Jessica Ho (born December 17,1988),better known by her stage name Jessi,is an American rapper and singer based in South Korea. She was born in New York,raised in New Jersey,and moved to South Korea at the age of 15.[2]
Jessi originally debuted in South Korea in 2005 and briefly joined the hip hop group Uptown in 2006. After a hiatus,she returned to music as part of the hip-hop trio Lucky J and as a soloist under YMC Entertainment,until the group's disbandment in 2016. She then signed with Psy's record label P Nation in 2019 as its first artist,where she continued her solo career until her departure from the label in 2022. Several of her solo and collaborative singles have been commercially successful,with five Top 10 entries in the Gaon Digital Chart,including her highest-charting solo single "Nunu Nana" and the chart-topping single "Don't Touch Me" as part of the Refund Sisters.
Jessi is a prominent presence in Korean variety programs. She achieved mainstream popularity as part of the first season of Mnet hip hop competition show Unpretty Rapstar,where she placed second. She also served as a judge in competition shows High School Rapper and Cap-teen,as well as a host in her own YouTube talk show with SBS,Jessi's Showterview. She is also notable for her regular appearances in programs with comedian Yoo Jae-suk,such as guest appearances in Running Man and Hangout with Yoo,as well as being a series regular in Sixth Sense.
Career
2005–2014:Early career and Lucky J
Jessi made her debut with single album Get Up in 2005.[3] In 2006,the hip hop group Uptown featured her in their album Testimony,replacing their original vocalist Yoon Mi-rae.[4][5] Jessi's second single album,entitled "The Rebirth",was released in January 2009.[6] After the release,she took a break from music,and left Korea to return to America.[7]
In 2014,after a 5-year hiatus,Jessi returned as a member of hip-hop trio Lucky J with rapper J'Kyun and vocalist J-Yo.[8] Lucky J debuted with the digital single "Can You Hear Me" under YMC Entertainment in July of that year.[9]
2015–2018:Television roles and Un2verse
From January to March 2015,Jessi was part of the first season of Unpretty Rapstar,a spin-off of the program Show Me The Money.[10]Unpretty Rapstar is a female rapper survival program,where contestants compete for the chance to be featured on tracks in a compilation album. Jessi was chosen as the second-place winner of the show by audience vote.[11] After her appearance on Unpretty Rapstar,Jessi was featured in JYP's single "Who's Your Mama?" and its music video,which were both released in April 2015.[12] The track topped all nine major music charts in Korea as soon as it was released.[13] She released her first ever solo rap single,"Ssenunni",on September 15.[14] On October 16,2015,Jessi performed in the United States for the first time at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles with hip-hop duo Mighty Mouth.[15]
In 2016,Jessi was cast in Sister's Slam Dunk.[16] In 2017,Jessi released another rap single,"Gucci" from her first mini-album,entitled Un2verse,both of which released on July 13.[17][18] On July 6,2018,she released a single titled "Down".[19]
2019–2022:P Nation and Nuna
Jessi's contract with YMC Entertainment ended in October 2018,and in January 2019,she signed a contract with Psy's record label P Nation. Her first single under the label,"Who Dat B," was released on September 23,2019.[20] "Who Dat B" peaked at number eight on the World Digital Songs Sales chart and 68 on the BillboardKorea K-Pop Hot 100.[21][22] She released another rap single,"Drip" featuring Jay Park,on November 2.[23] The collaboration reached number 16 on the World Songs chart.[21]
On June 4,2020,Jessi premiered her new variety show,Jessi's Showterview,on SBS's Mobidic YouTube channel.[24]
The singer released her second extended play,Nuna, on July 30.[25] The single "Nunu Nana" was released in conjunction with the EP. "Nunu Nana" peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart,becoming her first top-ten single as a solo artist and her highest-charting solo single.[26] On August 14,the music video for "Numb" was released.[27]
Jessi joined the cast of MBC reality-variety show Hangout with Yoo in August 2020 as a member of four-member supergroup Refund Sisters (환불원정대).[28] The group consists of Jessi along with Korean singers Lee Hyo-ri,Uhm Jung-hwa,and Hwasa;they made their debut on October 10,releasing their debut single,"Don't Touch Me."[29] "Don't Touch Me" peaked atop the Gaon Digital Chart for two consecutive weeks.[30][31]
She also became part of the main cast of tvN variety show Sixth Sense,which reunited her with Yoo Jae-suk and premiered in September 2020.[32] She returned for the series' second season,which began airing in June 2021.[33]
On March 17,2021,Jessi released a new digital single titled "What Type of X" (어떤X).[34] On October 12,Jessi released the single "Cold Blooded," which was served as a collaborative track with the Mnet dance crew competition show Street Woman Fighter;the dance crews were tasked to choreograph for the song,with YGX winning the segment.[35] Jessi and fellow singer Sunmi featured in an official remix for Ed Sheeran's song "Shivers," which was released on November 24.[36]
On April 1,2022,the agency announced that Jessi would make a comeback with the digital single "Zoom" on April 13.[37] The song peaked at number twelve at the Gaon Digital Chart.[38] The song became a viral hit on video platform TikTok.[39]Psy's ninth studio album Psy 9th,released April 29,2022,features Jessi on the track "Ganji".[40]
In June 2022,it was announced that Showterview would be replacing Sunmi as its host instead of Jessi. Jessi stated on Instagram Live that "she had no idea she was being replaced until the news broke publicly."[41]
On June 10,2022,it was confirmed that Jessi's contract with P Nation would expire in June 2022,and at the time she was discussing a potential contract extension. On July 6,2022,P Nation announced that Jessi left the company after three years with the label.[39][42]
2023–present:More Vision and independent label
On April 14,2023,Jessi signed with Jay Park's label More Vision.[43] On October 25,she released the single "Gum".[44]
On January 31,2024,it was announced that Jessi had left Jay Park's label More Vision after a mutual decision to terminate her contract.[45] On August 20,2024,Apple TV+ announced K-Pop Idols,a documentary series featuring Jessi,Blackswan,and Cravity,which premiered on August 30.[46][47] On September 20,2024,Jessi signed a management contract with DOD Entertainment and launched her own independent label,UNNI.[48] On October 18,following the fan assault controversy,DOD Entertainment announced that they had terminated the contract at Jessi's request.[49]
Personal life
Jessi attended Korea Kent Foreign School along with Girls' Generation members Tiffany Young and Jessica Jung. Jessi successfully passed an SM Entertainment audition,the same company her two classmates were under. However,she chose not to become part of the label,as she believed its approach to music did not match her style.[50] Before Jessi went on temporary hiatus from the music industry,she struggled to become accustomed to Korean culture.[7] She did not find immediate success after her debut,and was sometimes forced to sleep in saunas when she did not have enough money for a place to stay.[51]
Controversies
In May 2013,Jessi was booked in the case of a group assault filed by a Korean-American 'A'. The woman claimed that Jessi and her friends assaulted her in the women's restroom of a club in Itaewon. 'A' initially pressed charges but later dropped them. Jessi later claimed that she only tried to stop the fight but did not participate in the assault. However,'A' refuted this claim and said that she dropped the charges because she was leaving for the US.[52]
On September 29,2024,a fan of Jessi reported to the police that he was physically assaulted by someone in Jessi's group after asking for a picture with her. The victim testified that,when he apologized and was about to leave after Jessi declined his request,the perpetrator in her group suddenly struck him in face.[53] According to the security footage reviewed by the police,flustered Jessi initially attempted to break up the fight by grabbing the perpetrator's arms,but left the scene shortly afterwards with no further intervention. The victim expressed his disappointment in Jessi for just leaving the scene with no effort to resolve the situation.[54]
Jessi later issued an apology to the victim on social media. Explaining that the perpetrator was someone she just had met for the first time on the day of the incident,she apologized for failing to carefully care for the fan since she was flustered by the sudden situation. Jessi's agency later specified that the assailant was a Chinese man who was an acquaintance to the producer in Jessi's group. It has been reported that the perpetrator already has left South Korea,and Jessi is now working with her agency to contact the perpetrator. Jessi cited her deep regret for the fan's injury and strong moral responsibility to assist in contacting the victim and making the perpetrator to face legal consequences.[53][54] On October 16,Jessi was summoned to the Gangnam Police Station as a defendant in the case. While she wasn't directly involved in the alleged assault,she was questioned after being sued by the victim. After a six-hour interrogation,she was released.[55]
↑ The five members of the team – B.I, Kim Chang-hoon, Millennium, Padi and Sihwang – were registered as composers with the Korea Music Copyright Association.[96]
↑ "What Type of X" did not enter the RIAS Top International Streaming Chart, but it peaked at number 13 on the Top Regional Streaming Chart.[77]
↑ "Cold Blooded" did not enter the RIAS Top International Streaming Chart, but it peaked at number 14 on the Top Regional Streaming Chart.[78]
↑ "Gum" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart but appeared at number 39 on the component Circle Download Chart.[80]
↑ "Die for Love" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but appeared at number 170 on the Download chart.[90]
↑ "Don't Tell" did not enter the Gaon Digital Chart, but it peaked at number 36 on the component Gaon Download Chart.[94]
↑ Kim Hyun-sik (July 20, 2020). [단독] 피네이션 30일 컴백 예고 주인공은 제시. E-daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
↑ Jung Jun-hwa (July 15, 2015). 혼성그룹 럭키제이, 신곡 '들리니' 티저 공개. Sports Donga (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
↑ Lee Jung-ho (October 28, 2019). 제시, 11월 1일 신곡 'Drip' 발매..박재범 피처링. MT Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
↑ Hwang Chae-Hyun (March 10, 2021). 제시, 17일 신곡 '어떤 X'로 컴백 [공식]. Sports Kyunghang (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
↑ Lee Da-gyeom (April 1, 2022). 제시, 4월 13일 컴백 확정[공식][Jessi, April 13 comeback confirmed [Official]] (in Korean). Star Today, Maeil Economic Daily. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022– via Naver.
↑ Kim Ye-na (June 10, 2022). 제시, 싸이 품 떠나 독립하나...1인 회사 설립 논의[Jessi leaves Psy and becomes independent... Discussion on setting up a one-man company] (in Korean). AtStyle. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022– via Naver.
↑ Peak chart positions for the following albums in South Korea:
Un2verse: 2017년 29주차 Album Chart[Week 29 of 2017 Album Chart]. Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on November 24, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
↑ 2017년 07월 Album Chart[July 2017 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
1 2 "Miak.or.kr" 2005.12월 - 가요 음반 판매량[Album sales for December 2005] (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on February 25, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
"Unpretty Dreams". March 22–28, 2015. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
"I Want to Be Me". May 2, 2015. Archived from the original on January 12, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
"Ssenunni". September 13–19, 2015. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
"Raise Your Heels". December 5, 2015. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
"Excessive Love". March 13–19, 2016. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
"Don't Make Me Cry". January 22–28, 2017. Archived from the original on August 15, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
"Gucci". July 9–15, 2017. Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
"Nunu Nana". August 16–22, 2020. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
"What Type of X" (in Korean). March 21–27, 2021. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
"Cold Blooded" (in Korean). October 17–23, 2021. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
"Zoom" (in Korean). May 8–14, 2022. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
↑ The Billboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 was established in August 2011 and suspended in June 2014 before being relaunched in 2017. The chart was again suspended in 2022 and is defunct as of the issue dated April 30, 2022, being replaced with the 25-place South Korea Songs chart. This section includes chart peaks for both charts.
↑ Lee Eun-ho (September 13, 2015). '진짜 사나이' 제시 표 힙합 소울 군가 탄생. Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
↑ Kwon Hye-rim (July 15, 2018). '복면가왕', 재출연 제시·우현의 반격...귀호강 릴레이. Joy News 24 (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
↑ Lee Da-won (March 16, 2021). 제시, tv조선 '어쩌다 가족' 합류...연기자 변신. Sports Kyunghang (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
↑ "AAA 인기상 후보100 사전투표 - 가수"[AAA Popularity Award Candidate 100 Advance Voting - Singer]. Star News (in Korean). September 5, 2023. Archived from the original on September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
↑ Kim Soo-jeong (December 3, 2020). 한국소비자포럼, 2021 대한민국 퍼스트브랜드 발표. News1 (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
↑ 역대 수상브랜드. fba.kcforum (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
↑ Hwang Soo-young (December 29, 2020). "[MBC 연예대상] 엄정화-제시-김종민, 우수상...'놀면 뭐하니?' 올킬"[[MBC Entertainment Awards] Uhm Jung-hwa - Jessi - Kim Jong-min, Excellence Award... 'What do you do when you play?' all kill]. isplus.live.joins (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
↑ Jeon Hyo-jin (December 19, 2020). "[2020 SBS 연예대상] 차은우·오민석·제시, 신인상 수상"[[2020 SBS Entertainment Awards] Cha Eun-woo, Oh Min-seok, and Jessi win Rookie of the Year award]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
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