Groove to the Beat! The Troublemakers 2, where youths exhilaratingly and freely express themselves in various hip-hop cultures encompassing rapping and b-boying, has been published. This book is a sequel to The Troublemakers: We’re Hip-hop! (published by Changbi), which has received attention for its exploration of various problems faced by children in their daily lives in a delightful way through hip-hop. A rowdy and lighthearted story unfolds around the protagonist “Mr. Look-away,” who, like children today, is preoccupied with many thoughts, and his friends, who are full of character, as well as “Megalodon,” a newly introduced ace. The process through which the problems and worries of these figures are solved via rapping and b-boying will present readers with a sense of exhilaration and liberation. In addition, this volume will serve as a greatly entertaining guide to key elements of hip-hop culture.
All of the characters in this book feel frustrated in an invariable reality. The confusion and loneliness that come when a close friend suddenly transfers to another school, the feeling of betrayal when one is deserted by trusted friends, longing for a grandmother who has passed away… Children’s preoccupations are no less serious than those of grownups. Youngsters vent their frustration through rapping and b-boying. In the process, they come to dream of becoming the best rappers, disk jockeys, and b-boys in the world. The secret place where “Megalodon” practices rapping and b-boying shows that children need time and space of their own in order to harbor their dreams and to grow.