Tiger JK

Early life

Tiger JK (Seo Jung-kwon) was born in Seoul, South Korea on July 29, 1974. His father, Suh Byung Hoo (d. 2014), was a DJ and one of the first Korean pop columnists, and the first Billboard correspondent in Korea in the 1970s. His family moved to the United States when he was 12, and he was sent to briefly live with an uncle in Miami, Florida, where he practiced Taekwondo, becoming a 3rd "dan" black belt.

He spent his teenage years in Los 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 the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. He later said he wanted to use hip hop to create a dialogue between the two communities.

Tiger JK attended Santa Monica College and then transferred to UCLA and graduated with a B.A. degree in English from the Creative Writing program.

Musical career

1995 – 2005: Early career and successes with Drunken Tiger

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.

Tiger JK returned to the United States and teamed up with DJ Shine to form the group Drunken 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."

Over the next several years, Drunken Tiger brought on new members and released multiple albums, winning numerous awards. Founding member DJ Shine left the group in 2005.

2006–2013: Creation of Jungle Entertainment and collaborations

In 2006, Tiger JK left Oasis Records and established his own hip-hop label, Jungle Entertainment. The label represented Drunken Tiger, and prominent Korean rappers Yoon Mi-rae and Leessang were among the artists to join the label over the next few years.

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 by Brian Joo of the R&B duo Fly to the Sky. That same year, he featured on "Wicked," a song by new K-pop girl group Fiestar.

2013-present: Founding MFBTY and Feel Ghood Music

In 2013, Tiger JK teamed up with Yoon Mi-rae and Bizzy to form the group MFBTY, 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. He has had multiple collaborations with popular boy group leader RM of BTS with the latter featuring on his final album Drunken Tiger X: Rebirth of Tiger JK on the song Timeless. He also featured in Seventeen's Hoshi's Tiger released in 2022. In 2023, he featured on "TOPLINE", a single released by K-pop group Stray Kids, also appearing in the official M/V.

Personal life

Drug conviction

Tiger JK was arrested for using methamphetamine in Korea in 2000, at the same time that members of the Korean hip hop group Uptown 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.

Illness

Tiger JK was diagnosed with acute transverse 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.

Marriage and family

In June 2007, Tiger JK married rapper and singer Yoon 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.

Other projects

In 2006, Tiger JK launched a clothing line called Lungta.

In 2011, under American rapper Dr. Dre's "Beats By Dr. Dre" headphones line, Tiger JK released his own limited edition headphones. They retailed for 690,000 won, and all profits went to a child safety organization.

Discography

Studio albums

• Enter the Tiger (1995)
• Drunken Tiger X: Rebirth of Tiger JK (2018)

Singles

Soundtrack appearances

Filmography

Film

Television

Endorsements

• Hite w/Drunken Tiger
• Kia w/Tiger JK
• Reebok w/Tiger JK
• Yahoo w/Tiger JK
• CJ One Card w/ Tiger JK and Yoon MiRae
• Samsung w/Tiger JK, Yoon Mirae and Jordan
• Giordano w/Tiger JK
• Pringles w/Drunken Tiger
• Moneual w/Tiger JK and Yoon Mirae
• Hangame w/Tiger JK
• The Body Shop w/Tiger JK and Yoon Mirae
• Guinness w/Tiger JK
• SK Telecom w/Tiger JK and Bizzy
• SONY w/Tiger JK and Yoon Mirae

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

References

1. (2013-07-31). "Tiger JK leaves Jungle Entertainment and founds FEELGHOOD MUSIC".
2. (2015-06-25). "Korean Hip-Hop Supergroup MFBTY Made an Album Just for Their Twitter Followers".
3. (2014-01-01). "Korea's Hip-Hop Legend Tiger JK is a Rebel with a Cause".
4. (2014-01-13). "Drunken Tiger Talk Hip Hop's Early Days in South Korea: "It Was a Secret Society"".
5. (2014-01-11). "Drunken Tiger's Tiger JK Opens Up About His Hip-Hop Career And How He Fits Into The Wide Realm Of K-Pop [KpopStarz Exclusive]".
6. Brown, August. (2011-12-02). "Asian rapper set to roar across L.A.". Los Angeles Times.
7. "Korean Hip-Hop Icons Yoonmirae & Tiger JK Reflect on Their Music, Careers and Parenthood at SXSW".
8. SPIN magazine, November 2000, ''Silence makes the beats grow stronger'', Brett Forrest, pp. 154-160
9. link. (2014-09-29)
10. "Irvine Barclay Theatre & Cheng Hall".
11. link. Daum]]. (February 15, 1974)
12. "Drunken Tiger (드렁큰타이거)".
13. (2014-10-11). "Inside the Music: Drunken Tiger's DJ SHINE on HipHop in Kpop".
14. "History".
15. (2012-02-23). "Brian Joo and Tiger JK to finally perform "Let This Die" together".
16. (2012-08-24). "FIESTAR releases ''Wicked'' featuring Tiger JK".
17. (April 21, 2015). "Korean rap is your new favourite thing".
18. Tamar Herman. (1 November 2018). "BTS' RM Will Be Featured on Tiger JK's Final Drunken Tiger Album".
19. Forrest, Brett. (2000-11-01). "Silence Makes the Beats Grow Stronger". SPIN.
20. (2010-01-14). "Tiger JK Slams Racism Here". [[The Korea Times]].
21. (2008-07-03). "Tiger JK, T Wed With Baby".
22. (2006-07-20). "Tiger JK 의 패션 브랜드, 룽타 (Lungta)".
23. (2011-05-09). "JK to release his own Beats by Dr. Dre series: TIGER BEATS".
24. (2011-05-24). "All Profits from Tiger JK's Dr. Dre Headphones to be Donated".
25. (November 14, 2018). "Drunken Tiger Releases Final Album Featuring Yoonmirae, BTS' RM and More".
26. "Download Chart, 2015 Weeks 28".
27. "Download Chart, 2021 Weeks 31".
28. "Download Chart, 2023 Weeks 46".
29. "Download Chart, 2022 Weeks 44".
30. (2015-03-21). "Legendary Korean Rapper Tiger JK Takes On 1st Movie Project For 'Trip Around The World'".
31. (2010-01-20). "Tiger JK to appear on High Kick Through The Roof".
32. (2012-05-18). "Why Does Tiger JK Only Appear on Yoo Jae Suk's Shows?".
33. (2011-02-03). ""Welcome To The Jungle: Sunzoo" – The Premiere of Drunken Tiger's International Project".
34. (2012-03-02). "Tiger JK to Appear As a Cameo on "Salamander Guru"".
35. (2012-12-09). "The Hero On Stage".
36. (2016-02-22). "Mnet Gives Young Aspiring Stars The Chance To Shine In New Music Competition Program 'We Kid'".
37. link. (January 27, 2013 . ''MAMA''. Retrieved 2014-06-12.)
38. link. (October 25, 2018 . ''MAMA''. Retrieved 2014-12-18.)
39. (2010-11-17). "Winners at the 2010 Style Icon Awards".
40. (2010-08-26). "Winners at the 2010 Mnet 20's Choice Awards Ceremony".
41. (2011-07-01). "Tiger JK wins 'best cover model' at the "Men's Health Cool Guy Contest"".
42. (February 23, 2016). "Announcing the Results of the 11th Annual Soompi Awards 2015". [[Soompi]].