Tokyo: The evil god doesn't want to be the top star

"Hey, that guy looks so nervous. It must be his first time rapping. He secretly practiced in the corner until the last minute..."

Finally it was Xia Fan's turn. Yayoi Tsuki, who seemed to be concentrating on choreography on the sidelines but had actually been observing secretly, glanced over casually.

Chapter 324: Born to be a Quick-Talker

2024-07-13

"Well, I'll start..."

Focusing on the lyrics, Xia Fan followed the rhythm of the music and sang along...

"I'm a straight-talking person. If I can't say what I want to say, my face will itch."

"Those troubles that have been following me since I was a child, maybe I can't help them, this is who I am..."

"It's not like I didn't try hard. I even went to church because my dad was a pastor."

"The Bible is stored in my hard drive. If you suppress me, I will explode..."

The lyrics with clear pronunciation, precise rhythm and smooth speed burst out from his mouth like mercury pouring out of the ground...

"Egg……"

Kato raised his eyebrows and stared in surprise, then began to nod his head approvingly to his rhythm.

"So fast, so accurate, so clear... This pervert is definitely not the first time rapping..."

Yayoi Tsukki's slender fingers gently covered her slightly open mouth.

"Xia Fan's rap..."

"Is it so slippery?"

After being criticized all around, the trainees who were reflecting on the lyrics also looked up in surprise.

"Are you kidding..."

Kato felt like a new soldier who had just climbed out of a trench after the battle, only to be mowed down by a Gatling gun...

"This kid's pronunciation, speaking speed and rhythm are not the same as the previous ones..."

Xia Fan's lyrics were sung faster and faster, like a metallic storm condensed from bullets, ruthlessly passing through his body, leaving him standing there with his eyes wide open.

"Wait a moment!"

Coming back to his senses from his surprise, Kato suddenly raised his hand and interrupted Xia Fan's rap.

"What, what's wrong? Is there something wrong?"

Taking his eyes off the lyrics, Xia Fan noticed the strange looks that were being directed at him by everyone in the rehearsal room.

"Finally, here comes something interesting."

"Ahem...your name is...Xia Fan, right?"

"Have you ever played rap before?"

Realizing belatedly that it was rude to interrupt someone's rap, Kato asked with an embarrassed look on his face.

"No, today is the first official practice..."

Xia Fan shook his head and answered honestly.

"However, my teachers have praised me since I was a child for reading the text quickly and well."

Realizing that it was the effect of [High-Speed ​​Divine Words] that surprised everyone, he quickly added another sentence.

"You read quickly and well... It's a fair evaluation indeed..."

"This guy, at first glance, I thought he was a pretty boy who relied on his looks to make a living, but it turns out he's just like me, a natural fast talker?!"

After repeating Xia Fan's words, Kato seemed to understand something.

"This section, from here to here, I say start, you sing it again..."

He circled a large section on the lyrics sheet with a pen and handed it to Xia Fan.

"start……"

Then, Kato took out his cell phone and pressed the timer while saying "start".

"I've wasted so much time blaming myself. Don't try to restrain me. Back off now."

"In the entertainment industry, the first bird to stick out gets hammered down. Even if my parents, teachers, brothers, and society beat me up, I will still be proud."

Like an athlete hearing the whistle at the starting line, Xia Fan stared at the lyrics, followed the melody, and immersed himself in rapping.

"So, so fast..."

"How did you manage to keep up with the original rhythm while still being able to pronounce the words so clearly..."

The expressions on the faces of the trainees who were listening in were even more interesting.

The part that Kato circled for Xia Fan was the fastest part of the entire rap...

The reason why I could tell it right away was because when they were singing one by one just now, this part was the most difficult for them to sing and received the most complaints.

But at this moment, Xia Fan presented these "hot" lyrics smoothly and accurately. They just felt as uncomfortable as being hit by the taillights of a passing AE86 while racing on the Akina Mountain...

Amid the mixed emotions of the crowd, Xia Fan had already completed that long rap segment at a furious pace.

"it is good!"

Kato also pressed the stop button accurately like a race referee.

"This part is long, with about 550 syllables, and it takes 35 seconds to rap... It's so fast that it's almost smoking..."

Opening the calculator, he calculated silently, with a flash of disbelief in his eyes.

"Boy, your speaking speed just now was 16 SPS, which is consistent with the original speed..."

"Do you know what this means?"

Raising his head, Kato looked at Xia Fan excitedly.

"Meaning, what?"

Xia Fan tentatively repeated the other party's words.

"It means that you have the talent to become a rapper with the 'top fast talker'..."

Kato excitedly tore the pages of dialogue into several copies and handed the largest stack to Xia Fan.

Whether in Region 16 or internationally, there are many well-known rappers who are famous for their fast speech, and the clear speaking speed of SPS can be said to be the watershed between top fast talkers and ordinary rappers.

"If you were here, I wouldn't have to slow down the rap during the climax just because these guys' 'ceiling' is too low, and destroy my golden signboard!"

"Take it. The C position in the participle is yours!"

Originally, after the "baptism" of the first six trainees, Kato had decided to re-arrange the song, slowing down the melody and rhythm to ensure that these "rap rookies" could present the stage in its entirety, rather than rapping to the beat...

As for the criticism after comparing with the original version, it can only be regarded as a price to pay.

Now, Xia Fan's rap, which is clear and precise and has the same speaking speed as the original version, has emerged, allowing him to regain his confidence in his stage performance.

"What... the talent of a top fast talker?"

"Come to think of it, Xia Fan's moment just now did feel pretty good?"

"Wait, if he gets the center position, won't he be able to sing and dance with Teacher Yayoi?!"

Several trainees originally thought it was just a fight between noobs and were still hoping for a chance to win the C position. However, they did not expect that as soon as Xia Fan opened his mouth, he would receive high praise from Kato and was directly given the C position.

"Everyone else, if your name is called, come over and lead the speech!"

"Stop complaining. If you don't take it, I'll give it to someone else."

Then, Kato sent the remaining participles to the trainees one by one.

"Uh ah ah ah, I thought I could compete for the center position..."

"I'd better just be an excellent last-place person."

"You are so good at singing, dancing and rapping, you must be good at basketball too, don't you want to give us a chance to live?"

The trainees could only sigh and check their own participles.

Xia Fan's appearance and strength are there, and the word segmentation was Kato's judgment for the overall performance effect, so they have nothing to complain about.

"Mr. Xia, your speaking speed, pronunciation, and rhythm were all good. Keep this feeling when you practice, and just strengthen and consolidate it."

"But this is only acceptable. If you want to present this rap perfectly, you are still far from it in another aspect..."

After giving instructions on practice to other trainees one by one, Kato came to Xia Fan again.

"Please give me some advice, Mr. Kato."

Xia Fan stood up modestly, looking like he was listening attentively.

Chapter 325 Letting Go of Teacher Yayoi

2024-07-13

"The core of this song is very rebellious, arrogant and aggressive. The singer must convey these things to the audience through his rap performance..."

"Your rap speed is good enough, but your emotions, attitude, tone and body movements are totally unacceptable!"

"In short, the 'taste' is not right."

Kato took off his hat and scratched his head in distress, trying to express his feelings.

The aspects he pointed out are the most difficult to grasp, have no specific standards, but are crucial elements in rap.

It can be said that what kind of emotions and attitudes are presented through rap depends entirely on the rapper's personal style.

Xia Fan is not the only one who has this problem. Most young rappers also have the same trouble.

"Indeed, I also feel that I failed to capture the feeling of Mr. Kato in the original version..."

When Xia Fan was practicing, he was actually more or less aware of what was wrong, but he was not as direct as Kato in getting to the point.

In the original song, Kato naturally presents the style of "villain", "bad", and "going his own way", and these elements are exactly the opposite of Xia Fan's personality.

"Although I'm not that familiar with you, from the brief time we've had together, you've been practicing silently and ranked last in the audition. You should be a person with a more indifferent personality. It's not easy to capture this feeling in a short period of time."

"Anyway, when you rap, try to imagine the expressions and body language of a 'bad boy' or 'gangster brother'..."

"There is no better way. You can only rely on your own understanding."

Kato spread his hands helplessly, indicating that he had no better suggestions.

"Hey, I have a book signing this afternoon, so that's all for today. Everyone, keep practicing, and I'll come back tomorrow afternoon to check the results!"

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Kato!"

"Teacher, take care!"

After finishing the lyrics and guidance, Kato said hello to Yayoi Tsuki and left the studio with the trainees seeing him off.

"Rap is not that easy after all... You have to say so many words and pay attention to your facial expressions, tone, and body language..."

After sorting out the pile of scraps of paper with the participle words, Xia Fan began to think seriously.

"Don't think that just practicing rap is enough, you also have to practice the dance moves well..."

"Come on, I've almost arranged everyone's positions and movements, come and try it out."

Yayoi Tsuki came over with a notebook and motioned for everyone to gather.

"What, it's already been made up?"

"It's too efficient. I thought Mr. Yayoi was just slacking off."

While the trainees were trying out their songs and dividing the lyrics, she was not idle at all and even worked out the choreography.

"I haven't even memorized the lyrics yet, and I'm already practicing the dance..."

"Uh ah, looks like it's going to be another sleepless night."

The trainees put down the lyrics sheet, lined up with painful expressions, and began to listen to Yayoi Tsuki's explanation of the positions, choreography, and movements.

The stage performance of "Villain" is mainly based on singing, so the choreography designed by Yayoi Tsuki is not complicated. Basically, it is about taking turns rapping, and those who don't sing dance wildly on the side, creating the mood of one person against the whole world.

The only difficult part was that she and Xia Fan inserted a duet dance at the climax of the song.