OSIXTWO – The Hip Hop Movement in Gwangju

In the summer of 2011 two guys had an idea to create an image for the local hip-hop movement. The guys, known as Twelvey and Jinwon, decided then that their endeavor would not be not about creating a brand for a product line – instead, it would be about creating an image for the hip hop scene in their hometown of Gwangju, in which they felt hip-hop was the least understood genre of music.

OSIXTWO is their attempt to change that. The goal is to put hip-hop culture on the map in Gwangju and further encourage the sharing of talent.

How Did It All Start?

The pair finds it important to note the East versus West hip-hop rivalry that started in the USA in the early 1990s. When the movement came to Korea, the pair noticed differences between the sounds that were coming out of Los Angeles and New York City. They saw these differences as a roadmap for creating something distinctive for Gwangju; the hip-hop sound from here could be different from the sounds that come out of cities like Seoul, Busan and Daegu. In recognizing this, the idea behind the OSIXTWO movement was born.

Why OSIXTWO?

The strategy behind OSIXTWO begins with getting the word out that there even is a hip-hop culture in Gwangju. Before OSIXTWO, there was not much of a hip-hop feel to be found here at all, and artists often left Gwangju to search for recognition in larger cities like Seoul or Busan. After giving much thought to the movement they wanted to create, the two innovators decided the best way to do it was to create a name and image linking both the type of music and their city in a way that is uniquely Gwangju. The numbers “062” are of course the area code for the city of Gwangju, dialed whenever one needs to connect to a landline phone number in the city from outside of the area. Using the numbers, but spelling them out in all capital letters, gives an exclusive banner to the Gwangju hip-hop movement.

After deciding on the movement name, they needed to continually get the word out about it. The use of apparel such as snapback hats, beanies, t-shirts and hoodies is key for the movement because such apparel is already popular in the hip-hop community. Putting the OSIXTWO name on such items and selling them through online stores that carry other hip-hop apparel was an important step.

Key to spreading the word about the OSIXTWO movement is that information about it can only be found on social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. This virtual word-of-mouth suggests a certain authenticity to people who enjoy street culture as a hobby or lifestyle.

Collaboration

In order to further the OSIXTWO movement, the creators have collaborated with a number of industries. Among the list of those they have collaborated with GFX, as well as local photographers and florist shops to help them create photographic images for Summer 2014. In the future, they would like to work with Nike in an effort to make the OSIXTWO movement international and put the Gwangju hip-hop scene on the cultural map.

“When you wear your OSIXTWO apparel, you become OSIXTWO,” they say about bridging the movement with the apparel. “Just like when Snoop took a photo of himself wearing the Gwangju t-shirt made by Gwangju International Center last year, it would be great if big stars in the hip-hop world recognized OSIXTWO, showing that they, too, are part of the movement.”

You can find OSIXTWO on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Links to apparel sales can also be found on the OSIXTWO Facebook page, or via a search of their name at both www.hiphopplaya.com and www.sopooom.com.