Interview: Yang Hyun-suk, CEO of YG Entertainment – Part 2

Only “relevant” parts of the interview were uploaded. Highly opinionated comments are welcome. Let us all just refrain from posting unwarranted and bashing comments.

 To satisfy both the public and die-hard fans, don’t you have to control the artists’ output? Isn’t that the way to get support from the mainstream and stay creative at the same time?

Yang: I think I am qualified enough to make comments to my artists about dancing because I trained as a dancer. After Seo Taiji and Boys disbanded, I studied harmony and midi for six months and that’s how I came to compose Jinusean’s “Gasoline”. I soon realized, though, that I’m not so gifted in writing music, so I decided to stop doing that. I’m knowledgeable enough about it to have discussions with my artists thanks to the experience. I can coach them about performing on the stage as I have a lot of experience from my days of Seo Taiji and Boys.

It is true that I dropped many other things, but I could never give up communicating with artists and creating music itself. On top of those, I’m very hands-on about the entire process of managing trainee artists. It’s not just what I love doing, but I know I can do it better than anyone else.

 I heard you still take part in sound work. You also played a role as a mixing engineer on every YG album, including PSY’s “Gangnam style”.

Yang: A few months ago I was in charge of Epik High’s latest album and modified it three times (Laugh). The most important job I do in the company is judging what sounds good. I keep going until I am 100% satisfied.

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