In his debut Australian tour, South Korean rapper YANGHONGWON took to the stage at Fitzroy’s The Night Cat on Wednesday 5th of February for his 2025 World Tour. The second date in his Oceania leg, YANGHONGWON was supported by New Zealand based South Korean musician, Ineffa Lucas.
The crowd was small but mighty at The Night Cat on Wednesday. YANGHONGWON, who was formerly known professionally as Young B, rose to prominence in his native South Korea as the winner of the first season of the competition series High School Rapper. Following his coveted win at only 18-years-old, YANGHONGWON went on to compete in four seasons of another popular rap competition series, Show Me the Money. Although he didn’t win any of the SMTM seasons he participated in, YANGHONGWON established himself as a capable rapper.
Of those in attendance on Wednesday, the lucky small crowd of VIP fans who were granted early access to the venue for a meet and greet with YANGHONGWON where the artist took group photos and signed posters before sitting on stage for a Q&A where he discussed his dream Western artist collabs and asked for night club recommendations. Part way through the Q&A portion, YANGHONGWON and the MC, noticing that majority of the VIPs understood Korean, abandoned the microphones in favour of sitting closer to the crowd and giving this portion of the evening a deeply intimate feel.
One thing to note about YANGHONGWON, is he is incredibly polite; while it’s a norm of Korean culture to speak to others with formality and respect, in my past interactions with Korean artists, they often feel comfortable enough with their fans to speak and interact somewhat informally. YANGHONGWON, when meeting the LILITHIA REVIEWS for our group photo, made a point to greet each of us formally, shaking our hands in a way that indicated great respect. While it’s not something I’m used to experiencing here as an Australian, I was greatly touched that he thought enough of our team to take these extra steps.
Following the photo ops and Q&A, the venue began to fill with the general admission ticket holders who were treated to an opening set from Ineffa Lucas. Lucas, who had previously toured with South Korean R&B singer Jimmy Brown, was only on stage for a short time, performing his songs ‘Gotta Get Paid’, ‘Just for You’, and ‘Still Here’. Doing his best to hype up the Melbourne crowd, Lucas egged the audience on by comparing them to the crowd from YANGHONGWON’s Sydney show, encouraging them to cheer louder and sing along to his songs. As always, Ineffa Lucas showed that he has immense talent, effectively showcasing his deft raps and husky vocals.
When it came time for YANGHONGWON to take to the stage, the energy in the room shifted completely. Where Ineffa Lucas has a mellow sound, YANGHONGWON is bold like a hurricane, entering the room to the sound of sirens and a bass that’s so loud, you could feel it vibrating through every surface.
For such a young artist, YANGHONGWON carries himself with incredible swagger, his Western influences apparent in everything from the way he holds his mic, his wardrobe, to the way he styles his hair. YANGHONGWON presents as aggressive on stage, favouring hard-hitting raps with dirty beats, skipping through speeds that are almost unbelievable. As he performed tracks like ‘Ballin’’, ‘Seoul’, and ‘Jealousyvalhalla’, there were hints of contemporary rap artists like Busta Rhymes, 21 Savage and Travis Scott, but he is certainly no one trick pony. As the show stretched on, YANGHONGWON also showed rock influences in tracks like ‘B-site’, a track that feels reminiscent of H1GHER MUSIC’s Purge cypher or a Limp Bizkit classic, and reggaeton beats that felt fresh off a Bad Bunny album.
As the crowd fanned out around the stage to give themselves space to jump, vibe, and record on their phones, the person having the most fun seemed to be YANGHONGWON’s DJ, bouncing enthusiastically behind the decks. Despite YANGHONGWON’s music being far from dance floor bangers, it was really fun to watch the DJ enjoy his role in the night so much, with his energy inevitably seeping out into the crowd.
To close out the night, YANGHONGWON went out on a high performing ‘Bumper Car’, a track by rapper Han YoHan that he featured on. The rock beats blasted through the venue, leading YANGHONGWON out with as much energy as he came in with. Once again, showing those in attendance incredible respect, YANGHONGWON followed up the final group photo with a full bow, gracefully getting on his hands and knees to express his deep gratitude to all those in attendance.
YANGHONGWON performed his World Tour 2025, proudly presented by 198 Entertainment and Indigo Music, in Melbourne at The Night Cat on Wednesday 5th February with the Oceania leg concluding in Auckland, New Zealand, on Friday 7th February at Face Club.
For information, visit:
https://www.instagram.com/198ent
https://www.instagram.com/indigomusic_official
https://www.instagram.com/yanghongwon
https://www.instagram.com/ineffalucas
Photography by Grant Alexander.
