A 19-year-old rising American rapper, who received a shout-out from Martin of the group CORTIS as an artist he enjoys listening to, has sparked controversy by publicly criticizing CORTIS's music and the K-pop industry as a whole.
The figure at the center of the controversy is Matt Proxy, a 19-year-old rapper and producer based in Minneapolis. Recently, while introducing music he enjoys to fans, Martin recommended the track "knots" by Matt Proxy. Upon receiving the unexpected shout-out, Matt Proxy initially responded by telling CORTIS to "hit me up," hinting at the possibility of a collaboration.
However, after listening to CORTIS's music, Matt Proxy suddenly changed his stance. He wrote on his social media, "Never mind. This is kind of trash. I'm good." His public criticism of the group whose member had favorably recommended his music drew a barrage of backlash from fans.
Matt Proxy did not back down. Instead, he expanded his criticism to the entire K-pop industry. He posted on his social media, "I'm not interested in songs made by 50 people in a lab. That's not the way I pursue music in the first place."
He further argued that the K-pop industry appropriates Black art and music, is overly manufactured, and imposes unrealistic standards on artists, often turning idols into victims of the system.
In another post, Matt Proxy even wrote "I mog CORTIS" and changed his social media profile picture to a photo of a Stray Kids member wearing cornrows.
Such attacks have left even international netizens puzzled, with many commenting that he is reacting "too aggressively to someone who gave his music a positive review."
Matt Proxy is a rising rapper and producer who has gained recognition in the U.S. underground hip-hop scene, having built his career primarily through SoundCloud.
Reported by Kang Kyung-yoon | Produced by SBS Entertainment News
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