High School Rapper VietSub (High School Rapper Vietsub) is a 2017 Korean survival hip hop television program. It aired on Mnet starting from February 10, 2017 and was hosted by Jeong Jun-ha and Haha. In March 2017, Mnet confirmed that the show would have a second season.
Preliminary Round - Event
The preliminary round aired from episode 1 to episode 3. High school students from six regions participated in the audition round. Only ten students survived from each region.
Controversy over participants' personalities: Controversy arose from the very first episode regarding the participants' personalities. Jang Yong-jun became the center of the controversy. Jang Yong-jun received praise from the mentors for his exceptional rap skills, especially from Swings in episode 1. However, the next day, news about his inappropriate behavior as a student (prostitution and drinking alcohol) spread widely in the media. It was also revealed that he is the son of politician Jang Jae-won, and he subsequently withdrew from the show.
High school rapper Shin Yo-chan: Although Shin Yo-chan appeared briefly in episode 3, he left a strong impression. He surprised the audience by appearing on stage and saying, "I'm here to see which rappers are making noise in this region." He is only 15 years old. He showcased humorous rap verses that made many people burst into laughter. Finally, he announced that he would participate in another rap competition called "Show Me the Money 6," and many people are looking forward to seeing his rap skills improve.
Participation of Kim Dong-hyun, Mark Lee: The participation of Kim Dong-hyun and Mark Lee attracted a lot of attention even before "High School Rapper" aired. Known as famous entertainers/idols rather than rappers, it was interesting to evaluate their rap skills under the same conditions as other rappers. Some people had high expectations for their abilities due to their fame. However, both of them survived the preliminary round.
After the preliminary round, the cypher battle mission was assigned to some contestants. Contestants from each region competed with other contestants receiving the same score from different regions. The contestants who ranked first, third, and sixth would compete in the cypher battles. The contestants had to create lyrics on the spot and perform their rap according to the beat given by the mentors.