Kwon Ji Yong (Korean: 권지용; born August 18, 1988), better known by his stage name G-Dragon (Korean: 지드래곤), is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, dancer, lyricist, producer, model, endorser and fashion icon.
At the age of eight he was under contract at SM Entertainment, but he decided to change record labels. After 6 years as a trainee under the record label YG Entertainment, G-Dragon officially debuted as the leader and one of two rappers for the Korean group Big Bang.
G-Dragon has been involved with writing, composing, and producing many
of Big Bang's hit tracks, including "Lies", "Last Farewell", and "Haru
Haru".
He released his debut solo album, Heartbreaker (2009), which yielded the number-one single of the same name.
The album went on to become one of the most successful albums of the
year, garnering sales of over 200,000 copies and winning the Mnet Asian Music Awards for Album of the Year. Heartbreaker
also sparked major controversies for the artist, including accusations
of plagiarism. After almost a year of hiatus, G-Dragon and bandmate, T.O.P collaborated to record and release the album GD & TOP
(2010). The album saw the release of three singles: "High High," "Oh
Yeah," and "Knock Out," all of which have charted within the top three
positions of the Gaon chart, with "High High" becoming a chart-topper.
In 2012, G-Dragon released his second solo album, "One of a Kind," with hit singles "One of a Kind," "Crayon," and "That XX." Recently in 2013, he released his second full album in four years Coup D'Etat.
G-Dragon's influence extends beyond the music industry. He has shaped major trends in South Korea.
His tight control over his image and artistry have won him praise. His
continuous contribution to fashion, his lyrical contents, and his
composition have garnered him awards. He is the only man selected as one
of the "50 Reasons Why Seoul is the Best City" by CNN.[1]
On April 2013, G-Dragon released a new song, '미치GO', through messaging app LINE.
G-Dragon became the second member of Big Bang to make a solo debut in
Japan after his bandmate Daesung's solo concert tour in February.
G-Dragon embarked on his first worldwide tour as a solo artist, which
included a four-dome tour in Japan.[2] As of September 2013, he is promoting his album Coup D'Etat.
1988–2009: Early life and debut with Big Bang
Main article: Big Bang (South Korean band)
Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Kwon began his career at the age of 5 as part of the group Little Roora.[3]
After releasing a Christmas album, the group's contract was terminated
by their record company, to which Kwon described as "shock[ing]."
Although he vowed to his mother that he "wouldn't do it [becoming a
singer] again," Kwon was scouted by SM Entertainment while on a ski trip with his family.[4]
He was a trainee under the record label for five years (8–13 years
old), specializing in dance before he left as he was unclear about what
he wanted to do.[3]
In third grade, Kwon was introduced to the American rap group Wu-Tang Clan by a friend. Inspired by their music, he developed an interest in rapping and began taking classes.[3] Under People Crew's[5] tutelage, he participated in the release of the Korean hip-hop Flex
album in 2001, becoming the youngest Korean rapper at just 13 years
old. Although he wrote his own lyrics for the song, he admitted that his
English was weak and the story behind the lyrics actually meant "I'm young, but I'm the best."[3] Kwon caught the interest of Sean of the hip-hop duo Jinusean from YG Entertainment, who later recommended him to CEO Yang Hyun Suk.
After signing a contract with the record label. Kwon spent the first
year cleaning the studio for the other artists in the record label and
fetching them water bottles during dance practice.[3]
He and another trainee Dong Young-bae, originally planned to debut as
the hip-hop duo GDYB, with Kwon choosing the stage name of G-Dragon
("Ji" is pronounced like "G", and Yong is Korean for Dragon).[4]
After six years of training, Kwon made several featured appearances on
other artists' albums and even released several singles with Dong
Young-bae under the name "GDYB". G-Dragon made his official debut as the
leader of the group Big Bang in 2006, after six years of training under YG Entertainment, with Dong Youngbae (who chose the stage-name Taeyang) and three other members.
The formation of the group was documented on television,[6] and though there were initially six members, one was dropped before the official debut.[4] The group's debut was fairly successful, with their first single netting in sales of over 40,000 copies.[7]
It spawned several airplay singles, including "La La La", "We Belong
Together" and "Forever with You" which featured label-mate Park Bom. The album also included G-Dragon's first solo song, a cover of the American alternative rock group Maroon 5's single "This Love".[6] Following the release of the group's mini-album Always in 2007, G-Dragon began to involve himself more with the production of their albums.[8] Always featured several songs composed by him, including the lead-single "Lies" (Korean: 거짓말; Revised Romanization: Geojitmal), which became the group's first number-one hit. Their following mini-albums followed its predecessor's footsteps: Hot Issue yielded "Last Farewell" (Korean: 마지막 인사; Revised Romanization: Majimak Insa) while Stand Up spawned "Day by Day" (Korean: 하루하루; Revised Romanization: Haru Haru); both singles, which were composed by him were chart-toppers.[9][10]
2009–present: Solo, career development, World Tour, Japanese Debut and 2nd album "Coup d'etat"
Aside from Big Bang, G-Dragon also made several solo appearances. After helping produce Taeyang's debut album, he recorded his own version of the album's lead single "Only Look At Me" (Korean: 나만바라봐; Revised Romanization: Naman Barabwa), titled as the "Only Look At Me Part 2" to the song. The single was released digitally. Along with Taeyang and T.O.P., G-Dragon was featured on singer Lexy's song "Super Fly" for her album Rush. In May 2009, he collaborated with the Japanese boy band W-inds. for their single, "Rain Is Fallin'/Hybrid Dream."[11][12]
After Taeyang released his solo effort, G-Dragon released his debut solo album Heartbreaker, featuring collaborations with several artists, including Teddy of 1TYM, Taeyang, Kush, CL of 2NE1, and Sandara Park of 2NE1. Initially scheduled to be released in April, the album was pushed back to August[13] to coincide with his 21st (Korean years: 22nd) birthday.[14] The album marked a change in G-Dragon's appearances as he dyed his hair blonde to match its concept. Propelled by its lead-single of the same name, an electronic pop song, the album sold over 200,000 copies[15][16] and went on to win Album of the Year from the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards.[17] The second single, "Breathe", manage to chart within the Top Twenty[18] while his other songs — "The Leaders", "A Boy", "Hello", and "She's Gone" — went on to top various charts upon their release.[19] Shortly after Heartbreaker's release, G-Dragon was accused of plagiarism by Sony Music when his tracks "Heartbreaker" and "Butterfly" were alleged to be similar to Flo Rida's "Right Round" and Oasis's "She's Electric", respectively.[20][21] However, EMI, the record label that distributed "Right Round" said that they saw no similarities between these two songs.[22] On March 6, 2010, YG Entertainment announced that they personally contacted Flo Rida's representatives requesting that he feature in G-Dragon's live album, Shine a Light, to which Flo Rida accepted.[23] In support of his album, G-Dragon staged his first solo concert at the Olympic Park in December 2009. Entitled Shine a Light, the name of the concert was derived from the lyrics to his song "A Boy".[24] The concert subsequently sparked controversy following complaints of obscenity[25] and suggestive content.[26] The Korean Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs later asked the government prosecutors to investigate if G-Dragon or YG Entertainment violated laws on obscene performances in his concert.[27][28] He was found innocent and was cleared of all charges on March 15, 2010.[29]
In November 2010, YG Entertainment announced the collaboration album from G-Dragon and bandmate T.O.P.[30]
Preceding the release of the album, the duo held a world-wide premiere
showcase for their album at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo of Seoul, South Korea,[31] which was also broadcast live on YouTube.[1] To promote their album, the duo released three singles: "High High," "Oh Yeah," and "Knock Out."[32] All three singles preceded the release of the album. The singles attained commercial successes: "High High" was a chartopper[33] while "Oh Yeah" and "Knock Out" both peaked at number two and number three respectively.[34][35] The album was released on Christmas Eve, and debuted at number one on the Gaon Chart[36] with pre-orders of 200,000 copies.,[37] eventually topping 130,000 copies sold.
With a collaboration with Park Myung Soo, they created a duo called GG for the Infinite Challenge Seohae Ahn Highway Song Festival 2011. They released their song 'Fired Up(바람났어)' featuring Park Bom from 2NE1 on June 2, 2011, which became an 'All Kill' on various Korean music charts.
It was announced in March 2012 that G-Dragon's solo comeback would be
scheduled in the later half of the year, probably in August and
sometime near his birthday.[38] G-Dragon also featured in English artist Pixie Lott's upcoming Japanese album, along with fellow member T.O.P.[39]
G-Dragon released the music video for his the song "One Of A Kind" from the album of the same name on August 24, 2012 on YouTube.[40] The song later earned him two "Best Hiphop / Rap Song of the Year" awards from Korean Music Awards and Rhythmer Awards. On September 1, G-Dragon released his first single "That XX". The song topped music charts immediately after release and eventually achieved "perfect all-kill" status.[41] His mini-album One of a Kind was released on September 15 digitally and on September 18 physically.[42]
Upon release, the album was an immediate success in South Korea. All of
the tracks occupied the top positions on all major music charts.[43] The album also places first on the Billboard World Album Chart and entered the Billboard 200 Chart at 161 for the week.[44]
As of the end of 2012, the album has sold over 200,000 copies, making
it the highest selling solo album in Korea since the release of Heartbreaker in 2009, also by G-Dragon.
On November 30, 2012, he won as Best Male Solo Artist at the 14th Mnet Asian Music Awards. On January 31, 2013, he also won Record of the Year award for "One Of A Kind" at the 22nd Seoul Music Awards.
In January 2013, he was the first Korean solo Artist to embark 4 dome
tour in Japan (When before replace the 3 dome tour in March) and the
1st Solo World Tour. As the beginning, the first run in Seoul starts on
March 30, 2013. Japan shows started in April, and more cities were added
on later dates as they were confirmed. This tour is known as G-Dragon 2013 1st World Tour.
In April 1, 2013, YGEX announced he will release a second solo album on August 14. YGEX further announced that Grammy Award-winning musician Missy Elliott will be featured on the album.[45]
Elliott previously announced in January 2013 via Twitter that she had
contributed two tracks ("Chugalug," "NiLiria") both of which were
produced by Teddy P.[46][47]
His newest album is titled "Coup D'état".
It was released in 2 parts online, on September 2 and September 5, with
the full album being released September 13 featuring 2 songs that will
be album only. Coup d'Etat featured collaborations with a star-studded
list of artists and producers which included Missy Elliot, Diplo, Baauer, Boys Noize, Sky Ferreira, Siriusmo,
Zion T., Lydia Paek, and label-mate Jennie Kim. G-Dragon and Missy
Elliot performed their song "Niliria" at the KCON 2013 in LA. six tracks
from Coup D'etat were also placed within the top 10 of the Gaon Singles Charts with "Who You?" being number one.[48] The album also topped the iTunes charts in several countries.[49][50]
Image and Artistry
Public Image
Described as the "most fashionable" one in his group,[53] G-Dragon's role in influencing fashion trends in South Korea have garnered him awards such as the "Style Icon of 2008"[53] and the award for "Most Influential Men of 2008" sponsored by Arena magazine.[54] Fashion icon Kang Dong Won has also acknowledged G-Dragon's influences, calling him a "fashionista."[55]
While promoting Heartbreaker, his change in hairstyle from
dying it to blonde gained popularity among his fans and became one of
the top hairstyles of the year.[56]
Additionally, his constant sporting of triangular scarves became a
trend among teenagers and were later nicknamed the "Big Bang scarves."[57]
Despite his influences, G-Dragon has admitted to being self-conscious
of his role as a musician, noting how he had "changed many things
including the tone of my voice because I was conscious about my job when
I was in front of others."[51]
Aware that his public image is important when promoting his materials,
G-Dragon notes that "what the public perceives of [my physical
appearance] is my doing so it's my fault if I give off the wrong
intention."[51] He also strongly opposes the idea of singers as "products" of the entertainment industry.[58]
Marijuana Scandal
On October 5, 2011, it was reported that G-Dragon was tested positive
for marijuana. His urine test came back negative but a weak positive
for marijuana was detected from testing the content of his hair. The
tests were done in early June and the results came back in August. As it
was a first offense with a minuscule amount, it resulted in an
indictment and he was not charged.[59][60] He allegedly accepted an offered cigarette from a fan in Japan during a party back in May.[61]
He was the only one at the party who was later tipped off to Korean
authorities. He confessed that he smoked the cigarette that was offered
to him, but after realizing it was not a normal cigarette, he threw it
away.
The scandal caused a halt to his promotions, and YG Entertainment issued a statement that he was being given time to reflect on his mistake.[62]
Because he was not charged, he did not lose any endorsers and later
made his first public appearance after the scandal at the 2011 MTV EMAs
with his group Big Bang.
Musical style, lyrics and composition
Inspired by music by the Wu-Tang Clan, G-Dragon participated in the annual hip hop Flex album in 2001 at the age of 12, establishing his career as an artist.[3]
During the early days of Big Bang's career, the band was marketed
predominately as a hip-hop group, though they went on to experiment with
electronic music and setting it as the new music trend in Korea.[64] From previous exposure to a range of genres with Big Bang, G-Dragon incorporated a mix of dance, hip-hop, and R&B songs into Heartbreaker.[65] During the production for the collaboration album GD & TOP, G-dragon opted for a more hip-hop sound, though he does acknowledge that R&B, acoustic, and electronic music heavily influenced it.[1]
Since becoming a solo artist, G-Dragon has maintained tight control
over his music, stating that "each feeling [in creating the music] is
different,"[52] using his emotions to direct the lyrical content and the composition of his songs.[51]
In attempts to distinguish himself from other artists and composer,
G-Dragon admits to "giving twist and turn at every corner and evoking
[a] different story" with each part of his music, acknowledging that
although the chorus is the catchiest part of the song, he wants all the
parts to his song to be remembered.[52]
Prior to his establishment as a solo artist, he was also involved with
the production of Big Bang's albums, writing and composing majority of
their songs.[21]
G-Dragon's contributions to his own music have garnered him praises
and criticism alike. Preferring to pen lyrics that "sound like an actual
story", the Korea Times have praised him as a "genius singer-songwriter",[21] though the rapper has expressed being uncomfortable with the label.[66] His effort to create melodies won him praises as one of the best composers of 2008,[21]
with many pop culture critics and industry representatives choosing him
as the "musician whose future they anticipate the most."[66] His rap lyrics have also placed him fourth during a vote for "Most God-like" rapper in Japan.[67] The rapper also topped Forbes listing of "Most Hardworking Idol",[68] and made into its list "Korea 2030 Power Leaders." [68]
