Rapper SLEEQ Breaks Barriers & Norms
One of the best ways to express your thoughts and beliefs is through music, which is why the hip-hop/rap community thrives on showing off their skills with delivery and flow style. Unfortunately, artists that break boundaries and leave you in awe of their lyrical themes don’t always get the recognition they deserve.
If you watched the program GOOD GIRL, then you’ll recognize the underground and honest rapper, SLEEQ. From this program alone, viewers have come to see how she expresses herself in her work by talking about women empowerment, LGBTQIA+, and calling out the stereotypes in a conservative country. She’s not your average female rap artist as she talks on current societal issues and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.
SLEEQ, or Kim Ryeonghwa, made her artist debut in 2013 under We Make History Records with her first single “Lightless.” For the most part, she’s been considered indie or underground in the K-Hip-Hop industry. She displays herself in gender neutral clothing, a short haircut, and strays from the beauty standards put on women. Outside of her music career, she’s active on Instagram where she openly advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community and veganism.
Currently under Daze Alive Records, she has multiple songs that she’s received praise for internationally. In the song “Ma Girls,” she gives reassurance to the women struggling, reminding them that they have support through the hardest days. It’s a perfect track to highlight women liberation and empowerment. She also touches on wanting to not worry about her problems and stress by drinking in the track “Liquor.” This track was part of her 2016 album Colossus, which won “Underestimated Album of the Year” at the 2017 Korean Hip-Hop Awards.
In 2018, SLEEQ made headlines when she released a diss track in response to rapper San E’s song, “Feminist.” In her song “Equalist,” SLEEQ does not hold back on the anger she expresses from San E’s controversial claims about women and gender equality. In her lyrics, she refers to San E's lyrics and rebutts by saying, “You talk about misogyny when you can’t even define it; everyone but you sees right through it.” Near the end of the track, she gives an emotional and honest response about equality for women by saying, “What I want is for you [men] not to kill me [women].” Her overall response speaks for the women who feel the same frustrations as her.
During her time on the program Good Girl, SLEEQ’s appearance was a surprise for many, including the other artists, because of her serious and honest music. She was able to showcase her rap style with her TV performance of “Here I Go.” During her performance, she highlights non-binary visibility and LGBTQIA+ rights all while showcasing the rainbow pride flag behind her. From there, she expanded her music styles and versatility by performing together in collaboration performances with Hyoyeon of Girls’ Generation, Ailee, Yunhway, Wasabii, and JAMIE. Her most watched performance is her performance with Ailee called “Don’t Cry for Me,” where both girls give an emotional performance that focuses on normalizing conversations about mental health and depression. Her time on this program shows how versatile and talented she is with her craft.
With her participation with other female Korean artists and her discography, SLEEQ will continue to break barriers in modern K-Hip-Hop. Her music is a great deal of importance for women and the LGBTQIA+ community, and hopefully this opens more doors for other female artists in the Korean music industry.