There’s a point in Penomeco’s new EP RNSSNC TAPE where the dust of his past collaborations finally settles, and something sharper begins to emerge. Eight tracks deep, the South Korean rapper and producer Penomeco lays out a blueprint for a new era—less crowded, more controlled, and intentionally off-kilter.
Released via EGO GROUP and Kakao Entertainment, RNSSNC TAPE is Penomeco’s first full project since cutting ties with P Nation and launching his own imprint, if I. That decision hovers heavily over every moment on the record. From the cracked percussion of “KK” to the emotionally hollowed-out shimmer of “Leave Without You,” the record carries the energy of an artist stepping out from the crowd without asking permission.
He calls it a “personal rebirth.” The title “Renaissance” is a direct statement about creative autonomy. What’s changed musically is more layered. “RNSSNC,” the opener, is a tightly packed mission statement, fast and furious. “EGGE” with YDG might be the EP’s most immediate highlight—an intentionally weird, Latin-pop-laced track that warps a Korean slang term into a taunt and transforms YDG’s grizzled flow into something chaotic and propulsive. Their last collaboration “BOLO” went viral in Europe. This one aims more local, but hits harder.
“Dance With Me” and “Fine By Me” occupy a different frequency. These are cold tracks—bleached in reverb, emotionally fatigued. Penomeco doesn’t need grand hooks to sell these songs. He lets space do the talking. When Moon Sujin joins him on “Leave Without You,” the restraint becomes haunting. No extra drama. Just two voices unraveling.
And then there’s “My Chick” with Lil Cherry, the most daring beat on the project. Afro Pluggnb is still an emerging sound globally, but Penomeco finds room to warp and twist it into something bruised and flirtatious. Lil Cherry’s verse is pure attitude, and it’s placed exactly where it should be—late in the record, after the mood’s already turned.
The final track, a remix of 2018’s “COCO BOTTLE,” could have felt indulgent. Instead, it plays like an afterparty—relieved, euphoric, fully modern. APRO’s production flips nostalgia into movement, and just like that, Penomeco’s loop closes and restarts.
You can feel the distance between this and earlier work. He’s no longer trying to be a label’s wildcard or a crew’s MVP. He’s his own axis now.
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