpose. The title of the track is Purgatory after all.

In a way, the end of 격’s (Kyuk) part resonates with 덥덥이’s (dubdubee) lyrics in Memoir, and the question of the ‘choice’.

제일선에 섰네 마치 제1중대 제1소대
최선의 선택
이건 어떤 신념 때문만이 아닌
단지 살아남기 위한 최선의 최선책
Arkestra
과거가 아닌 내일을 보네
이 앨범에서 베일을 벗네

“Standing on the front line, like the 1^st platoon

Of the 1^st company

The best choice

More than a belief

The best best choice to survive

Arkestra

See tomorrow not the past

Unveiled”

격 (Kyuk) in Purgatory

Pursuing Hip-Hop was indeed the right choice, but was it even a choice in the first place? Hip-Hop seems to be as essential as breathing here, so can we talk about a choice when your survival depends on it?

It’s a dead-end, success appears to be unreachable, but survival depends on Hip-Hop and so we reach a peak in the evolution of the album. As 격’s (Kyuk) voice resonates, you slowly start to hear the drum, morphing into a drum roll that progressively gains intensity, like a rumbling. 

Then starts Visualization featuring IGNITO, it’s thunderous. 격’s (Kyuk) delivery is almost frenetic, and as assertive as he was in his previous verse, here you have again this idea of shattered hope for success.

그럼에도 불구하고
자본에 휩쓸리지 않는 내 위신
섰지 물구나무 그 모습은 귀신
전설이 되지 못한채 누구라도
잡아먹을듯한 지독한 악령
생을 살적 랩에 미친

“Nevertheless

My prestige, never get swept up, fuck the

Capital

Stand on my hands, like a ghost

Not becoming a legend

An evil spirit, willing to prey everyone

Life of a Rap maniac”

격 (Kyuk) in Visualization

As for 덥덥이’s (dubdubee), well those are his final lyrics on Visualization:

나도 내가 아직 준비 안된거 알아
그래도 혹시나 만약이란
말 때문에 붙잡고 간다
서른 줄 넘으니 시들어가는 내 안의 야망
등가교환했지 육체의
안식과 영혼의 가난
이건 사는게 아니라고 다그쳐
아무도 날 주목하지 않아도 몸 가누어
Arkestra 그에게 이 한 몸 바쳐
피로 물들은 내 영광의 상처

“I know I’m not ready yet

But holds “maybe, if” as a rope

Withering ambitions, being over thirty

Equalized comfortable life and poverty of soul

Shouting out, this is not living

Control myself, even if no one pays attention

Arkestra, I dedicated myself

Wounds of my glory, stained with blood”

덥덥이 (dubdubee) in Visualization

It’s on those powerful words that this album could end, but then IGNITO’s verse brings a whole new shift to the project.

IGNITO’s verse almost looks like a direct reply to 격 (Kyuk) & 덥덥이’s (dubdubee) lyrics.

불같던 호기심 또는
열정과의 싸움에서 못 이긴
도전의 결과는 보통
손익이 따른 굴복이지
어떤 게 성공인지는 최후에 논할 몫이니
이건 초입 길에서는
볼 필요 없는 충고이길
예술이 길다면 삶 또한 길지
누구도 없는 지루함만이
동행하는 고빗길
거듭 유혹하듯 밖으로
뻗어나간 출구의 빛이

“Challenges beaten by fiery curiosity or passion

Often results in surrender with profits and

Losses

Debating for success, the last part

I hope this is unnecessary advice at the

Beginning

If art is long, life is long

A steep road, boredom is the only companion

Repeated temptation by the exit sign light”

IGNITO in Visualization

If by challenges we take the example of Hip-Hop, it seems that IGNITO is explaining that when someone is pursuing rap originally by curiosity, or passion, there are often two main outcomes.

1. The artist surrenders by quitting Hip-Hop.
2. The artist surrenders by corrupting their artistic vision, in order to make a living from Hip-Hop.

So while they still technically do Hip-Hop, it can be interpreted as a form of surrender because they gave in to trends and so on.

When he says that he hopes the advice about the debate for success to be unnecessary in the beginning. He probably means that when you start Hip-Hop, it should be because you’re genuinely passionate about Hip-Hop, and not solely because you hope to be successful through Hip-Hop.

This fact is important, because Hip-Hop is art, and just like any art, it’s a lifelong lesson. You never stop to learn, to experiment, and to improve your craft, hence to me the verse ‘If art is long, life is long’.

This also means that just like life, art is not a linear process. Sometimes artists are struggling creatively wise, and it’s fundamentally part of the journey. The road of art is not easy and not meant to be easy. It just is. 

But because this journey dedicated to art can be tough, one can be tempted to take the easy way out by giving in to the idea of success. Maybe it’s what he means by “Repeated temptation by the exit sign light”.

The idea of success is a temptation because it can be a relief from things such as doubts, a temptation that can lead an artist to abandon their art. If we keep the parallel to religious imagery, success could be compared to the golden calf.

IGNITO thus recommends artists to free themselves from it.

Arkestra 내 손에 결실을 쥐여줘
이 분노를 거두고 담담히
견뎌낼 수 있도록

“Arkestra, put the fruit in my hand

So that I can reap this anger and endure it

Calmly”

IGNITO in Visualization

This verse might be an analogy to the Forbidden Fruit, the Fruit of Knowledge. In some Philosophical movements, the act of eating the forbidden fruit is actually interpreted as an act of liberation, an act of self-actualization, of free will.

However, this reasoning brings us up to one of the first questions raised in this commentary: what is Arkestra?

In the Book of Genesis, it is stated that Eve was tempted by a Snake. This Snake would be Satan, and eating the fruit means defying God.

Complementary to this, at the end of Artisanship MV, you can see the words “Arkestra is dead” on a black screen which is not without reminding Nietzsche’s famous statement “God is dead” (Gott ist tot).