One of the most popular entertainers in the history of the internet age, viral video rap sensation PSY has long been a controversial figure in South Korean pop culture. Elsewhere, he’s known better for his smash hit “Gangnam Style,” a song and video so catchy it recently become the most-watched video of all time on YouTube.
But now, the 34-year-old PSY faces scrutiny from fans in the U.S. over anti-American performances in the past. That’s in addition to one particular verse of a song PSY, otherwise known as Park Jae-sang, rapped on with Korean rock band “N.E.X.T.”
On PSY’s verse, he says: “Kill those f****** Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives/Kill those f****** Yankees who ordered them to torture/Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law and fathers/Kill them all slowly and painfully.”
That’s according to a translation from Haps magazine which also added context to PSY’s anger. The article says the rapper was reacting to an Iraqi terrorist group capturing and beheading a South Korean translator in response to his country’s support of the war.
The verse was written by N.E.X.T. and sung by PSY when he joined the band at a protest concert.
PSY’s anti-American slant is part of a broader trend among artists and even the South Korean public. This was highlighted when two young girls were killed south of Seoul by an American military vehicle and there were nationwide protests stemming from the incident.
PSY has recently appeared all over American pop culture, from the cover of Billboard Magazine, to “Saturday Night Live,” to the “Today Show.”
The rapper is set to perform at National Building Museum's Christmas in Washington concert this weekend, with President Barack Obama in attendance. There’s no word yet as to whether he’s still slated to teach the president his “Horsey Dance” in person.
As usual, after the Han translation surfaced, scores of Internet users were quick to turn on the pop star they moments ago had loved.
And the dissenting opinion:
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