This week’s feature for Rapper in the Spotlight is an artist that I feel is so underrated, her skills and talent need to be shown to the world. This week we are talking about Yezi.
Lee Ye-ji (aka Yezi) debuted in 2012 with the girl group Fiestar under Loen Entertainment (now Kakao M). Their debut song ‘Vista’ charted well in Korea, and it was an absolute bop.
From their debut year I feel that the biggest highlights were their collab with IU and with Tiger JK. I especially liked the latter one. Yezi is able to show off how talented she is as a rapper and Tiger JK is just a music genius, so check it out.
Fiestar released 2 extended plays and numerous singles as a group. The girl group remained active until 2016 when they released ‘Apple Pie’, and officially disbanded in 2018.
Going Solo
Before starting off her solo career, Yezi was one of the contestants on Unpretty Rapstar 2. My favourite performances of her in the shows were her freestyle solo ‘Crazy Dog’ and the diss battle on the fifth episode, both performances were badass. Check out a clip of the latter one below.
Yezi was eliminated on episode 8 but, she was able to make to semi-finals through a survival round. She performed ‘Listen Up’ featuring Hanhae in this round and the song is fire. Here is the clip.
She debuted as a soloist with the song ‘Cider’ and this song is a diss to the haters. I absolutely loved how she addressed expectations that the music industry had put on her. She isn’t afraid of being herself and speaking up (Total Queen!). Part of the lyrics go like this:
“(…) Why should I care about others?
I’m the one who take the results and costs
So I do as I want
I’d rather choke myself instead of blaming others
Do stop pretending that you’re worrying (…)”
(Source: https://lyricstranslate.com)
Also, make sure to check out the music video.
One of my favourite songs is “Anck Su Namum”, this track is just fire. She once again shows off the skilled rapper she is whilst dissing the people who have spoken badly of her. The music video is as amazing as the song, take a look.
Yezi has done several OST’s and I have to say that she is not just a talented rapper but also an incredible vocalist, she is now under JG Star Entertainment and her latest comeback was last January with the song ‘My Gravity’, and for me this comeback was unexpected.
She flawlessly hit those high notes, and the full concept behind this song is stunning. Check it out!
I’m really looking forward to seeing more of this talented rapper and singer. She is an incredible artist and I hope she gets more recognition, because she totally deserves it. Check out her playlist on spotify too.
