Legendary K-Pop Idol Accused Of Plagiarizing Over 20 Songs From Black Artists

Korean boy group Shinhwa is facing intense backlash after allegations surfaced that over 20 of their songs contain plagiarized lyrics. In particular, rapper Eric has come under fire for reportedly lifting lines almost verbatim from works by well-known Black artists such as Foxy Brown, Outkast, and Da Brat — even allegedly including the N-word in some of his rap verses.

The controversy erupted after a viral post on the Korean online community TheQoo exposed the issue in detail, amassing over 100,000 views within hours. The post provided side-by-side comparisons of Eric’s lyrics and the originals, revealing near-identical phrasing and repeated use of the racial slur, which has caused massive public outrage.

Here are three comparisons. Eric’s English rap lyrics sit at the top, while the original sits below.

• Shinhwa’s “Soul” vs. JT Money‘s “Who Dat”

| theqoo

• Shinhwa’s “Perfect Man” vs. AZ‘s “Everything’s Everything”

| theqoo

• Shinhwa’s “Your Wedding” vs. Foxy Brown‘s “Get Me Home”

| theqoo

According to the comparisons, most of the copied lyrics were barely altered — with only minor word swaps or name changes. An example comes from Shinhwa’s track “Wedding,” where Foxy Brown’s original lyrics are “Hold up, let’s take it from the top, I Fox” was changed to “Hold up, let’s take it from the top, hot box.” The rest of the verse reportedly remains almost identical to the source material.

Eric was officially credited as the lyricist for these rap sections, but the viral investigation has now cast serious doubt on the authenticity of his contributions. Netizens believe he got away with it due to the generation he promoted in. In the late 90s, rap music from other cultures were not as prevalent in South Korea, neither was the use of English or the internet.

| theqoo

• I’m an old fan, and I never knew…
• I thought that they made a typo, claiming that he plagiarized 2 songs, but it turned out to really be 22. Wow.
• 22 songs?
• The 90s sure were a hot bed for plagiarism.
• 22?
• He sure was born in the right generation.

Despite the growing criticism, neither Shinhwa Company nor SM Entertainment (their former agency) has released an official statement addressing the allegations. Fans and netizens have expressed disappointment and anger, noting that this is not the first time Shinhwa has faced accusations of musical plagiarism.