Drunken Tiger

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Drunken Tiger
OriginSouth Korea/United States
GenresKorean hip hop
Years active1999–2018
LabelsJungle Entertainment (2006-2013)
Past members
Websitewww.dt-love.co.kr
Drunken Tiger
Hangul
드렁큰 타이거
Revised RomanizationDeureongkeun taigeo
McCune–ReischauerTŭrŏngk‘ŭn t‘aigŏ

Drunken Tiger (Korean: 드렁큰 타이거) was a Korean hip hop group that debuted in 1999 and has since released several albums and won numerous awards. They are known as pioneers of Korean hip-hop who helped bring the genre into the mainstream.[1]

The group's original line-up consisted of central member Tiger JK, as well as DJ Shine. Micki Eyes, DJ Jhig, and Roscoe Umali later joined the group.[2] In 2013, Tiger JK moved away from making music under the group's original name and formed MFBTY with his wife Yoon Mi-Rae and Bizzy.[3][4] In 2018, Tiger JK released a final self titled album under the Drunken Tiger name, featuring Yoon Mi-Rae and Bizzy alongside a number of other artists.[5]

History[edit]

1998-2000: Debut and early controversy[edit]

In 1998, Korean-American rappers Tiger JK and DJ Shine teamed up to form Drunken Tiger. They released their first album, Year of the Tiger in Korea in 1999. At the time, the album was controversial given its explicit lyrics and rejection of mainstream K-pop norms. Unlike their K-pop counterparts, Drunken Tiger wrote their own lyrics, expressed anti-establishment views, and did not perform choreography. However, the album's singles, "I Want You" and "Do You Know Hip-hop," are now considered Korean hip hop classics.[6][7][8]

2000-2004: Drug charges and early success[edit]

In 2000, Drunken Tiger released their second album, The Great Rebirth, and introduced new members DJ Jhig, Micki Eyes, and Roscoe Umali.[9] The album did well on music charts and established the group as "the first commercially successful true hip hop group" in Korea.[10]

However, in the midst of the group's success, Tiger JK was arrested for using methamphetamine in Korea in 1999. 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 the hip hop group Uptown, who has also been arrested on drug charges. Tiger JK spent a month and a half in jail and was sentenced to two years probation.[10] As a result, Drunken Tiger was banned from performing on public media for two years. However, after appealing the decision, the ban was lifted[citation needed], allowing the group to release their third album in 2001.

2001's The Legend Of..., is one of Drunken Tiger's most successful albums. Their single "Good Life" became a huge hit, topping Korean music charts for weeks.[11] They went on to win Best Hip Hop Performance at the 2001 MNET Music Video Festival and the Hip-Hop/Rap Award at the 2001 Seoul Music Awards.[12]

The group released the albums Foundation and One Is Not A Lonely Word in 2003 and 2004, respectively. By this point, Drunken Tiger's appeal had grown internationally, with the group gaining fans and performing in countries including Japan, China, and Taiwan.[13][14][15]

2005-2012: Departure of DJ Shine and continued success[edit]

In 2005, during the debut of the group's sixth album, 1945 Liberation, founding member DJ Shine announced he would leave Drunken Tiger.[16] Tiger JK continued using the group's name as a solo artist, and, with the success of the fifth album, signed endorsement deals with Hite Beer and Reebok.[6] In 2006, Tiger JK established his own hip-hop label, Jungle Entertainment, which became the new home of Drunken Tiger.[17]

The release of Drunken Tiger's seventh album, Sky Is The Limit, marked another high point in Drunken Tiger's career. Although Tiger JK's ability to perform was inhibited by his recently diagnosed acute transverse myelitis, the album's single "8:45 Heaven," a tribute to his late grandmother, became a fan favorite and won Best Hip Hop Song at the 2008 Korean Music Awards.[6][18][19]

Drunken Tiger released its eighth album, Feel gHood Muzik, in 2009. The double-disc album featured American hip-hop legend, Rakim, as well as Roscoe Umali, who had not appeared on the last few Drunken Tiger releases.[20] The album sold over 100,000 copies,[20] and all 27 tracks debuted on the Top 100 K-Pop Singles chart.[citation needed] The album ultimately won Record of the Year at the 2010 Seoul Music Awards and Best Hip Hop Album at the 2010 Korean Music Awards.[21][22] Drunken Tiger released the song, Doo Doo Doo Wap Ba Balu, in 2011 featuring the top 13 contestants of Korea's Next Top Model (season 2).

2013-present: Forming MFBTY and Feel Ghood Music[edit]

In 2013, Tiger JK and label mates Yoon Mi-rae and Bizzy released the song, "Sweet Dream," under the group name MFBTY. An acronym for "My Fans [are] Better Than Yours," the name MFBTY started as a joke between Tiger JK and fans on Twitter. Although the name was meant to be temporary, the three artists have made subsequent releases as MFBTY, as well as under their solo names.[23][24]

Later that year, the three artists left Tiger JK's own Jungle Entertainment and signed to his new label, Feel Ghood Music. In September, they released the album The Cure, under the name Drunken Tiger ft. Yoon MiRae and Bizzy. The album, which peaked at #6 on the K-Pop Hot 100 chart, was a tribute to Tiger JK's father, who was battling cancer at the time.[25][24]

In 2015, MFBTY released the album Wondaland, which was an immediate success. Hours after its release, 17 of the top 20 songs on Daum's music chart were from Wondaland. The album ultimately reached #8 on Billboard's World Albums chart. Tiger JK said the reason he wasn't making music under the name Drunken Tiger anymore was because his young son did not like the word "drunken."[23][24] In 2018, Tiger JK released a final self titled album under the Drunken Tiger name, featuring Yoon Mi-Rae and Bizzy, as well as other artists including Dok2, Eun Ji-won, RM, and Junoflo.[26]

Members[edit]

  • Tiger JK (Seo Jung-kwon) — 1998–2018
  • DJ Shine (Lim Byong-wook) — 1998–2005
  • DJ Jhig (James Jung) — 2000–2003
  • Roscoe Umali — 2000–2002
  • Micki Eyes (Mike Amiri) — 2000–2002, 2018

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
KOR
[27][28]
Year of the Tiger
  • Released: February 2, 1999
  • Label: Doremi Media
  • Format: CD, cassette
 20
The Great Rebirth
  • Released: March 29, 2000
  • Label: Doremi Media
  • Format: CD, cassette
 3
The Legend Of...
  • Released: March 22, 2001
  • Label: Doremi Media
  • Format: CD, cassette
 7
Foundation (뿌리)
  • Released: February 25, 2003
  • Label: Doremi Media
  • Format: CD, cassette
 8
One Is Not A Lonely Word (하나하면 너와나)
  • Released: August 13, 2004
  • Label: Doremi Media
  • Format: CD, cassette
 4
1945 Liberation (1945 해방)
  • Released: August 12, 2005
  • Label: Doremi Media
  • Format: CD, cassette
 3
Sky Is The Limit
  • Released: September 5, 2007
  • Label: CJ E&M
  • Format: CD, cassette
Feel gHood Muzik : The 8th Wonder — —
The Cure
(with Yoon Mi-rae & Bizzy) 		11
Drunken Tiger X : Rebirth Of Tiger JK 22

Singles[edit]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
KOR
[37]
"I Want You" (난 널 원해) 1999 — Year of the Tiger
"Do You Know Hip Hop?" (너희가 힙합을 아느냐?)
"Fetticini" (위대한 탄생) 2000 The Great Rebirth
"Good Life" 2001 The Legend Of...
"Is Ask Hizay?"
"Because I'm A Man" (남자기 때문에) 2003 Foundation
"Thumb" (엄지 손가락)
"Liquor Shots" (술병에 숟가락)
feat. Bobby Kim, Ann 		2004 One Is Not A Lonely Word
"Convenience Store" (편의점)
feat. Gemini
"Isolated Ones! Left Foot Forward!" (소외된 모두, 왼발을 한 보 앞으로!) 2005 1945 Liberation
"Uncensored Love Song" (심의에 안 걸리는 사랑노래)
"Happiness Is" (행복의 조건) 2007 Sky Is The Limit
"8:45 Heaven"
"I Hate Myself" (내가 싫다)
"True Romance"
feat. Yoon Mi-rae 		2009 Feel gHood Muzik : The 8th Wonder
"Monster"
"The Cure" (살자)
with Yoon Mi-rae, Bizzy 		2013 3 The Cure
"Beautiful Life"
with Yoon Mi-rae, Bizzy 		20
"Yet" 2018 — Drunken Tiger X : Rebirth Of Tiger JK
"Bumaye" (범바예) —
"Mantra" (끄덕이는 노래) —
"—" denotes song did not chart.

Awards[edit]

Mnet Asian Music Awards[edit]

Year Category Nominated work Result
1999 Best Hip Hop Performance "Do You Know Hip-Hop" Nominated
2001 "Good Life" Won
2003 "Because I'm A Man" Nominated
2004 "Liquor Shots" Nominated
2005 Music Video of the Year "Isolated Ones! Left Foot Forward!" Won
2007 Best Hip Hop Performance "8:45 Heaven" Nominated

Seoul Music Awards[edit]

Year Category Nominated work Result
2001 Hip Hop/Rap Award Drunken Tiger Won
2010 Record of the Year Feel gHood Muzik : The 8th Wonder Won
Hip Hop/Rap Award Drunken Tiger Won
2019 Hip Hop/Rap Award Drunken Tiger Won

Golden Disk Awards[edit]

Year Category Nominated work Result
2005 Best Music Video "Isolated Ones! Left Foot Forward" Won
2009 Best Disk of the Year Drunken Tiger Won

Korean Music Awards[edit]

Year Category Nominated work Result
2008 Best Hip Hop Song "8:45 Heaven" Won
2010 Best Hip Hop Album Feel gHood Muzik : The 8th Wonder Won

Select live performances[edit]

Date Concert title City Other performers
May 13, 2006 Movement Concert[38] Seoul, South Korea YDG, Epik High, Eun Ji-won, Buga Kingz, Dynamic Duo, Leessang
2006 Seoul, South Korea Jay-Z[citation needed]
July 21, 2007 Summer Big4 Concert - Exciting Star[38] Seoul, South Korea Epik High, Dynamic Duo, Yoon Mi-rae
November 30, 2007 Linkin Park Projekt Revolution World Tour[39] Seoul, South Korea Linkin Park, Dynamic Duo
September 27, 2009 R16 Korea (World BBoy Series)[40] Incheon, South Korea Rakaa (of (Dilated Peoples), Epik High
July 22–23, 2011 Caribbean Bay Summer Wave Festival[38] Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea T-Pain, 2PM, Will.i.am, Yoon Mi-rae, and more
August 5, 2011 Super Traxx Concert[38] Incheon, South Korea Taeyang, Miss A, G-Dragon & T.O.P, Yoon Mi-rae, B.o.B.
December 2, 2011 The Jungle Concert in L.A.[41] Los Angeles, California, United States Yoon Mi-rae, Leessang, Bizzy, Jung In
July 14–15, 2012 Caribbean Bay Summer Wave Festival[38] Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea Taio Cruz, Ludacris, M-Flo, Yoon Mi-rae, and more
August 10–12, 2012 World Electronica Carnival[38] Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea Yoon Mi-rae, Daishi Dance, Shinichi Osawa, DJ Shadow, Benny Benassi, Far East Movement, and more

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Drunken Tiger Talk Hip Hop's Early Days in South Korea: "It Was a Secret Society"". Fuse. 2014-01-13. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  2. ^ Brown, August (December 2, 2011). "Asian rapper set to roar across L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  3. ^ "Tiger JK, Yoon Mirae & Bizzy Transcend Korean Hip-Hop on MFBTY Album 'WondaLand'". Billboard. 2015-03-24. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  4. ^ "Korean Hip-Hop Supergroup MFBTY Made an Album Just for Their Twitter Followers". Vice NOISEY. 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  5. ^ "Drunken Tiger Releases Final Album Featuring Yoonmirae, BTS' RM and More". Billboard. 14 November 2018.
  6. ^ a b c "Korea's Hip-Hop Legend Tiger JK is a Rebel with a Cause". KoreAm. 2014-01-01. Archived from the original on 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  7. ^ "Inside the Music: Drunken Tiger's DJ SHINE on HipHop in Kpop". Hello Kpop. 2014-10-11. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  8. ^ "<노래인생> 타이거JK "이젠 힙합 아저씨..치유 끝 다시 설렌다"" [Tiger JK: “I’m a Hip Hop Ahjussi, and I'm Ready to Come Back"]. Daum Entertainment (in Korean). 2014-09-29. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  9. ^ "Throwback Thursday: Drunken Tiger". Republic of Sound. 2015-07-30. Archived from the original on 2016-04-10. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  10. ^ a b Forrest, Brett (2000-11-01). "Silence Makes the Beats Grow Stronger". SPIN. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  11. ^ "Rap-fueled takeover of Lotte World, Seoul". The Korea Herald. 2010-03-30. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  12. ^ "타이거 JK". Daum. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  13. ^ "K-beat knocking on Japan doors". The Japan Times. 2000-12-19. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  14. ^ Kirk, Don (2002-03-14). "Korea's rap 'n' roll phenomenon". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  15. ^ "Asian hip-hop music has come a long way". Taipei Times. 2004-03-25. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  16. ^ "Inside the Music: Drunken Tiger's DJ SHINE on HipHop in Kpop". Hello Kpop. 2014-10-11. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  17. ^ "History". Jungle Entertainment (in Korean). Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  18. ^ Chen, Roselle (2011-12-03). "Drunken Tiger - The Jungle Concert In L.A." L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  19. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 2009-03-28.
  20. ^ a b "Interview with Drunken Tiger". KoME U.S.A. 2010-03-03. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  21. ^ 제23회서울가요대상 [23rd Seoul Music Awards] (in Korean). 2014-08-18. Archived from the original on August 18, 2014. Retrieved 2016-04-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  22. ^ "7th Korean Music Awards winners". Indieful ROK 2.0. 2010-03-30. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  23. ^ a b "Korean Hip-Hop Supergroup MFBTY Made an Album Just for Their Twitter Followers". Vice NOISEY. 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  24. ^ a b c "[Interview] MFBTY creates a Wondaland of Feel Ghood Music". Hello Kpop. 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  25. ^ "Drunken Tiger, Yoon Mi Rae & Bizzy Find 'The Cure': Exclusive Video Interview". Billboard. 2013-10-07. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  26. ^ Tamar Herman (November 14, 2018). "Drunken Tiger Releases Final Album Featuring Yoonmirae, BTS' RM and More". Billboard.
  27. ^ "K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  28. ^ "Gaon Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart.
  29. ^ "July 1999 K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on 2006-02-18. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  30. ^ "2000 K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  31. ^ "2001 K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  32. ^ "2003 K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  33. ^ "2004 K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  34. ^ "2005 K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  35. ^ "September 2013 Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  36. ^ "November 2018 Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  37. ^ "Gaon Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart.
  38. ^ a b c d e f 드렁큰 타이거 [Drunken Tiger]. Play DB (in Korean). Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  39. ^ "Linkin Park Rocks Fans in Seoul". The Korea Times. 2007-12-02. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  40. ^ "World B-Boy Championships & Hip-Hop Festival To Commence in South Korea". AllHipHop. 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  41. ^ "Jungle Entertainment to have their concert in L.A!". KPop Music. 2011-11-11. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
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