“군드릭 라마”…한국 병사 켄드릭 라마 곡 열창, 미국서도 화제

On a military stage, a private in uniform grasped the microphone. The beat that flowed was none other than American hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar's "Like As." Spectators in the audience raised their arms and recited in unison. The song soon transitioned to "TV Off," reminiscent of the halftime show at the Super Bowl. The scene from the Korean military performance unexpectedly captured the attention of military fans in the Pacific.

The United States hip-hop specialist XXL reported on its official SNS that a military soldier performed Kendrick Lamar's "Like As" and "TV Off" for the benefit of military personnel. Images included a soldier rapping in uniform and enthusiastic reactions from the audience. The protagonist was Second Lieutenant Eom Joon of the 19th Fighter Operations Squadron Military Police.

The video, broadcasted by the Ministry of Defense YouTube channel, showed Eom performing the two songs on March 16th for KFN's 650th "Military Train" "Star Wars" corner. The video has garnered over 310,000 views. What draws attention is that the soldier's performance is more than just echoing a few chorus lines. He manages to capture Kendrick Lamar's rapid rapping and pronunciation, smoothly transitioning from "Like As" to "TV Off."

Spectators' reactions were comparable to any hip-hop performance. Armchair viewers wrote "Korean Kendrick Lamar" in the comments, cheering for the performance. The song's background is intriguing. "Like As" emerges from the 2024 collaboration between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, known as "The Diss Track." Despite being intentionally aimed at Drake, the song became a global hit, earning five GRAMMY wins, including "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year," at this year's GRAMMY Awards.

The popularity of "Like As" skyrocketed after Kendrick Lamar performed it at the Super Bowl halftime show last year. The unusual nature of the video spreading abroad has even sparked jokes. "Drake now has to face the Korean military?" Some commenters joked. The XXL's separate introduction of this scene is due to the unique spectacle of a Korean military unit performing "Like As" in a way that feels like a hit single in the United States.