Confidence is Key with 3RACHA
Every year, Global Citizen Festival is held in New York City. It was first held in 2012 as part of the movement to end extreme poverty. In the past 11 years, it has truly become a global event, taking place in multiple cities across the world with Central Park as its home base. This year, Stray Kids were invited to perform for the very first time. However, an unfortunate incident caused some last minute changes. Lee Know, Hyunjin, and Seungmin were involved in a minor car accident just days before the music festival. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but the members will need some time to rest. Therefore, the rap unit 3RACHA was announced to fill their time slot. Join me in taking a look back at some of their best B-side tracks!
“We Go”
“We Go” was released in 2020 as one of three unit tracks from Stray Kids’ first repackage album, In Life. The unit, known as 3RACHA, consists of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han. Songs from this trio are especially exciting to me, because each rapper has a unique point of view. Bang Chan takes charge of the chorus, casually singing, “I’ll go wherever, it doesn’t matter to me.” There's a sense of calm confidence in his claims as he talks about running forward and flying all day. Han’s verse, on the other hand, searches for respite from his grueling schedule. He takes the stance, “I’ll go anywhere that I can take a breather,” and proceeds to rap about all the things that bring him peace in a fast-paced life. Changbin rounds out the song with bold determination. His rap verse starts with the assertive line, “Started domestic and now we’re worldwide.” Where Han yearns for rest, Changbin takes a similar approach to the famous saying, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
“Double Knot”
Before Stray Kids’ debut in 2018, 3RACHA produced multiple mixtapes. Their third EP, Horizon, dropped three months before the group’s official debut. Similarly, before “Double Knot” by Stray Kids, there was a song of the same name from the rap trio’s third EP. Back then, they were known as CB97, J.One, and SPEARB. Their verses carried an edge of arrogance, but it wasn’t misplaced. In the K-Pop world, there’s a fine line between rappers and “idol rappers.” The members of 3RACHA clearly fall within the former. Changbin’s line, “We're releasing mixtapes every two weeks, hustle, again hustle, they ask if it’s possible” is clear proof. They’re self-produced with a clear point of view that they’re not afraid to express—something rare in the new generation of K-Pop.
“Don Quixote”
You won’t find “Don Quixote” on Spotify or Apple Music, at least not by 3RACHA. The track comes from the unit’s very first mixtape, J:/2017/mixtape, released in April 2017. It was inspired by the novel of the same name. Despite being one of their earlier works, the lyrics are incredibly thought provoking and poetic. “Don Quixote” depicts the dreams of three young musicians. There’s still that sense of epic confidence 3RACHA is known for, but it carries an underlying tone of uncertainty. Their dreams are vague and just beginning to take off, but that motivation and hunger for more led them straight to the top “where everybody looks and shows respect.”
More from 3RACHA can be found on official streaming platforms, as well as SoundCloud and YouTube. Let’s support Stray Kids in their upcoming activities as we wish the involved members a speedy recovery!
Edited by Cara Musashi