“Suede Timbs on my feet makes my cipher complete,” rapped Nas in ‘The World Is Yours’ in 1994. Thirty years later, in prismatic football jerseys (customized by name and birthdate) and barrel leg jeans over their wheat-coloured Timberlands, YOUNG POSSE are keeping that maxim alive and well.
Up close, you still see the conventions of other modern-day K-Pop girl groups: icy-colored contact lenses, 3D nails and the subtle glint of festival face gems. The girls are dollish, doe-eyed and soft-spoken in contrast to their demeanor on stage, a bit shy when they introduce themselves. In yellow, radiating cool girl energy, is the short-haired Sunhye, the group’s oldest member and leader, and the bubbly, pretty in pink Yeonjung is their main dancer. Vocalist/rapper Doeun in navy, who stands at 5’6”, identifies as the group’s “giraffe.” Main vocalist and “lively vitamin C” Jiana dons purple, while maknae Jieun’s famed strawberry locks cascade over a bright green.
Since their debut in 2023, YOUNG POSSE have been doing things a bit differently. ‘MACARONI CHEESE,’ a languid rap instructional on making and enjoying the classic comfort dish, made for an utterly absurd and memorable debut. The tune garnered attention on socials for its vibrant and comedically surreal music video, on top of spawning thousands of TikToks of TELEPOSSE eating bowls of cheddar-doused noodles.
Meanwhile, their hit ‘XXL,’ which samples the unmistakable bassline of ‘Come Back Home’ by Seo Taiji and Boys, is brimming with references for the 90s kids who grew up on hip-hop. The title alone pays homage to the classic American hip-hop magazine while playing on the stratospheric splash they aim to make in the industry. “Shimmy shimmy yeah, just enjoying the vibe,” raps Sunhye in tribute to Ol’ Dirty Bastard, while Jieun says we can call them “baby version, Wu-Tang Clan.”
Head In The Clouds found the young quintet making their US debut on the stomping grounds of numerous artists they cite as influences. So for YOUNG POSSE to perform in New York, home turf for the old school, boom-bap, and Jersey club beats that permeate their discography? “Destiny,” professed Sunhye and Yeonjung, as the other girls nodded in agreement. “It felt like a dream,” added Jiana. “The crowd was so amazing! We had such a great time.”
88rising Executive Vice President John Yang stated that in all five years of the HITC Festival, Young Posse are the only K-pop group to stay for the full weekend, even donning festival merch. Backstage, they snapped pics with their faves, roping thuy and BIBI into filming ‘XXL’ TikTok challenges. In the stadium, Doeun and Jiana kept their HITC tees on as they meshed with the mobs to catch ATARASHII GAKKO! from the GA floor.
It’s not only their love for performing and making music that makes YOUNG POSSE special, but an honest love and appreciation for other artists. They’re fans first and foremost, across a broad spectrum of genres, but imprinting on hip-hop above all. While the members didn’t begin their idol careers intending to become rappers, when presented with the possibility as trainees, they fell in love with the vivid world of old school hip-hop.
Rap lines in girl groups can often feel forced, but YOUNG POSSE’s primary rap line — comprised of Sunhye, Doeun, and Yeonjung — has refreshingly genuine flow and charisma, which they credit nonstop practice and studying other artists’ work. Watching performances by 90s rappers like Wu-Tang and Biggie helped them learn about the culture and cultivate their stage presence.
“We tried anything and everything,” explained Jiana, “even things that felt embarrassing and pushed us past our boundaries.” And to prepare for their HITC set in particular, “we studied other Head In The Clouds performers.”
Now, less than a year in, YOUNG POSSE are on the path to becoming respected hip-hop artists in their own right. They already have a slew of notable hip-hop collaborations under their belts, too. Recent standalone single ‘YOUNG POSSE UP’ features K-rap trailblazer Verbal Jint, up-and-comer NSW yoon, and American rapper Token, who they finally got to meet in person here in New York. As for NSW yoon, they met backstage at a music show and took Polaroids together, and the legendary Verbal Jint “said he loved our flow,” smiled Sunhye.
Additionally, the lush, Afrobeats-inspired ‘DND’ from the XXL EP features Big Matthew (BM) of KARD, one of their seniors at DSP Media. Though they weren’t able to meet during the recording process, “BM-sunbaenim comes in with big energy and encouragement, always offering advice,” Yeonjung beams. “Every time we see him at the company, he says, ‘YOUNG POSSE, you guys are doing so good!’”
And a good rapper must also be a good writer. On top of their flow, the group have become known for their collective participation in the songwriting process. In the context of ‘MACARONI CHEESE,’ Sunhye explained, “We spend time coming up with themes, then we each write a verse before recording.”
When asked about their biggest writing inspirations and dream collaborations, the range was boundless. “I like Little Simz,” said Sunhye. “Beenzino, I love him.”
“Doja Cat,” added Yeonjung, with which Jieun agreed. “And Ice Spice!”
Jiana covered more poppy ground: “I love IU-sunbaenim.” And they would’ve been remiss not to mention fellow HITC performer BIBI, who Jieun noted as a major songwriting influence.
“And we want Cypress Hill,” Sunhye exclaimed, a cool answer that you wouldn’t expect from K-pop idols born from 2004 to 2009. “We love them,” added Doeun.
While it may sound far-fetched, after the effort they’ve put into studying the art of hip-hop, a collaboration with one of their all-time inspirations from the old school era would be a gratifying full-circle moment. It’s hard not to believe that for these hard-working girls, anything is possible. But they’ve got some short-term goals for the near future, too.
“Rookie of the Year,” leads Sunhye with ease as the other girls light up. “We wanna get Rookie of the Year!” repeats Doeun.
Cheekily, Jiana adds, “And to go to HITC again!”
