Epik High's Candid Conversation: Retirement Fears, Industry Insights, and Skipping Music Shows

Time of India

6 days ago

Epik High
When Legends Meet - A Candid Chat Between Veterans
You know that moment when you're hanging out with your older cousins and they suddenly get real about life? That's exactly what happened when Epik High (Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz) invited Super Junior's Eunhyuk, Donghae, and Shindong over for what they jokingly called a "3-on-3 meeting.
" What was supposed to be light entertainment turned into one of those rare, unfiltered conversations that make you pause and think.
The whole thing kicked off with typical variety show shenanigans - Eunhyuk doing his weirdly accurate USB sound impression (we've all been there, right?), Shindong showing off some gentle martial arts moves, and Donghae challenging Tukutz to an impromptu wrestling match. But somewhere between the laughs and the playful banter, these seasoned artists started talking about something we all secretly worry about - what happens when you're no longer the young, hot thing everyone's talking about?
It felt like sitting in on a conversation between your favorite uncles who've seen it all but are still figuring things out.
There's something deeply human about watching successful people admit they're scared too.
The Fear That Keeps Everyone Up at Night
When Eunhyuk dropped the question that probably haunts every working person - "Have you ever thought about how old you can be while still being active?" - you could practically feel the collective gulp. Mithra Jin tried to keep it zen with "until we naturally have to leave," but Tablo's answer hit like a punch to the gut.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Undo
"When we hit exactly 10 years since debut, I felt this fear creeping in - 'Are we getting a bit old now?' New artists kept emerging, and I was scared that we'd have to stop whether we wanted to or not," he confessed. It's that sinking feeling you get when you realize your younger colleagues are getting promoted faster, or when you catch yourself not understanding the latest trends.
Shindong's response made it even more real: "While preparing this album, we kept asking ourselves, 'Isn't this too old-fashioned for us to be doing?'" It's like when you're at a college fest and suddenly feel ancient, or when you use a reference that makes everyone stare at you blankly.
That moment when you realize you might be on the wrong side of the generation gap.
The Heartbreaking Truth About Stepping Back
This is where Tablo shared something that'll simultaneously crack you up and break your heart. His explanation for why Epik High doesn't do music shows anymore is peak millennial existential crisis material.
"I turned on the TV after a long time and saw a music show. All these young, gorgeous kids were performing, and then suddenly band Nell appeared.
It felt like the video quality dropped," he said with the kind of brutal self-awareness that makes you want to hug him. The man literally texted Nell's Kim Jong-wan saying, "Let's just quit - both you and us."
But then Tukutz came through with the most beautiful response ever: "There are probably friends who need those precious 4 minutes more than us. Aren't there kids who are more desperate than we are?" It's like when your mom saves the last piece of cake for your younger sibling because "they haven't had any yet" - frustrating but also incredibly sweet.