Rapper Simon Dominic has signaled his return as a "Korean hip-hop heavyweight" by announcing his upcoming studio album, 'ONYX'.
On the 13th, Simon Dominic surprised fans by dropping the music video for his pre-release track, 'Simon Says'. Without any prior notice or large-scale promotion, the video, released through his personal social media and YouTube channel, instantly became a hot topic among music fans.
The music video focuses on Simon Dominic delivering heavy bars against the backdrop of a black-and-white exhibition space. Rather than relying on flashy production, he commanded the atmosphere through his rap and sheer presence alone.
In the track, Simon Dominic delivers the message, "Not the latest but current, not old, just classic." He defines himself as a rapper whose value remains timeless rather than one who simply chases trends. Furthermore, lines such as "I represent Korean hip-hop at its finest" and "Can't say I've made it yet, I'm still successin'" emphasize his pride in representing Korean hip-hop and his career, which remains a work in progress.
The fan response has been enthusiastic. The comment section is filled with reactions such as, "A breath of fresh air in a Korean hip-hop scene saturated with auto-tune," "I thought he might be rusty, but his class is on another level," and "It doesn't sound dated even in the era of rage beats. He brought something only Simon Dominic could pull off."
The album 'ONYX', set to be released on the 14th at 6 PM, features a total of 12 tracks, including the pre-release song 'Simon Says', as well as 'DOM', 'PPAP', 'No.1 Stunna', '10 to 10', 'R.A.P', 'Shhh', 'Lay Low', 'Play On Playa', and more.
This marks Simon Dominic's first official album release in about four years since 'TTFU' in 2022. During that time, he expanded his public recognition as a panelist on the Tving dating reality series 'EXchange', but as his musical activities became sparse, some hip-hop fans consistently called for his return to his primary career.
Previously, in 2018, he candidly shared his burdens and slump through the song 'Me No Jay Park', released when he stepped down as co-CEO of AOMG.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)