 | |
Native name | 하이어뮤직레코즈 |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Music |
| Genre | |
| Founded | 2017 (2017)–present |
| Founder | |
| Headquarters | Seoul, South Korea |
Key people |
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| Parent | CJ ENM Entertainment Division |
| Website | https://www.h1ghrmusic.com/ |
H1ghr Music (stylized as H1GHR MUSIC;Korean: 하이어뮤직레코즈) is an internationalhip hop andR&B record label founded by Korean American musicianJay Park and long time Seattle affiliateCha Cha Malone in 2017.[1] Stationed primarily in South Korea, the label was created with the intent to "bridge the gap" between American and Korean artists, with a focus on adjacent Seattle talent.[2] Currently, the label houses over 17 artists.
H1ghr Music is a hip hop record label started in 2017 byJay Park andCha Cha Malone with the hopes of creating a more globally oriented label than Park's other Korean label,AOMG. Park created the label to show support for up and coming artists from his hometown ofSeattle, Washington and South Korea through collaborations and bridge the gap between Korean and American Hip Hop artists.[2][3] The name symbolizes the artists' goal to keep growing and to get to the next level.[4] Label artist Avatar Darko was the one who suggested to replace the 'i' in Highr to a '1'.[5]
The label launched with artists already signed. Aside from the founders, these artists included Yultron; Korean rappersSik-K andpH-1; Seattle artists Avatar Darko,[6]Raz Simone, Phe Reds, Jarv Dee. The label also began with producer roster consisting ofGroovyRoom and Woogie.[7]
Sik-K joined after participating inShow Me the Money 4[8] and after he parted ways with Grandline Entertainment, his former agency. His first single, titled "Fly", was released the same year. Raz Simone dropped his full-length album,Drive Theory, after signing.[9]
Later on in 2017, H1ghr Music signed producerThurxday[10][unreliable source?] (who was later resigned in 2019 under the new nameMokyo) and rapper Woodie Gochild.[11][12][unreliable source?] Woodie Gochild was signed after participating inShow Me the Money 6.
In 2018, H1GHR signed rapperHaon after he won the Korean rap survival showHigh School Rapper (Season 2)[13][unreliable source?] The same year he released his first EP,Travel: NOAH.[14]
SingerGolden, formerly known as G.Soul, also announced[when?] he had joined H1ghr Music after 17 years of being signed toJYP Entertainment.[15][16]
In 2019, the label signed the rapper Big Naughty after his participation inShow Me the Money 8.[17]
In late 2019, Jarv Dee parted ways with H1ghr Music.[18]
In 2020, the label released a remix version ofRain's song "Gang", which topped the Korean music charts.[19] The same year, they signed a new artist,Trade L.[20][unreliable source?]
In August 2020, the label announced a compilation album featuring all the artists on the roster withRed Tape: H1GHR version being released on September 2, followed by “Blue Tape; : H1GHR” on September 16.[21]
In March 2021,GroovyRoom announced that they are launching a new label called AREA (에어리어), in partnership with the label.[22][23]
On December 31, 2021, Jay Park announced his resignation as Co-CEO of H1ghr Music.[24] In 2022, the label announced the end of their exclusive contracts with Woogie,Sik-K, andJAY B.[25][26]
Park Ji-hoo and Han Seo-bin, male trainees under the agency, appeared onBoys Planet, their first audition program since the agency's founding. After the show ended, Han Seo-bin left the agency and joined another agency, while Park Ji-hoo transferred toWakeOne and debuted on September 18, 2023, as part of the project groupEvnne with Park Han-bin, Lee Jung-hyun, and Mun Jung-hyun fromWakeOne, Yoo Seung-eon and Ji Yoon-seo from Yuehua Entertainment Korea, and Keita from R.A.I.N. Company.
On August 24, 2024, it was announced that a spin-off group ofI-Land 2: N/a would be launched.[27]
| Year | Album title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Everywhere | GroovyRoom |
| Boycold | Sik-K | |
| 2018 | Rewind My Tape Part 1 | Woogie |
| #Gochild | Woodie Gochild | |
| Travel: Noah | Haon | |
| 2019 | HALO | pH-1 |
| Room Service | GroovyRoom & Leellamarz | |
| 2020 | Officially OG | Sik-K |
| X | pH-1 | |
| Headliner | Sik-K | |
| H1ghr: Red Tape | H1ghr Music | |
| H1ghr: Blue Tape | ||
| 2021 | Bucket List | Big Naughty |
| Homecoming | JMin | |
| SOMO:Fume | Jay B | |
| Time Table | Trade L | |
| 2022 | Mr. Hollywood | SMMT |
| But For Now Leave Me Alone | pH-1 |
| Award Ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korean Hip-hop Awards | 2021 | Hip-hop Album of the Year | H1ghr: Red Tape &H1ghr: Blue Tape | Nominated | [28] |
| Hip-hop Track of the Year | "The Purge" | ||||
| Music Video of the Year | Won | [29] | |||
| Label of the Year | H1ghr Music | ||||
| 2022 | H1ghr Music | Nominated | [30] |
H1ghr Music US Tour 2018
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 26, 2018 | Chicago | United States[31] | Park West |
| April 28, 2018 | New York | FREQ NYC | |
| April 29, 2018 | Phoenix | Paris of Scottsdale | |
| May 4, 2018 | Los Angeles | 333 Live | |
| May 5, 2018 | San Francisco | The Grand | |
| May 8, 2018 | Seattle | The Showbox |
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