We’re getting close to the end. By now the finals have already aired in Korea but I have been waiting for the subs to come out (many thanks to the folks over at Khiphop Subs on Facebook) so without further ado…

The MC asks the producers on team BrandNew about their logic behind putting Mino up against Black Nut and before VJ can answer Paloalto asks if he can say something:

He requests that this time around Black Nut keep Song Minho’s name out of his lyrics because he wants each rapper to share their stories and have the audience not be swayed one way or the other.

Black Nut says he’ll compete this time song-to-song and Mino says he just wants to be satisfied with his performance. He’s confident that if he does his best he’s sure to win.

The producers and contestants arrive at the studio for the second stage performance. San E has all kinds of energy per usual while the YG producers tell the camera if they lose today it’ll be the end.

*Has anyone else noticed VJ has retreated further and further into that hood with the last few episodes? I think he’s going to need a vacay to recover from all of the SMTM stress he’s been under)
We flashback to team Brandnew’s semi-final decision and Tablo is a little annoyed as well that Basick and Innovator will be facing one another again.

Jinu says since Basick won against Innovator this time everyone is underestimating them. San E said he thinks of it as a rematch for Innovator since he believes he did better that round and it’s a second chance for Basick to prove himself since he made a mistake.

In their team meeting, San E scolds Basick and tells him that while Black Nut seems to be fighting for his life, Basick seems to have a ‘carefree attitude’ and he asks him why.

San E asks him if it’s because people have been cheering for him since the beginning. He tells him expectations are high and its time for him to live up to them. Basick admits that out of all of his performances he hasn’t been satisfied with any of them. We get to go home with Basick and meet his wife and adorable baby.
His wife shares the concerns she had when Basick told her he was quitting his company job to join SMTM close to the time she was due.

We get to hear some more stories about Daddy Basick and how he’s balanced his duties as a father and husband with the show’s crazy filming schedule. His wife suggests that it has been hard for him to focus because he has to come home and fill these other roles.

During Basick’s rehearsal, things are going smoothly and Tablo says he can see they put in a lot of effort but he feels it’s a bit excessive. It’s Basick’s birthday and San E calls him off stage to surprise him with a cake.

Innovator completes his rehearsal and Black Nut comments that he thinks Basick’s stage was more exciting.

 

I thought that Innovator did well but his performance just wasn’t dynamic enough for me. I don’t think he lacks charisma but his swag/charisma is just a quieter kind. Regardless, the audience seemed to be into it and he worked the crowd well.

Basick’s got his game face on as he gets ready to get on stage. His wife is in the audience.

 

Numerous people have pointed out that the track sounded a LOT like Macklemore’s ‘Can’t Hold Us’ and it definitely does.That aside, Basick’s performance was high energy and he seemed to really give it his all this time. We’ve reached that point in the competition where it’s finally time for artists to shine and Basick came through for me in that last verse.

Innovator comes back on stage and the audience casts their votes but we per usual we will have to wait til later for the results.

Team ZiPal meets up and Zico shares the beat he has created for the semifinals. Mino begins to freestyle and the producers are really impressed (Zico is unabashed in his love for this kid).

During practice, Paloalto and Zico encourage Mino telling him his lyrics are really good. We see bits of the journey that have led Mino to SMTM. His lyrics will reflect the struggles he faced during his many years of training to debut with YG.
Mino meets up with his dad, who tells him he watches every episode of the show. Mino’s dad remarks on all the hate Mino has received throughout the show and Mino tells his dad that is why he’s determined to do well.

Mino invites his parents to come and watch the performance. In the dressing room, Paloalto tells him emotional control will be paramount with his parents in the audience. Mino reminds him he knows how to keep a cool head LOL

As Mino prepares to rehearse his performance, he and the producers greet his “mystery guest” in the studio (who despite Mnet’s best efforts to blur him out most Korean music fans can tell is OBVIOUSLY Taeyang).

Black Nut and his team come out to watch and Black Nut throws a bit of shade: “Why is someone who’s filming Infinity Challenge here? I’ll bring IU then.” Black Nut reveals he will be teaming up with Rapper Jessi (Unpretty Rapstar) whom he is sure will secure him male votes as well female votes.

Soon the much-anticipated show down finally arrives.

 

After Mino’s performance is over all anyone can say is “와, 멋있다” (~ wow so cool/so good).
I really like the style Mino went with for this performance. Taeyang’s feature was a brilliant move but I really believe Mino’s strength and talent was shown. He captivated the audience. Even when his dad looked like he was going to cry, Mino held it together. I think it it was a memorable stage.

I loved how Tablo was jamming backstage watching his YG fam kill it.

Now we back up to Black Nut discussing the theme of his lyrics with the BrandNew producers.

Black Nut says he’s fooled around til now but its time for him to share with people who Kim Daewoong really is. He visits his mom at his parents restaurant in Junju. His mom shared that she’s been too nervous to watch the live broadcasts but instead has her husband tell her what happened and then she can watch.

We see that what fuels Black Nut is a desire to be successful so he can make his parents proud and help to support them. His mom tells him that instead of delivering harsh lyrics he should share lyrics that will show his heart.

Rehearsals go well and San E and VJ seem to have faith in Black Nut. At the stage rehearsal, Mino notices that their autobiographical concepts are quite similar so he says he believes Black Nut’s will have impact.

Paloalto shares that he was impressed with Black Nut’s lyrics and San E carefully attends to every detail of the rehearsal. Black Nut reflects on how kind VJ and San E have been to him and expresses how thankful he is to have been on their team.
As he approaches the stage you can hear the audience chanting his name.

 

Black Nut is unpolished and raw and that is where his appeal lies. I think the audience was fully engaged while he rapped and it was a performance that drew you in and made you begin to understand him and where he’s come from. Jessi removed his glasses for the second verse and he continued the performance with charisma.
I have to say that when Black Nut left the stage, it really felt like the win could be his or Mino’s.

Now it’s time for the votes to be finalized and counted. First we will determine who won between Basick and Innovator.

We find out that Basick has blown Innovator out of the water in terms of money votes:

The final results could change based on the second round of votes but in the end Basick wins and advances to the final round, which means Team YG is eliminated.

Now we get to see the votes Mino and Black Nut have received. Zico shares that he has heard that Black Nut will win rather than “It was a close match”.

It turns out that based on the first rounds voting results, Black Nut has received 800,000 won more than Mino, placing him in front. With the addition of the second round of votes,this could very well change. The MC asks Zico if he thinks a turnover is possible and Zico responds that he hopes so. When Mino is asked the same question he says “The gap is greater than I anticipated”.

Who will be the victor??

After much suspense, the final results are shown…

Team ZiPal takes the win. Mino hugs the producers, relieved and happy. This is the end for Black Nut. VJ says that working with Black Nut on SMTM for the past couple weeks in his mid-30s life “has been like a heavy rainstorm” LOL but he says that he believes today Black Nut showed his personal best.
Black Nut shares it was an inferiority complex and jealousy that led him to sarcastically start the saying “Song Minho will win anyway” but now he wishes Mino the best in the finals.

There are warm feelings all around.

I can’t with this John Legend track with Black Nut’s exit tho…Mnet producers who even are you…
And so we have our final contestants:

I’m looking forward to the finals. Basick had been letting me down the past couple weeks but this episode he really showed that he’s in this to win it (better late than never I suppose).

I do wonder what the outcome would’ve been if Basick had been pitted against Black Nut. I believe Mino vs Innovator would have resulted in Mino in the finals for sure but I can’t say whether Basick landing in the finals would have been a given. What do you think??

Come back here for the final recap of Show Me the Money 4 soon!