Epik High
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Epik High 에픽 하이 |
||
|---|---|---|
 Epik High's second album cover
|
||
| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Seoul, South Korea |
|
| Genre(s) | K-pop, hip hop, rap | |
| Years active | 2003 - present | |
| Label(s) | WOOLLIM Entertainment | |
| Website | Official Site | |
| Members | ||
| Tablo Mithra Jin DJ Tuklutz |
||
Epik High (에픽 하이) is a South Korean hip hop group consisting of two master of ceremonies (MCs) and one disc jockey (DJ). Their music is known to be as lyrical as a piece of literature and at the same time very witty and paradoxical.[1] Epik High is known for the hit songs "Fly", "평화의 날" (Day of Peace), "I Remember", "Paris" and most recently "Fan".
Contents |
[edit] History
The group was unknown to many Koreans in the beginning of their career due to the lack of popularity of hip-hop music in Korea. However, with the success of their third album (released in late 2005), they have become one of the most popular musical groups in Korea. "Fly", the title song from their third album was a big hit in Korea and became the number one song on many Korean TV music programs and on online music charts[citation needed]. The song also appeared on the video game FIFA 07.
[edit] Success of fourth album
Their fourth album, Remapping of the Human Soul, was released on January 23, 2007. The fourth album was supposed to come out in October 2006, but due to problems in the job the date was postponed[citation needed]. The album sold almost 90,000 copies in its first month and pushed Epik High to the number one spot for best upcoming artist.[citation needed] Also they decided to become 'no genre, just music' from fourth album. Some songs in the fourth album has been banned from several channels due not to the use of swear words but to issues dealing sexual crimes, war, education and religion to which the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is trying to stop air play as stated by Tablo in an interview with The Korea Times.[2] With the title song "Fan (Fanantic)", pushed Epik High upwards to number one on many music charts and also number one selling music album. Epik High has also been growing fame in Japan with their song "Flow", which features Emi Hinouchi from m-flo. They will release a CD sample in Japan. There have been offers to remake "Fly" as well as "Paris".[3]
[edit] Members
[edit] Tablo
Tablo (born July 22, 1980), born Lee Sun Woong (이선웅), or Daniel Armand Lee in American, is the leader and rapper of the group. He was born in South Korea and moved to the United States when he was eight years old. Tablo is known not only for his appearance in Korean variety shows and sitcoms such as MBC's Nonstop5, but also for his Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Stanford University, California, USA.[4] Tablo was a big hip-hop fan ever since he could remember, listening to old Run-DMC and Cold Crush tapes and always rhyming around the way in South Korea. But there was one emcee who inspired him to take it seriously. After he heard Drunken Tiger rapping, he became part of a group called Epik High in 2000 and also claimed to be the first emcee to invent the rhyming rifle. In the fickle world of hip-hop, Tablo kept his name alive over the years by doing shows and various cameos with the EPMD.
[edit] Mithra Jin
Mithra Jin (born January 6, 1983), born Choi Jin (최진) is a rapper in the group. Mithra Jin was originally a poet whose poems also worked as rhymes. Park emceeing and poetry readings were the first places where he met his future partner Tablo. They were introduced by a mutual friend and clicked right away because each other's style of poetic rhymes was comparable.
"I'm capable of anything. Anything on the face of this planet, I'm capable of. And I know that. That's the dangerous thing about me, 'cause I know it. And by knowing it...I'll do it. Just to show that...yes, somebody out there got enough balls to do it." - Mithra Jin
[edit] DJ Tukutz
DJ Tukutz (born November 19, 1981), born Kim Jung Shik (김정식) is the disc jockey for the group. DJ Tukutz first got into DJ-ing in the summer of 1995 while spending his time at illegal raves and warehouse parties, where his passion for the scene and music began. He started playing at local raves and parties in Japan's underground Hip-Hop scene, before moving up to South Korea in 2000 to attend the Technics DJ School. After returning from the academy, he hooked up with Tablo and headed to the states. He worked and DJ-ed on radio shows, live events and clubs around the Boston and New York City area.
[edit] Discography
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
[edit] Other Works
- TBNY - Volume 1 - Masquerade (April 12, 2006)
- Track 7 - L.I.E.
- I.F - Volume 2 - More Than Music (December 5, 2006)
- Track 11 - N.I.C.E (Nothing Is Cool Enough)
[edit] Tablo
- Clazziquai - Project 2nd Remix Album - Pinch Your Soul (March 17, 2006)
- Track 2 - Love Mode
- Lim Jeong Hee - Volume 2 - Thanks (March 23, 2006)
- Track 11 - Never Know
- TBNY - Volume 1 - Masquerade (April 12, 2006)
- Track 8 - Cha Ryut!
- Clazziquai - Project Remix - Pinch Your Soul (June 6, 2006)
- Track 2 - Love Mode
- Rain - Volume 4 - Rain's World (October 16, 2006)
- Track 2 - I'm Coming
[edit] Awards
| Year | Awards |
|---|---|
| 2005 |
|
[edit] References
- ^ KBS Artist Search - Epik High
- ^ Epik High Soars to New Heights
- ^ Epik High to expand into Japan with sample CD
- ^ Straight Outta ... Seoul?
[edit] External links
- (Korean) Epik High's Official Site
- (Korean) WOOLLIM Entertainment's Official Site
- (English) CJ Music's Official Site
