5 3RACHA Songs to Introduce You to Stray Kids' Sound

In the years before there was Stray Kids, there was 3RACHA. There still is; 3RACHA currently exists as the Stray Kids' production team, where their music that originated with a strong hip-hop and rap base and has grown with precision, skill, and passion to the sound fans associate with the unique and powerful sound of the group.

The production trio, consisting of BANG CHAN, SEO CHANGBIN, and HAN JISUNG, released their first track in January 2017 and continued to level up in speed, skill, and unique use of sound that would later become pieces of Stray Kids' albums. Bang Chan, known in 3RACHA as CB97, joined J.Y.P Entertainment as a trainee at just 13-years-old. His love of music and drive to pursue his dreams led him to venture away from his home in Australia and find a second home in the family he built now known to the world as Stray Kids. Changbin, aka SPEARB to 3RACHA, continuously ranks as one of the fastest rappers in K-pop and revealed during round 2 of The Masked Singer, said that he would like to show more of his vocals and a relaxed version of himself in the future. Han, aka J.One to 3RACHA, always brings impactful lyrics and a knack for helping the others find their own style in the songs he writes. All 3 members of the production group bring more than their rap and vocal skills to producing. Their attention to detail and inclusion of Stray Kids' members emotions, ideas, and input has helped them complete 17 albums and mini-albums and a considerable number of solo projects and singles for the group. 

The Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) is the largest collective management organization in South Korea composed of songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han recently found themselves deemed "full members" of KOMCA. 

Here are a few songs to help you get started as you get to know Stray Kids:

Runner's High

Six years ago, the producers released "Runner's High." Stray Kids are known for their lyrics with meanings of all kinds and words that feel close to the heart for themselves and those that listen. Runner's High is no exception as the artists' hook reads,

"Run until the tip of your foot burns

The "barefooted youth", more burn it up

Even if I fall, there will be no scar

Run again, run higher, run, run"

The lyrics still apply to how the group approaches reaching even higher for their dreams, no matter the obstacles.

  

Matryoshka

Famous among Stray Kids' fans, Matryoshka is a track that very quickly captures the ears of the listener with a beat that builds, ebbs and flows, and leads to the iconic line delivered by Changbin. This early song, like many others, highlights the different flow styles of each 3RACHA member. 

    

Hoodie Season

Fans likely recognize the title of this tune and the transition from how the original 3RACHA version sounds compared to the Stray Kids track re-released in 2021.

       

For You

Another recognizable songs for STAY, but one notable for new fans to understand how their melodic sound developed and was seamlessly intertwined with their hip hop style. 

 

Scene Stealers

One of the songs you might not recognize within Stray Kids' tracks but definitely helps pinpoint some genre mixing they still use, is "Scene Stealers." Their jazz-style base for the track allows the listener to hone in on Changbin's rap that runs in-time, above, and all-around the rhythm. And the adlibs and pop culture references that Bang Chan is famous for including in recordings and on stages, can be found in early pieces like this one.
           

You can listen to more original tracks on 3RACHA's Youtube.

What's Next?

Stray Kids was just awarded "Best K-pop" at MTV's 2023 Video Music Awards! They will continue their busy schedule with an upcoming appearance at Global Citizens Fest in New York on September 23, and their final stops on their 5-Star Dome Tour at Japan's Kyocera Dome, Tokyo Dome, and the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.