Yang Hyun-suk

Last updated

Yang Hyun-suk
161110 yanghyeonseog.png
Yang Hyun-suk in 2016
Born (1970-01-09) January 9, 1970 (age 54)
Seoul, South Korea
Other namesYG
Occupations
  • Entrepreneur
  • Record executive
  • rapper
  • dancer
  • record producer
Known forCo-founding YG Entertainment
SpouseLee Eun-ju (m. 2010)
Children2
Musical career
Genres
Pop
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • drums
Years active
  • 1992–2019
  • 2023–present
Labels YG Entertainment
Formerly of Seo Taiji and Boys
Website yanggoon.com
Korean name
Hangul
양현석
Hanja
Revised Romanization Yang Hyeon-seok
McCune–Reischauer Yang Hyŏnsŏk

Yang Hyun-suk (born January 9, 1970 [1] ) is a South Korean music executive, rapper, dancer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of Seo Taiji and Boys during the 1990s. After the group disbanded, he founded and became the executive producer and chairman of YG Entertainment, the fourth-largest record company in South Korea.

Contents

Career

1992–1996: Seo Taiji & Boys

Seo Taiji & Boys was formed in 1991 with Seo Taiji, Lee Juno and Yang Hyun-seok.[ citation needed ] Yang said he first met Seo when the musician came to him to learn how to dance when Yang was a dancer (Yang danced in the Korean dance crew "Spark"(which is considered the first Korean breaking dance group) and in the dancing group "Park Nam Jung  [ ko ] and friends(박남정과 친구들)"). [2] "Blown away" by his music, Yang offered to join the group and they later recruited Lee who was one of the top dancers in Korea. [3] The group was influential on the Korean music scene, famous for their single, "Nan Arayo" (Korean : "난 알아요", "I Know").[ citation needed ] The group received criticism for some of their albums, most notably for the song, "Shidaeyugam" (Korean : 시대유감, "Regret of the Times"), to which fan backlash led to the abolition of the Pre-censorship law in 1996. The group disbanded in 1996 and each member went on to pursue solo careers.

1996–2019: YG Entertainment

In 1996, he established YG Entertainment and released his first solo album which featured a song composed by Seo Taiji.[ citation needed ] This was their first collaboration since the breakup.[ citation needed ] Yang Hyun-Suk has produced hugely successful artists through his company, most notably Jinusean, 1TYM, Wheesung, Gummy, Seven, Big Bang, 2NE1, Winner, iKon, Tablo, Epik High, Lee Hi, Blackpink, Treasure, BabyMonster and Psy.

Due to recent controversies involving the Burning Sun scandal and other allegations, Yang Hyun-suk announced his plans to step down from all of his positions at YG Entertainment, and his brother Yang Min-suk announced his decision to resign as CEO of YG Entertainment on June 14, 2019. [4] [5]

2019–present: Conviction and YG return

On December 22, 2022, Yang was acquitted of a charge of threatening an informant. [6] [ unreliable source? ] On November 8, 2023, his aquittal for threatening the informant was overturned by the Seoul High Court, finding that he had abused his status at the company to coerce trainees into reversing police testimonies. [7] He was sentenced to 6 months in prison, suspended for 1 year. [7] A previous aquittal for blackmail was upheld. [7]

In December 2023, Yang discussed his "deep involvement in every aspect of BABYMONSTER's production", and how the youth of the members resonated with him because he had a similarly-aged daughter. [8] [ unreliable source? ] In May 2024, YG Entertainment released a video featuring Yang announcing upcoming plans for BabyMonster and Treasure. [9]

Personal life

Yang began dating former Swi.T member Lee Eun-ju in 2001, and they married in 2010. [10] They have two children together, born in 2010 and 2012. [11] [12] [ unreliable source? ]

Discography

Albums

TitleAlbum details
Yang Hyun-suk [13]
  • Released: April 6, 1998
  • Label: YG Entertainment
  • Formats: CD, Digital download

Filmography

TV Series

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2009 Superstar K HimselfJudge [14]
2011 K-pop Star 1 Judge for YG Entertainment [15]
2012 K-pop Star 2 [16]
2013 K-pop Star 3 [17]
Win: Who Is Next?YG Entertainment CEO, Director[ citation needed ]
2014Mix & Match[ citation needed ]
K-pop Star 4 Judge for YG Entertainment[ citation needed ]
2015 K-pop Star 5 [ citation needed ]
2016 K-pop Star 6 [ citation needed ]
2017 Mix Nine Judge [18]
2018 YG Future Strategy Office Recurring character[ citation needed ]
2018 YG Treasure Box Judge [19]

Awards

State honors

Name of country, year given, and name of honor
CountryYearHonorRef.
South Korea [note 1] 2011Presidential Commendation [23]

Notes

  1. Honors are given at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, arranged by the Korea Creative Content Agency and hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. [20] [21] They are awarded to those who have contributed to the arts and South Korea's pop culture. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seo Taiji and Boys</span> South Korean boy band

Seo Taiji and Boys was a South Korean music group active from 1992 to 1996. The three members of the boy band, Seo Taiji, Yang Hyun-suk and Lee Juno, experimented with many different genres of popular Western music. Seo Taiji and Boys was highly successful and is credited with changing the South Korean music industry by pioneering the use of rap in Korean popular music and utilizing social critique, despite pressure from ethics and censorship committees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jinusean</span> South Korean hip hop duo

Jinusean was a South Korean hip hop duo signed to YG Entertainment. The duo, which is made up of Kim Jin-woo and Noh Seung-hwan, debuted in 1997 and rose to fame with the single, "Tell Me." They are considered pioneers of Korean hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Jai-jin (musician, born 1979)</span> South Korean singer and dancer (born 1979)

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<i>Good Sunday</i> South Korean television reality-variety show

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">YG Entertainment</span> South Korean entertainment company

YG Entertainment is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. In addition, the company operates a number of subsidiary ventures under a separate public traded company, YG Plus, which includes a clothing line, a golf management agency, and a cosmetics brand.

<i>K-pop Star</i> South Korean music audition TV show

Survival Audition K-pop Star is a South Korean reality competition television series where three entertainment/talent agencies in South Korea hold worldwide auditions to find the next potential K-pop stars. Preliminary auditions are held around the world in Asia, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. The final winner debuts with the company of his or her choice, along with a cash prize of three hundred million won, two brand new vehicles, opportunities to become commercial models and casting in dramas, and many more benefits.

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The first season of Survival Audition K-pop Star premiered on December 4, 2011, airing every Sunday evening at 6:30 pm under the Good Sunday programming block on SBS, until April 29, 2012. The first winner was Park Ji-min, who chose to sign with JYP Entertainment.

<i>Seo Taiji and Boys</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Seo Taiji and Boys

Seo Taiji and Boys is the debut studio album by South Korean musical trio Seo Taiji and Boys, released via Bando Records on March 23, 1992. Written primarily by Seo Taiji, the record incorporates and fuses various genres including new jack swing, techno, R&B and hip hop. It spawned the group's first big hit and now their signature song, "I Know".

<i>Seo Taiji and Boys II</i> 1993 studio album by Seo Taiji and Boys

Seo Taiji and Boys II is the second studio album by South Korean boy group Seo Taiji and Boys, released via Bando Records on June 21, 1993. With over 2.2 million copies sold, it is one of the best-selling albums in South Korea. The album spawned the hit "Anyhow Song" (Hayeoga) which became its lead single.

"Come Back Home" is a song by South Korean boy band Seo Taiji and Boys, from their fourth and final self-titled studio album, which was released on October 5, 1995. The group's foray into gangsta rap, the song's lyrical content addresses the societal pressures on young people that push them to run away from home, while the refrain conveys the perspective of the runaways' parents.

<i>Mix Nine</i> Reality survival show

Mix Nine was a South Korean survival reality show broadcast on JTBC. In the show, YG Entertainment founder and producer Yang Hyun-suk traveled to music agencies across Korea to find up-and-coming K-pop stars. Throughout the episodes, contestants were progressively eliminated, culminating in a competition between a team of the final nine boys and one of the final nine girls. The winning team was to debut as idols, but their debut was ultimately cancelled following contract disputes between YG Entertainment and the contestants' respective agencies.

<i>YG Future Strategy Office</i> 2018 Korean Netflix original series

YG Future Strategy Office (Korean: YG전략자료본부), abbreviated as YG FSO (YG전자), is a South Korean television series on Netflix starring Seungri as the head of YG Entertainment's fictional strategic resources department, with Yoo Byung-jae, Baek Young-kwang, Kim Ga-eun, Son Se-bin, and Sechs Kies' Lee Jai-jin starring as his co-workers. Various artists from YG Entertainment also appeared as guests.

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Dreamcatcher Company is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burning Sun scandal</span> 2019 South Korean media sex scandal

The Burning Sun scandal, also known as Burning Sun gate, was a 2019 entertainment and sex scandal in Seoul, South Korea, which involved several celebrities, including Korean idols of popular K-pop groups, and police officials. It began on January 28, 2019, when MBC Newsdesk reported a November 2018 alleged assault of a male clubgoer at the Burning Sun, a prominent nightclub in Gangnam, by a staff member. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency investigation soon turned to one concerning the club's alleged involvement in prostitution, drug trafficking and police corruption.

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References

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