Show Me The Money 12: Behind the Scenes with Producer Choi Hyo-jin
"I had worked with Lee Young-ji on a program before 'Show Me The Money 11'. From that time, I unintentionally heard various stories. There were parts that felt unfair. The judging process and the results at the audition site are conveyed in a summarized form after being edited and organized by the production team, so there were definitely parts where we seemed lacking."

A round interview with Choi Hyo-jin, the CP of Mnet's 'Show Me The Money 12' (hereafter 'Show Me'), was recently held at the CJ ENM Center in Sangam, Mapo-gu, Seoul. In 'Show Me' Season 11, which ended in December 2022, there was a 'privilege controversy' that arose from the beginning of the broadcast, claiming that the editing was centered around Lee Young-ji.

Regarding the controversy over privileges and evaluation criteria, he explained, "The production team should have checked more thoroughly. The justification for the participants' success or failure should have been sufficiently explained narratively, but there were parts where the expression was somewhat inadequate in the process of compressing and organizing many people and various narratives. We thought a lot about how to convincingly show the justification for the success or failure of the participants when editing the composition."

Show Me The Money 12: Behind the Scenes with Producer Choi Hyo-jin
'Show Me' is a survival program where top Korean rappers and new rappers form teams to compete in skills, first aired in June 2012. 'Show Me 12', released this year, is a new season returning about four years after Season 11 ended in December 2022. Hip-hop began to gain significant attention in Korea in the early 2000s. Artists like Drunken Tiger, Dynamic Duo, Epik High, and Leessang led the genre's popularization, and in the mid to late 2010s, it experienced another heyday. Music by Zico, BewhY, and Jay Park received widespread love, with 'Show Me' being evaluated as a major platform at the center of it.

Choi CP mentioned the relationship with various artists who took on the role of producers. He said, "Before starting the program, there were those who were taking on the role of producer for the first time, and I wondered if they would get that close. In interviews, when they showed regret at parting, I thought, 'Surely not to that extent, they must be saying that because it's a broadcast.' But in reality, we met very often, continued conversations in group chats, exchanged music, and even stayed up all night in the studio."

He recalled, "While preparing the stage with the production team, there were moments when the scenes we intended to direct or the musical points we wanted to highlight matched perfectly after numerous rehearsals. At those times, we would say to each other, 'We did well,' and the process of creating together naturally became solid."

Show Me The Money 12: Behind the Scenes with Producer Choi Hyo-jin
The producers for Season 12 include TEAM Zico & Crush, TEAM Gray & Loco, TEAM Jay Tong & Hucky Shibasaki, and TEAM Lil Moshpit & Jay Park. Choi CP expressed his expectations for the remaining episodes, saying, "They are already building a strong teamwork, but I think the chemistry and solid relationships they have will be key viewing points, along with the completeness of the music and the show elements."

He added, "I also experienced situations where I heard bad stories and received good evaluations. We talked a lot about how there could be new things to show in other content or music. 'Show Me' might have another season, and various opportunities could open up, so we talked a lot about how we could show new sides in such positions."

Show Me The Money 12: Behind the Scenes with Producer Choi Hyo-jin
He emphasized that they are putting a lot of effort into the music mission. Choi CP said, "All four producer teams have very different colors, and in my view, they seem to be the most hardworking among the producers of the past seasons. It seems like they hardly sleep. They contact us even at dawn and in the morning, preparing music that intensely." He continued, "We also meet continuously to hold several meetings about the stage. We exchange a lot of ideas to prepare for one stage, and we add our opinions to complete the stage together and support each other. Through this process, I feel a lot about how sincere they are and how much they want to convey the authenticity of the music beyond just the music's performance."

"Since we talked a lot from the time of casting, I think their sincerity will be well conveyed through their music and stage during the remaining episodes. Even now, they are preparing every song as if they are putting all their energy into it. They are working so intensely that several versions come out in the process of completing one song."

Lee So-jung, Ten Asia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr
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