Meet 3RACHA, the Pre-Debut Stray Kids Project
It’s no secret that Stray Kids were extremely busy even before their official debut, but there’s a trio of members that has stood out and made waves among those who know of them. 3RACHA, a rap unit composed of members Bang Chan (CB 97), Changbin (Spear B), and Han (J.One), released three mixtapes in the year since their formation. If you’re a fan of classic rap tracks, you’re going to love what 3RACHA has to offer.
“Matryoshka”
“Matryoshka” is not only a total classic rap banger, but it also carries an incredible meaning. Matryoshka dolls are famous Russian dolls that have smaller versions of themselves within. So the track symbolizes that even if one layer is torn down, they remain the same inside. The concept of being true to yourself inside and out is creatively showcased in this track with the aforementioned metaphor. Additionally, Changbin and Han performed this song in 2017 on JYP vs YG Battle and absolutely destroyed it. We will forever be haunted by Changbin’s exclamation of “Matryoshka.”
“Broken Compass”
We’ve already written about “Broken Compass” before for its inspiring message, especially in difficult times. The cohesiveness of each member’s flow absolutely shines in this song, with a reggae-influenced beat complementing the heavy rap verses. Han shows off his vocal prowess despite his label as rapper, while Bang Chan shows his rapping ability despite his vocalist label. “Broken Compass” is arguably one of their best tracks both in lyrics and musical style, and probably the one that would be most commercially popular.
“P.A.C.E”
“P.A.C.E” is a little different for the boys, with an odd combination of eclectic sounds driving the main beat of the track. Bang Chan references to an incident in a previous song in which he was accused of using a racial slur, which would easily go over anyone’s head if they weren’t aware of the situation. “P.A.C.E” has a surging energy; each verse flows one after another with no stylistic break whatsoever, adding an intensely driven feeling to the track overall.
“Runner’s High”
The high-quality music begins even with their first mixtape release “Runner’s High.” The track takes influence from a more modern and popular style of hip-hop, with a lot of different musical elements shifting from verse to verse. The beat overall is easy to bop to, however, and the rap flow is so good it's almost impossible not to fall into a spell from it.
“If”
Okay, our Changbin bias is showing. “If” is his solo track off the second mixtape, which he took part in composing and mixing (Bang Chan produces the majority of their tracks with help from the other two). There’s something incredibly compelling about Changbin’s raspy and fierce rapping style that gives you goosebumps no matter how many times you hear it, leaving a heavier impact on his words and music overall.