OK, so I'm not sure if Dumbfoundead's music counts as Korean hip hop as technically he raps in English, but he's an awesome Korean-American rapper and I have no choice but to share his greatness.
I've been a massive fan of Dumbfoundead since I heard 'Clouds' which features Jay Park and Clara C. I love way he doesn't just rap about nonsense and his flow is pretty darn good. I absolutely adore this song. It oozes positive vibes and it was my motivational song during my exam period. Plus all 3 artists work brilliantly together.
After I heard 'Clouds' I started to look into Dumbfoundead's music and I found that he had free mixtapes on his website. [Oh, here's the point where I warn you that his songs do contain explicit lyrics~]
Some of my favourite Dumbfoundead tracks are 'BRB' and 'Pushin'. Check them out below:
Dumfoundead - BRB (feat. Andrew Garcia)
Dumbfoundead - Pushin'
If you're bopping your head to these songs, check out his new song 'Cool and Calm':
Although the songs are rather, erm, r-rated, there is no denying Dumbfoundead's exceptional rapping. The xelophone playing in the back (I'm not very good with instuments but I think it's a xelophone) sounds so good. As expected Dumbdoundeads witty lyrics add even more essence to this song. I'll definitely be adding this to my iPod. ^^
To download the following songs or any other Dumbfoundead songs for free, head on over to his website by clicking here.
Earlier this week I watched the The Legend Of The Shadowless Sword (무영검), a Korean historic action movie that is set around 926. It tells the story of how the royal family of Balhae are assassinated by Killer Blade Army.
If all of the royal family are killed, who will rule Balhae?
Fortunately, here was an exiled prince called Jung-hyun who will have to take the throne. But where is he and will he want to rule the land?
This is where the great female warrior So-ha comes into play. It is her duty to ensure the prince is safe and returns to Balhae to prince order to the land. Will she succeed?
Check out the exciting action-packed trailer below:
Liking it? If so you can either watch it yourself or carry on reading, but beware, I'll include spoilers.
The movie begins with a gory fight scene between the royal guards and the killer blade army. At times I had to term away when heads were flying off and blood was splatting everywhere. The leader of the Killer Blade Army, Hwa-pyung, enters the princes room as the prince slowly raises from his seat and pulls out his sword as the two fight. Unfortunately, the prince dies which leaves Balhae, the land her ruled over, with no leader.
But little do the people of the land know, there is another prince alive who had been exiled from Balhae. So-ha, a fearless warrior is sent out to find the exiled prince Jung-hyun and bring him back safely to Balhae.
So-ha searches a town where she is told the Jung-hyun lives. She finds him and explains how the rest of the family is dead and he is the next heir to the throne. He doesn't trust her, so he asks to walk outside with him where a group of scary man attempt to ambush her while Jung-hyun escape. But they have underestimated her skills and she single-handely takes them all down and then runs to find Jung-hyun again.
She successfully finds him but he refuses to go back to Balhae saying his only wish is to survive before setting off a smoke bomb and running away. This time Jung-hyun runs into the Killer Blade Army and the Golden Bow Army, who also want to capture him.
The leader of the Golden Bow Army threatens Jong-hyun
There is another violent fight scene and luckily So-ha comes to the rescue, saving him from the sticky situation. Jong-hyun then agrees to follow her to Balhae relunctantly but he makes several attempts of escaping which leave So-ra cleaning up the mess.
After several dangerous encounters with the Royal Blade Army and many bloody fight scenes, So-ra is injured in battle. Initially, she tried to act like she's not hurt but there comes a point where as her and Jung-hyun are walking through the woods to her masters house, she collapses. It appears she has been poisoned by the enemy and Jong-hyun seems distraught as he does not know whether she will die.
Luckily, she recovers the next day with the help of her master. They soon learn that the Killer Blade Army are approaching so they must hurry to Balhae. Again there are a couple more fight scenes until eventually there is a battle between Jonghyun and Soha versus Hwa-pyun, the leader of the Killer Blade Army and Mae, a female assassin who is in love with Haw-pyun.
The cat fight between Soha and Mae
The intense battle between Hawpyun and prince Jonghyun
The fight scene is pretty long with various special effect and exaggerated fly kicks, which is rather amusing, until So-ha tries to stab Hwapyun but Mae runs in the way so is injured in the conflict leaving Hwapyun unharmed. Hwapyun ruthlessly stabs Mae to attack Soha which leaves Soha fighting for her life. Upon seeing this Jong-hyun furiously begins fighting with Hwapyun. In the end Hwa-pyun dies from a severe blow by Junghyun.
Suddendly the Golden Bow Army appear and at that very moment the Royal Army also appear and a great battle takes place. Junghyun then immediately runs to So-ha and craddles her in him arms. So-ha whispers her last words as the battle comes to an end and the Royal Army are victorious.
The scene goes a few years ahead with Jonghyun and his army preparing for their next battle as Jonghyun yells 'charge' as the movie ends.
Rating: Overall I'd give this movie 8/10
What I liked: The story life and random funny scenes
What I didn't like: The fake action scenes, although they were humourous which I don't think they were meant to be, there was a bit too much flying about
Overall: I'd definitely recommend you guys to watch this movie~! ^^
After waiting for so long, Big Bang have finally satisfied VIPs appetite by releasing their latest album 'Alive. As we are all die hard VIPs, we cannot express how excited we are. We are currently listenig to the songs so we'll definitely write a review after we're done.
But that's not all. To please fans further, Big Bang's new music video to Bad Boy was also released. *Fan girl scream* They all look mighty fine in the video.. I love the way they're dancing in this video especially Taeyang. In the video there are 5 female leads, as a pose to just one, which is a nice change.
The song has an old school vibe to it which draws me to it. I'm guessing this will be another hit~!
As promised, I'm going to write about how my first day at the K-Pop Academy was. =)
Class started at 2pm and luckily I arrived on time. As I entered the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC), I was asked for my name and told I had to take a registration picture. I had to hold a sign saying K-Pop Academy on it. I felt like I was taking a criminal mug shot. Haha~..
Lots of students had already arrived and getting to know each other which made me positive that we'd all have an awesome time. I was given a rucksack with Korean snacks and a K-Pop calender. Thanks KCC.
K-Pop Academy rucksack
All the Korean snacks in the rucksack
We were then taken to the lecture room where we were given a brief introduction to the course, before we all gave short presentations about ourselves. It was awesome to hear how people found out about K-Pop and who their favourite bands were. Even though I adore almost every K-Pop group out there, as 2pm are my ultimate favourites I was looking out for fellow Hottest. Lol..
After a short break we were then given a lecture about Korean history and how it became the South Korea we now know and love. It was pretty intense learning 500,000 years worth of history in just one hour but it was extremely interesting none the less. I learnt a lot about the various dynasties that I had wanted to know for a long time which was great.
Also, we were set homework which was to watch a movie or drama about it and then review about it by either a blog post or vlog etc. Hmm, I might attempt to do a vlog for the first time ever but I'm kind of worried I'll suck at it. But there's nothing wrong with trying eh?
Class picture
Credits: KCCUK
Following this, we were then given a tour of the 'A New Space Around The Body' exhibition in the KCC. I had already been given a tour of it on Wednesday during my Korean class but this time it was given in English rather than Korean so I understood it a lot better this time round.
Then to celebrate the end of our first class together, a few of us went to eat at Seoul Bakery. Ddeokbboki and kimbap. Yum yum. A great way to end the day.
Honestly I haven't paid much attention to John Park's songs since he's debuted but I saw that he was second on the Naver music charts so I decided to check it out. Since he's songs are pretty popular, it was about time I listen to his song 'Falling'.
The music video is amazing. It's so unique and I'm glad it's not a typical video. It goes so well with the song. The song is so soothing and relaxing. It reminds me of a Coldplay song with the slight indie vibe. His voice is gorgeous and it's almost as if he doesn't have to try. I'm glad I finally bothered to check out his song~..
A much as we love K-Pop, it's not the only genre of Korean music we listen to. We like our fair share of ballad songs so I looked at the Naver music charts to see what was hot.
In first place it was miss A's 'Touch' which we also adore too. The second song on the chart was 김범수 (Kim BumSoo) - 애인 있어요 (I Have A Lover). I searched for the song on YouTube and it turns out it is a cover of 이은미 (Lee EunMi) - 애인 있어요 (I Have A Lover). I remember hearing the song several years ago as, several K-Pop idols covered the song so I was intrigued to hear Kim BumSoo's cover. After I heard his cover, I understood why it is such a popular song. It is a difficult song to perfect but his voice completements the song so well. Check it the MV below:
Kim BumSoo - I Have A Lover
You can also check out the origanal version of the song below:
Big Bang have just released their logn awaited new single 'Blue'. Although we are used to Big Bang releasing fast paced dance song this song is a contrast as it has more of a mellow indie feel. This song was written by G.Dragon and Teddy (YG producer & former 1TYM (원타임) member).
What do you guys think? Check out their MV below.
Big Bang will be releasing their MV's for Love Dust, Bad Boy, Ain't No Fun and Fantastic Boy during this week.
Love Dust MV released on 24th February
Bad Boy MV released on 25th February
Ain't No Fun MV released on 26th February
Fantastic Boy MV released on 27th February
Big Bang will release their new mini album on the 29th of February 2012, keep a look out on our blog to see our review on their new mini album 'Alive'
We've been having a lot of trouble trying to find the Korean glasses we see in dramas and cute covers for our phones until we came across this fantasitic new e-shop called Korea Hallyu. We have been hooked on this website since we found our about it and we just had to share it with you guys.
Korean Hallyu is an amazing new site which offers a whole range of Korean goods, from adorable accessories and clothes to beautiful traditional Korean products. Due to the affordability of the latest products, they selling like hot cakes. Plus, if that's not enough to tempt you to visit you, there is free shipping to anywhere in the world which is great because as we live in the UK we don't have to pay a hefty shipping fee.
So which products are are Sisters With Seoul in love with?
We cannot get over how cute this phone cover is. At only $21.59 (£13.68), this is just brilliant. Where else can you find such a pretty phone cover? They even offer it in different colours so you can pick the colour that suits you.
We'll definitely be adding that to the cart.
Another item that we fell in love is the 2PM socks.
What a perfect way to keep our toes toasty during winter and look trendy at the same time. All 6 pairs for $22.99 (£14.50), now that's what I call a bargain.
Not only do they often 2PM socks, you can also get other K-Pop idol socks such as 2NE1, Big Bang, SHINee and much much more.
All the products are amazing so we can't stop clicking the 'Add to Cart' button. Check out Korea Hallyu by click on this link. And don't forget to 'like' them on Facebook by clicking here.
And to all our avid readers, there's a little something in it for you too. Use the promotional code 'sisterswithseoul' to get 10% off your shopping cart. That's right, 10% off. How amazing is that.
We'll keep you posted in the near future on other products that we just can't get enough of.
South Korean girl group members Yoona, Tiffany and Seohyun were invited to the Burberry Prorsum 2012 London Fashion Week show. They were all wearing outfits from Burberry Prorsum's Spring/Summer 2012 collection.
Big Bang have released new pictures of the new concept for the new mini album 'Alive'.
Some of the members can be seem with dramatic hairstyles, T.O.P has opted for bright candy floss blue hair and Daesung has also shocked fans with his new bleach blonde hair.
The picture give me a feeling of an icey, cold and futuristic look. The concept is abit mixed and something new which hasn't been seen in Korean music industry before. Seeing as it's something new this gives an anticipated and excited feeling to V.I.P's, were all looking forward to what the boys have install for us this time they never fail to impress their fans.
Sisters with Seoul are fans are huge fans of Nam Pyo'sartwork, especially Reshma as she is a Graphic Designer. It's great to see Kim Nam Pyo getting more recognition for his amazing artwork, we look forward to see more of his artwork in the future.
American Hip-Hop artist Swiss Beats has recently shown his interest in the Kim Nam Pyo's work.
On the 19th of February he uploaded a picture on his Instagram with a picture of himself standing beside one of Nam Pyo's artwork.
Swiss Beats has also been tweeting about Korean music artists such as 2NE1, Kara and Big Bang. He has commented that he would like to see possible collaborations between 2NE1 and Rhianna. This just shows us how quickly the Hallyu Wave has spread globally. In the future we might just see some possible collaborations between our favorite Hip-Hop, RnB artist aswell as our favorite KPop artists.
After waiting for what felt like forever, miss A have finally released their 4th mini-album titled 'Touch'. With a sexy new concept, we're excited to see what ths songs on the album are like.
The title song on the album is called 'Touch'. The video is both sexy and dark. The first thing that caught my eye was the choreography, which is rather unique. Initially I wasn't sure what to make of the song. But after listening to it the third time, it started to grow on me within the space of 15 minutes. You can hear the sadness in their voice even though the song is rather upbeat.
miss A - Lips
I could imagine this song being played in a club and raving to it. It sounds like a great song to dance to and I can imagine JYP giving them come awesome choreography to go with the song. The song has an interesting use of different instruments with make it catchy and energetic.
miss A - Rock and Rule
I actually expected this song to sound rather rock-ish so I was surprised when it was a pop song. The song doesn't sound too bad.
miss A - No Mercy
I've only heard this song once and it's got a pop-rock feel to it and I already feel like I know the rythm of the song.
miss A - Over U
I can't really find a genre which this song fits into. It sounds to me like a song a very Western song, apart from that fact that it is sung in Korea with a random splatter of English words. Lol.
I expected an awesome album by miss A and that is exactly what I got. I love the way miss A play with diferent genres of music and experiment with different styles. It makes me like the album a lot more as there is a variety of songs to suit my mood.
On Friday, the Korean Cultural Centre UK released the names of the 30 successful applicants for the K-Pop Academy. With the spread of Korean media, the Hallyu wave, the K-Pop academy is a brilliant way in which students can learn more about the Korean culture and other Korean entertainment.
The K-Pop academy will run for 12 weeks with an exciting sylabus which ranges from making a delicious Korean dish to fan meeting with a star. How exciting.
Luckily one of the Sister With Seoul, Tamanna, were successful in confirming a place so she'll be sure to keep you all posted on what she gets up to.Her first lesson will be this Saturday and she can't wait.
To check if you're one of the lucky 30 who were chosen, check on the here.
Be sure to hear how the session goes this Saturday.
Sorry about the lack of posts, we've been really busy lately so I haven't had the chance to post but we'll be flooding the blog with posts this week.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been addicted to Miryo's solo album 'MIRYO aka JOHONEY' and if you've had a listen to it you'll know who. Miryo is the rappy in Brown Eyed Girl and she has always been rated highly for her rapid and fluid rapping.
Miryo - Dirty
When I first watched the video I watched it with no sound so I thought the song would be quite a sad song that would sound a little eerie so I was pleasantly surprised when it was the opposite. This upbeat song is so catchy.
Miryo feat. Gary & The KOXX
'Party Rock' features Leessang's Gary and The KOXX. I absolutely love
Leessang so I was expecting a lot from this song and it lived up to my
expectations. I find myself dancing to this song all the time and I even set it as my ringtone. Haha~
Miryo feat. Sunny - I Love You, I Love You
A contrast from the other fast paced songs on this album, this song is mellow and soothing. Miryo's exceptional rapping complements Sunny's voice perfectly.
Miryo feat. Rude Paper - Revenger
Honeslty this is another amazing song on Miryo's album. Miryo's expressed a lot of emotion from her rapping which I really like. As well as this this, it has a bit of dubset which makes this song perfect for dancing to.
Miryo feat. Narsha - Leggo
This is the last track on the album and it is the cherry on top. Narsha is another member of Brown Eyed Girls. This second verse is my favourite.
All in all, this album is just pure perfection. To be totally honest, I cannot find fault in any of the songs on the album. I've played the whole album on repeat since it was released so I'd definitely recommend it to you guys~. ^^
