Tiger JK | |
|---|---|
 Tiger JK during an autograph event inBundang, December 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | JK, Drunken Tiger, DT |
| Born | Seo Jung-kwon (1974-07-29)July 29, 1974 (age 51) |
| Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
| Genres | Korean hip hop |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 서정권 |
| RR | Seo Jeonggwon |
| MR | Sŏ Chŏnggwŏn |
Seo Jung-kwon (Korean: 서정권; born July 29, 1974), also known asTiger JK (타이거 JK), is a South Korea-born American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur based in South Korea. He is best known as a founding member ofKorean hip hop groupDrunken Tiger. He has also founded two record labels, Jungle Entertainment andFeel Ghood Music.[1][unreliable source?] He is a member of the South Korean hip hop trioMFBTY.[2]
He is considered a highly influential figure in the development of Korean hip-hop and is credited with helping bring the genre into the Korean mainstream.[3][4][5][unreliable source?]The Los Angeles Times referred to him in 2011 as "perhaps the most popular Korean rapper in America, Asia and the world."[6]
Tiger JK (Seo Jung-kwon) was born inSeoul, South Korea on July 29, 1974. His father, Suh Byung Hoo (d. 2014), was aDJ and one of the first Korean pop columnists, and the firstBillboard correspondent in Korea in the 1970s.[7][8] His family moved to the United States when he was 12, and he was sent to briefly live with an uncle inMiami,Florida, where he practicedTaekwondo, becoming a 3rd "dan" black belt.[8]
He spent his teenage years inLos Angeles,California, where he attended Glendale Hoover High School in Glendale, CA. As a teen in Los Angeles, Tiger JK witnessed the violence between Korean-Americans and African-Americans during the1992 Los Angeles Riots. He later said he wanted to use hip hop to create a dialogue between the two communities.[6]
Tiger JK attended Santa Monica College and then transferred toUCLA[9] and graduated with aB.A. degree in English from the Creative Writing program.[10]
In 1995, Tiger JK's first solo album,Enter The Tiger, was released in Korea by Oasis Records, a connection Tiger JK had made because his father was friends with the company's CEO. The album got little airplay due to its perceived explicit content.[3][9]
Tiger JK returned to the United States and teamed up withDJ Shine to form the groupDrunken Tiger in 1998. The group debuted in Korea and, despite the explicit content of their lyrics and the group's rejection of mainstream music trends, they achieved popularity with their first album,Year of the Tiger, which included the hit songs, "I Want You" and "Do You Know Hip-hop."[3][6][9]
Over the next several years, Drunken Tiger brought on new members and released multiple albums, winning numerous awards.[11][12] Founding member DJ Shine left the group in 2005.[13][unreliable source?]
In 2006, Tiger JK left Oasis Records and established his own hip-hop label, Jungle Entertainment. The label represented Drunken Tiger, and prominent Korean rappersYoon Mi-rae andLeessang were among the artists to join the label over the next few years.[1][14]
Tiger JK continued to release music with Drunken Tiger over the next few years, while also collaborating with other artists. In 2012, he featured on "Let This Die," a single byBrian Joo of the R&B duoFly to the Sky.[15][unreliable source?] That same year, he featured on "Wicked," a song by newK-pop girl groupFiestar.[16][unreliable source?]
In 2013, Tiger JK teamed up with Yoon Mi-rae andBizzy to form the groupMFBTY, an acronym for "My Fans are Better Than Yours." Soon after, he left Jungle Entertainment and founded a new label,Feel Ghood Music, which now releases MFBTY's music.[17] He has had multiple collaborations with popular boy group leaderRM ofBTS with the latter featuring on his final album Drunken Tiger X: Rebirth of Tiger JK[18] on the song Timeless.He also featured inSeventeen'sHoshi's Tiger released in 2022.In 2023, he featured on "TOPLINE", a single released by K-pop groupStray Kids, also appearing in the official M/V.
Tiger JK was arrested for usingmethamphetamine in Korea in 2000, at the same time that members of the Korean hip hop groupUptown were also arrested on drug charges. Tiger JK said that, though he had used drugs in the past, he had not used them in Korea, and he said that he was ultimately found guilty due to false testimony from the members of Uptown. He spent a month and a half in jail and was given two years probation.[19]
Tiger JK was diagnosed with acutetransverse myelitis, a spinal cord condition that affects motor functions, in 2006. He was hospitalized and took a two-year hiatus from performing. As of 2014, he continued to take medication to treat the condition.[3][20]
In June 2007, Tiger JK married rapper and singerYoon Mi-rae in a private ceremony in a Buddhist Temple. The wedding occurred a month before the death of his grandmother who had wanted to see them wed before her death. Yoon gave birth to their son, Jordan, in March 2008.[9][21]
In 2006, Tiger JK launched a clothing line calledLungta.[22]
In 2011, under American rapperDr. Dre's "Beats By Dr. Dre" headphones line, Tiger JK released his own limited edition headphones. They retailed for 690,000won, and all profits went to a child safety organization.[23][unreliable source?][24][unreliable source?]
| Title | Year | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [26] | US World [27] | |||
| "Forever" (반가워요)(chorus byYoon Mi-rae) | 2015 | 71 | 24 | Non-album singles |
| "I Know" (이런건가요) | —[a] | — | ||
| "Fly Like an Eagle" (이글거려)(feat. Yoon Mi-rae andBizzy) | — | — | ||
| "Here to Stay"(withSkull) | 2017 | — | — | |
| "Ghood Family"(with Yoon Mi-rae, feat. Bizzy, Black Nine, BB andMrshll) | — | — | ||
| "Draw Your Love"(with Yoon Mi-rae and Bizzy) | 2019 | — | — | |
| "This is Pengsoo" (펭수로 하겠습니다)(withPengsoo, Bizzy andBibi) | 2020 | 54 | — | |
| "kiss kiss bang bang"(feattwlv) | — | — | ||
| "Love Peace" (호심술) | 2021 | —[b] | — | |
| "POV" | 2022 | — | — | |
| "Self Love"(withF.Hero, Yoon Mi-rae andBillkin) | — | — | ||
| "Jinju" (진주)(with Yoon Mi-rae) | 2023 | —[c] | — | |
| "T.K.D"(with Taekwoncre) | 2024 | — | — | |
| Title | Year | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [26] | US World [27] | |||
| "First Love" (첫사랑)(feat.Punch) | 2014 | 63 | — | Pinocchio OST |
| "Reset"(feat. Jinsil of Mad Soul Child) | 2015 | 22 | 22 | Who Are You: School 2015 OST |
| "A Beautiful Lie" (어디로 가야해)(withBizzy) | 2019 | — | — | Beautiful WorldOST |
| "The Sea Doesn't Get Wet in the Rain" (바다는 비에 젖지 않아) | 2022 | — | — | MonstrousOST |
| "Daemuga" (대무가)(with MC Meta andNucksal) | — | — | Daemuga OST | |
| "Wadadada" (와다다다) | —[d] | — | One Dollar LawyerOST | |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 세계일주 (Trip Around the World) | Pil Hong[32][unreliable source?] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | High Kick Through the Roof | Gwang-soo's friend | Tiger JK made a cameo appearance on this sitcom.[33][unreliable source?] |
| Infinite Challenge | Himself | His team won on the "Highway Music Festival" episodes of this variety show.[34] | |
| "Project Runway: Korea" (season 2) | Himself | He appeared on "Project Runway: Korea" Season Two, Episode Eight titled "Hiphopper's Wedding Crasher." He challenged the designers to create a wedding dress for his Fiancé, and was a judge in the episode as well. | |
| 2011 | Welcome to the Jungle: Sunzoo | Himself | This was a reality show special.[35][unreliable source?] |
| 2012 | Salamander Guru and The Shadows | Tiger | He made a cameo appearance on this sitcom.[36][unreliable source?] |
| The Hero on Stage: Tiger JK.ING | Himself | This was a 2-part TV documentary about Tiger JK.[37] | |
| 2016 | We Kid | Himself | Tiger JK is a judge on this music competition show for kids.[38][unreliable source?] |
| 2017 | Show Me The Money | Himself | He appeared on this music competition show as a producer judge |
| 2019 | Boss in the Mirror | Himself | He appeared as boss ofFeel Ghood Music in the show |
| 2021 | Wild Idol | Coach | [39] |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best Male Artist | "Monster"[40][41] | Won |
| Best Rap Performance | Nominated | |||
| 2010 | Style Icon Awards | Beautiful Sharing | Tiger JK andYoon Mi-rae[42][unreliable source?] | Won |
| Mnet 20's Choice Awards | Most Influential Stars | Tiger JK and Yoon Mi-rae[43][unreliable source?] | Won | |
| 2011 | Men's Health Cool Guy Contest | Best Cover Model | Tiger JK[44][unreliable source?] | Won |
| 2016 | 11th Soompi Awards | Best Drama OST (share with Jinsil) | Who Are You: School 2015 (Reset)[45][unreliable source?] | Won |
| Current roster |
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| Former | |||||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
