Epik High (에픽 하이) is a three-member hip-hip group under OURS Co. They debuted on October 23, 2003 with their first album Map of the Human Soul.
History[]
2001-2005: Beginnings and breakthrough[]
Tablo and Mithra Jin began performing in the underground hip hop scene and were part of "Movement", one of the most prominent hip hop crews of that time and included the likes of Drunken Tiger and CB Mass. They decided to form a duo and add a DJ. A mutual friend introduced them to DJ Tukutz, a turntablist-disc jockey who occasionally played with CB Mass. As hip hop was not a mainstream genre, they performed in the Hongdae club scene while working part-time jobs to raise the necessary funds to release an album. However, CB Mass member Curbin defrauded them, several other Movement crew members and the other CB Mass members Choiza and Gaeko (who later reformed as Dynamic Duo).[2]
In 2003 the trio, under the name Epik High, signed with the newly-established Woollim Entertainment and debuted with the album Map of the Human Soul. This was followed by High Society in 2004. They released their third album Swan Songs in 2005. It was intended to be their final album, following the poor commercial performance of their previous two releases; however, it unexpectedly became a mainstream hit and made them one of the most popular hip-hop groups in Korea. The album was a chart success with the title track, "Fly," reaching number one on domestic charts and winning their first ever number 1 trophy on a music program. "Fly" also featured on the soundtracks for FIFA 07 and Pump It Up. Another of the album tracks, "Paris" featuring Loveholics' Jisun, was also a hit in Japan and Korea. The album was repackaged the following year as Black Swan Songs, which included remixes of several tracks.
2006-2009: Continued success[]
Their fourth album Remapping the Human Soul was released in January 2007. It was a commercial success, despite some of the tracks being banned or censored as "PG19" for its lyrical content.[2]
Pieces, Part One and EP Lovescream were released in 2008 to further critical and popular acclaim. With the advent of online music stores and social media, their songs gained attention in Japan and the U.S., prompting them to hold concerts in both countries throughout 2009. [e], their sixth studio album, was released in September that year.
2010-2012: Epilogue, temporary hiatus and comeback[]
Epik High had been working on Epilogue, their seventh studio album, when DJ Tukutz's enlistment date was unexpectedly pushed up. He enlisted in October 2009. The album was released in January 2010 and Tablo and Mithra Jin continued promoting as a duo, with various guest artists filling in for DJ Tukutz at live performances. The music video for "Run", the lead single of the album, featured Woollim trainees who eventually debuted as the idol group Infinite months later.
Mithra Jin enlisted in August 2010. Tablo joined YG Entertainment as a solo artist and released a studio album. After DJ Tukutz and Mithra Jin were discharged, they followed suit and joined YG Entertainment. In October 2012, they made a comeback with their seventh studio album 99.
2013-2017: 10th anniversary and worldwide recognition[]
Epik High released the single "420" to celebrate their 10th anniversary.
On May 18, 2014, they released the single "With You" in collaborating with Chinese Singer Bibi Zhou, as a re-recording of "Fool" (originally featuring Bumkey) from their previous album Epilogue. On October 18, YG Entertainment released the music video for the pre-release track "Born Hater" featuring a line-up of noted rappers. Epik High's eighth studio album, Shoebox, was physically released on October 22 and met with critical praise for the emotion and complex lyrical content of lead singles "Happen Ending" and "Spoiler" as well as other tracks including "Burj Khalifa" and "Amor Fati."
In March 2015, Epik High performed at SXSW in Austin, Texas. In April 2016, they became the first-ever Korean act to perform at the Coachella music festival, where their performance was well received by audiences.[3] On October 23, 2017, they released We've Done Something Wonderful, their ninth studio album.
2018-present: Departure from YG Entertainment and further releases[]
YG Entertainment announced on October 2, 2018 that the trio would be leaving the agency after deciding not to renew their contracts.[4] They founded their own agency, OURS Co., and manage all their activities and day-to-day operations themselves.[5]
Members[]
| Name | Roles | Years active |
|---|---|---|
| Mithra Jin (미쓰라 진) | Rapper, lyricist, maknae | 2003–present |
| Tablo (타블로) | Rapper, songwriter, producer, leader | 2003–present |
| DJ Tukutz (DJ 투컷츠) | DJ, composer, producer/beatmaker, audio engineer | 2003–present |
Discography[]
Korean[]
Studio albums[]
Mini albums[]
Mixtapes[]
|
Remix albums[]
Special albums[]
Single albums[]
Digital singles[]
OSTs[]
|
Japanese[]
Studio albums[]
- Shoebox -Japan Edition- (2014)
- We've Done Something Wonderful -Japan Edition- (2018)
Best albums[]
- The Best of Epik High ~Show Must Go On~ (2015)
Digital singles[]
- "Don't Hate Me" (2016)
Collaborations[]
- "Sleeping Beauty" (with SEKAI NO OWARI) (2018)
Concerts[]
Asian tours[]
- Epik High Is Here Asia Pacific Tour 2022 (2022)
Europe tours[]
- 2019 Epik High European Tour (2019)
North America tours[]
- Epik High 2015 North American Tour (2015)
- 2019 Epik High North American Tour (2019)
- Epik High Is Here North America Tour 2022 (2022)
World tours[]
- All Time High Tour (2023)
Concert participations[]
- Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2016 (2016)[6]
- Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2020 (2020) (Cancelled)[7][8]
- Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2022 (2022)[9]
- MIK Festival London 2022 (2022)[10]
- KAMP LA 2022 (2022)[11]
- MIK Festival Paris 2023 (2023)[12]
- 15th Seoul Jazz Festival (2023)[13]
- Tone & Music Festival 2024 (2024)[14]
- Waterbomb Manila 2025 (2025)[15]
Filmography[]
Reality shows[]
- How Do You Play? (MBC, 2021-2022) - guest (eps. 117. 122)
- Buddy Into the Wild (MBC, 2022) - (ep. 68 and 69)
Variety shows[]
- Knowing Bros (JTBC, 2022) - guest (ep. 319)
- New Festa (JTBC, 2022) - guest (ep. 8)
Trivia[]
- All three members' wedding anniversaries are in the month of October: DJ Tukutz and Tablo got married a week apart from one another in 2009 and Mithra Jin got married in 2015.[16][17]
- The members run the day-to-day operations of their agency, Ours Co, themselves. Tablo is in charge of social media marketing and liaising with English-speaking foreign media and event organizers. DJ Tukutz is in charge of finances and organizing concerts and tour schedules and entertainment program appearances. Mithra designs the official merchandise. They named their agency "Ours" to signify that "everything is 100% ours".[5]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Soompi: Epik High Signs With U.S. Talent Agency WME Entertainment
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "‘악재’와 헤픈엔딩… 에픽하이, YG에선 날아볼까". Hankook Ilbo. November 23, 2016.
- ↑ "Coachella 2016: Epik High brings rowdy, rap-driven K-Pop to a curious Coachella". Los Angeles Times. April 18, 2016.
- ↑ Soompi: Epik High Parts Ways With YG Entertainment. Soompi. October 2, 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Epik High's retirement announcement on the 20th anniversary? Legendary scenes of 'Memepic High'. GQ Korea YouTube. February 18, 2023.
- ↑ Soompi: Epik High To Perform at US Music Festival Coachella
- ↑ Soompi: BIGBANG And Epik High Announced For 2020 Coachella Lineup
- ↑ Soompi: Coachella Canceled Due To Coronavirus Outbreak
- ↑ Soompi: Epik High Invited To Perform At Coachella For The Third Time
- ↑ @mikfestival on Twitter (May 30, 2022)
- ↑ @kampfestivals on Twitter (August 20, 2022)
- ↑ @mikfestival on Twitter (December 23, 2022)
- ↑ Soompi: BIGBANG’s Taeyang, Crush, AKMU, Epik High, And More To Perform At Seoul Jazz Festival 2023
- ↑ [https://www.instagram.com/p/C57wm0CPYzV @toneandmusicfestival on Instagram (April 19, 2024)
- ↑ @Waterbomb_PH on X (January 20, 2025)
- ↑ 에픽하이 DJ투컷, 2살 연상과 결혼. Yonhap News Agency. October 13, 2009.
- ↑ Epik High's Mithra Jin and Kwon Da Hyun Have a Star-Studded Wedding. Soompi. October 3, 2015.
Official links[]
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