Prince Mak (ex-JJCC) spills the tea on K-pop.

[krissasaur]

- Contracts can be 5-10 years.
- The contracts can include things like no dating, dieting, no holidays, and even plastic surgery.
- He would wake up at 6am and go to sleep around 2am, EVERY DAY.
- You only make about $2 a day.
- He says if you want to be a k-pop idol just become a YouTuber instead lmao.
- When Wengie asked him if she should become a k-pop idol he said "HELL NO!"
- He brought up how much harder it is for women in the k-pop industry than men.
- Told a story about how he doesn't drink alcohol, but was forced into it because it was offered by directors. He couldn't say no, or it could have hurt their opportunities to appear on shows.
- Told a story of an A-list female celebrity who just vanished one day and their were rumors that she was spending time with rich people for money. Points out that if he was pressured into drinking, that women may not have a choice in these situations either.
- "Think about all those female idols and what may have been happening to them, and.... maybe they felt like they didn't have a choice either."


His first video if you missed it:

Source: Henry Prince Mak


icu using BTS for views boy lmao.

Comments

[krissasaur]

I didn't really like him because of some shit he has said in the past, though I now can't remember what it was I was mad at him for???? lmao But I was pleasantly surprised by his comments on women in k-pop.

Also, is he talking about G.NA? I am still so sad about what happened with her.

[pearlychoco.livejournal.com]

i was legit thinking of g.na too when he was talking about a female celebrity that he used to work with!

[jaequeeragenda.livejournal.com]

omg what happened to g.na? both comments just reminded me of her D:

[krissasaur]

Here you go:
https://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/17616475.html

[pearlychoco.livejournal.com]

this was a pretty interesting video. i didn't know about the $2 a day part :o.

thanks for posting it, op! :)

[weneedmedicine.livejournal.com]

I’m new to Kpop, but surely the pay/experience is a little better with bigger companies, right? esp the pay part

[krissasaur]

Yea, maybe. I would at least hope so. He said in his video that he was only really talking about semi famous groups though.

I kind of doubt it though. There is this video with Han Geng (ex-Super Junior) who spilled a bunch of tea as well.


Or it may have been this. I am too lazy to rewatch them.

Side note; I always laugh when people think idols are rollin' in money because of their clothes... Like first of all... #sponsors... second of all... #counterfeits.

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

SM isn't as bad as they used to be anymore.. i mean they still are hell but their contracts are a lot shorter now than back in the day

[msgrottesca.livejournal.com]

aren't they still around 10 years tho since everyone promotes internationally?

[weneedmedicine.livejournal.com]

tea I was one of those people who thought idols were rolling in money fjortjjti. I gasped when the video mentioned how they couldn’t take a sick leave/go home/breathe. Sounds like hell and makes me wonder why people even go into it in the first place

[callherblondie.livejournal.com]

A lot of times the designer clothes are also from their fans (which I guess would count in the sponsors category), but yeah also there's a lot of counterfeiting going on in SK.

[black-swan87.livejournal.com]

I saw a documentary about this on YouTube and they really are hardcore about their fakes

[krissasaur]

I actually linked to the documentary but the hashtag hid that fact hhaha. But yea. I am convinced after seeing that that most idols are just in fakes if it isn't a sponsor. Specially from smaller companies.

[purpleglaceon]

Welcome to the kpop world, prepared to be disappointed time and time again.

[yixingsforehead.livejournal.com]

he does say he talks about the half famous group, so let's assume the famous ones have it better

[sra-interesante.livejournal.com]

not really, in kpop industry big companies are the ones who have worse ill-intended contracts, saddly known as "slave contracts"

all companies has this "you wont get paid until i get back all money invested in your training" clause ... that's why you read about idols not getting paid even after 4-5 years after debuting

https://www.soompi.com/2017/03/07/8-major-entertainment-companies-face-reforms-unfair-contract-clauses/

http://kpopkfans.blogspot.cl/2016/03/income-divisions-of-sm-yg-jyp-fnc-dsp.html?m=1

http://www.asianjunkie.com/2017/04/01/staff-reviews-of-working-at-sm-entertainment-are-comically-terrible/

that's why bigger companies have more demands and legal disputes with idols

[weneedmedicine.livejournal.com]

Judging from all the articles and videos, I can pretty much conclude that SM is the worst. Like yikes

[sra-interesante.livejournal.com]

Indeed! and not only in payment terms ... sm is saddly known for how poorly they treat foreigners idols, most demands are from chinese group members for things you would think are illegal elsewhere (like passport retention or un-even payment distribution) you see exo fans joking about it but its not an accident 3 from 4 chinese members left the group

[kicking-tenshi.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on when the group breaks even on investments. AOA debuted and was around for a while before they actually started becoming popular and there's a post floating around somewhere about the first time they actually got paid like 2 or 3? years after they debuted.

Idols, if they're living in dorms, don't have to pay for room and board or food while they're working, but that money factors into the company's investment in them and that has to be paid before they do. There have been accounts of nugu idols not getting paid anything for their careers or after disbandment.

It's not immediately obvious because idols get sponsorships and probably more importantly, fan gifts.

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

I've heard a lot of the first gen idols didn't make any money until they went solo. Turbo, Sech Kies, HOT all tell similar stories

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

nothing new here tbh. except "You only make about $2 a day.", i remember melanie from chocolat said that she once made 12 (?) bucks but that was it.

also, i assume that at least the big 3 treat their agencies slightly different than the smaller ones, in terms of no debt when you debut and better payment (at least they get paid, even if it isnt much).

tbh i think its funny that some k-idols know what the industry is like but then their siblings debut in the industry (see jessica - krystal, mina and her sister, dara - thunder, etc.). wouldnt you prevent your sibling from joining if shit goes down behind the scenes?

[nana-the-dwarf.livejournal.com]

You know, what gets me the most? It's the parents. They have to know, so why would they send their children to the wolves?

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

i dont think the parents know what the industry is like

[tungatunga.livejournal.com]

Technically Krystal was first, she was child model and the one SM really wanted. And some of them may think that in the end it is worth it.

[sra-interesante.livejournal.com]

and this is coming from a nugu group in a small company, i wont try to imagine how much worse idols from bigger companies are treated ..... demands and legal disputes are enough

[yxerin.livejournal.com]

the dude rlly begins his video by dabbing? yikes
anyway, nothing rlly new here. it just confirms what we've already known, the industry is pure capitalistic evil. makes me feel bad for even listening to kpop in the first place

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

Also wasn’t JJCC created by Jackie Chan?? Like he really couldn’t do better than Korean companies

[revedesnuages.livejournal.com]

While I've got heavy nostalgia goggles for Jackie Chan, he seems like a mess personally. He was named in the Panama leaks last year, so he might not be better than Korean companies :/

[krissasaur]

K-pop (and JE) actually ruined Jackie Chan for me. Like..... I hate making horrible accusations, but it always creeped me out how buddy buddy he used to be with young Super Junior... Like he would actually hang out with idols as if they were friends and idk... Not a good look??? Or to add to that how he is really good friends with Johnny Kitagawa.... And actually I also remember him trying to get all buddy buddy with Tackey (from Tackey & Tsubasa) once.... So I would not be, as horrible as it is for me to feel this way, shocked if one day we find out he is a terrible person. Deep down a part of me feels like he just wanted to start an idol company because he wanted young boys around him, and obviously K-pop is booming so $$$$. IDK.

[heyitsrocky91.livejournal.com]

ew, he was friends with Johnny Kitagawa? like I know we don't know everything our friends do but I feel like you would have to be living under a damn rock to not know that he was a pedophile

[tree-star123.livejournal.com]

i hate jackie chan
his name was probably just attached to them

[boxcuttergirl.livejournal.com]

all of his titles are so clickbaity lmao

I'm glad he seems happier now ;;

[baekpedaling.livejournal.com]

Reminding me of Winner saying on Youth Over Flowers how they aren't allowed to own cars or even drive
It was so sad that they were so happy to rent a car in Australia

[sjtaazrz.livejournal.com]

The thing I found interesting about that was that, a few days before, I read a netizenbuzz (I know, I know) article about Taehyun. It was about his luxurious lifestyle and how he was driving an expensive car and stuff.

They were in the same group and Taehyun doesn't come from a lot of money or anything but he was able to get out and live (relatively) large, but when Winner was asked about why they don't have cars Mino said something like "having a car implies that you'll have somewhere to go." So, not only are they not allowed to have a car, but not having a car is also a way for the company to keep an eye on them to make sure they aren't going anywhere too!

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

When I saw that episode, the first thing that came to mind is YG probably trying to keep a tight watch on them. It seems to me like this is a common practice for management companies to really have control over their groups. The only time I see some sort of "freedom" for some groups is when they're earning big, 5yrs up in the industry and the such. Its not the same though for management companies.

[krissasaur]

This reminds me of that Strong Heart episode where Big Bang talked about running away. :(

[baekpedaling.livejournal.com]

It's probably a thing they started enforcing after Taehyun left.
It's just really sad. A lot of people only see the glamorous things idols get to do but don't think about all the basic shit they aren't allowed

[sjtaazrz.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I feel like this generation of YG acts really had their reigns pulled in.

From Suhyun and BP saying they can't date or have plastic surgery to Winner not being able to drive, I feel like Big Bang and 2ne1 were so big despite scandals or drama that, now, YGE is really prohibiting things more this time around trying to keep people's names clean.

[calzonazos.livejournal.com]

I remember AKMU specifically asked YG to *not* include a plastic surgery clause in their initial contract, but the rest is just...wow. I could understand not driving in order to avoid accidents like Taeyeon's or DUIs like Super Senior's but it still feels very reclusive and honestly unnecesary. The same with dating. It feels more like a psychological thing, like proving the idols that the company really owns them.

[tungatunga.livejournal.com]

I remeber BP said that they mostly stay at the dorm because they are not allowed to go out without a manager and netz praising YG for managing them well smh.

[uguukawaii.livejournal.com]

I know it's because of the famous fact that idols use cars to date and YG are really working to keep winner clean of dating scandals or even rumours after tae + little things with ikon,but it still made me sad too lol

[baekpedaling.livejournal.com]

My wish for 2018 is that dating scandals stop being a thing unless it's an actual scandal. Like a love triangle not normal people just trying to have a girlfriend/boyfriend like everyone else

[krissasaur]

rip your wish (also dont ask why i am here)