Music Monday: M.I.B

Happy Monday!

This Monday, we’re highlighting M.I.B., not-yet-mainstream K-hiphop group. Comprised of the usual well-dressed hotties, this group dresses in exclusively black and gray tones–true to their name of ‘Men in Black’. Although their videos do have the top-notch cinematography characteristic of most K-pop music videos, they deviate from the norm in a few ways that make them unique.

First, they are a K-hiphop group, so their songs have more prominent rap verses and heavier beats. Second, they focus on their music rather than be weighed down by all the glitz and glam of typical K-pop videos–they are not dancers, and, with the exception of Kangnam, they are also not singers. 5zic (the leader), Cream, and SIMS, the remaining three members, are all rappers. As a result, their singing parts are usually heavily auto-tuned. Third, for a debuting group, they are quite ‘old’. With an average member age of 24, M.I.B. is safe for both older and younger fans to obsess over–recent debut groups, usually in their teens, can only appropriately ever be described as ‘cute’ by older fans like myself.

Their sound can best be described as a fusion of Block B and the good old days of Big Bang. M.I.B.’s repertoire ranges from soulful ballad/intense rap hybrid (Nod Along), R&B/pop/rap fusion (Only Hard For Me) to dance-pop (G.D.M.). While they do have a dedicated following, heavily-rap groups like them have a hard time building up a large fan-base. Their videos generally have fewer than half a million views, which is surprising given their talent, catchy songs, and good looks. I hope they really take off soon and visit NYC sometime. Till then, enjoy them in all their smoldering glory in their latest music video, Dash!