Made in Korea K-pop and Hip-hop festival

Line-up K-Pop Day (30 July)

Red Velvet

RED VELVET is a South Korean girl group formed and managed by SM Entertainment. They originally debuted on August 1, 2014, with the single “Happiness” with the four-member line-up of Irene, Seulgi, Wendy and Joy. A fifth member, Yeri, joined the group in March 2015, following the release of their first mini album, Ice Cream Cake. Musically, the work of Red Velvet reflects their own group name: their predominantly-pop “red” side experiments occasionally with electronic, funk and hip hop, while their “velvet” side focuses on ’90s-influenced R&B with elements of ballad and jazz. Their genre versatility and hooks have garnered critical praise.

Suho

Kim Jun-myeon, better known by his stage name Suho (meaning “guardian” in Korean), is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actor. He is the leader and lead vocalist of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo and its sub-unit Exo-K. He debuted as a soloist on March 30, 2020 with the release of his EP, Self-Portrait. Outside of his musical career, Suho has also starred in various television dramas and movies such as One Way Trip (2016), The Universe’s Star(2017), Rich Man (2018), Middle School Girl A (2018), and How Are U Bread (2020). On March 10, 2022, it was confirmed that Suho will release his second mini album Grey Suit and its lead single of the same name on April 4, 2022, which will be a comeback after his discharge from the military.

Pentagon

Pentagon is a South Korean multi-national boy band formed by Cube Entertainment in 2016. The group consists of nine members: Jinho, Hui, Hongseok, Shinwon, Yeo One, Yan An, Yuto, Kino and Wooseok. They were introduced through the Mnet survival show Pentagon Maker. Pentagon released their self-titled debut EP on October 10, 2016. In 2018, Pentagon released their sixth Korean EP Positive which features six tracks including lead single “Shine”. The song eventually becoming a sleeper hit by word of mouth from listeners due to its unique melody and powerful choreography. Since its release, the track rose to number 95 at Melon’s real-time chart. “Shine” debuted at number 85 on Gaon Digital Chart and peaked at number 27. They made their debut on Top 10 Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart.

Viviz

VIVIZ is a South Korean girl group formed by BPM Entertainment. The group consists of former GFriend members: Eunha, SinB, and Umji. The group debuted on February 9, 2022, with their first extended play Beam of Prism. After one week of their debut, the group won their first music show award on MBC M’s Show Champion. On February 21, 2022, Mnet announced Viviz will be participating in the second season of the Mnet reality competition show Queendom. On April 26, 2022, Viviz appeared on Grammy’s Global Spin — a video series by The Recording Academy highlighting unique artists from around the globe. They performed their debut lead single “Bop Bop!” at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. The trio were the first ever K-pop girl group to feature on the series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM963tI7Q_k

Chung Ha

CHUNG HA is a South Korean pop singer, dancer and choreographer signed under MNH Entertainment. She finished fourth in Mnet’s girl group survival show Produce 101, becoming a member of the resulting girl group I.O.I. Following the dissolution of I.O.I in 2017, Chungha debuted as a solo artist with the extended play Hands on Me. On December 12, 2019, Billboard published their list of the “25 Best K-pop Songs of the 2019”, with Chungha’s single “Gotta Go” ranked at number three. Billboard described the latter as “Chungha fully embracing her stronger, more confident side; a side that’s stayed consistent throughout her major year and can help guide her to even greater heights in the new decade”. The single was also ranked hundredth on Billboard’s “The 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s”.

Golden Child

GOLDEN CHILD is a South Korean boy band formed by Woollim Entertainment in 2017. The group debuted on August 28, 2017, with their EP, Gol-Cha!. The group consists of ten members: Daeyeol, Y, Jangjun, Tag, Seungmin, Jaehyun, Jibeom, Donghyun, Joochan and Bomin, former member Jaeseok officially left the group due to health issues in early 2018. On March 20, it was announced that the group will join Mnet’s reality television competition Road to Kingdom. They were the first group eliminated in the fifth episode.

Cherry Bullet

CHERRY BULLET is a South Korean girl group formed by FNC Entertainment. They debuted on January 21, 2019, with their first single album titled Let’s Play Cherry Bullet. The group currently consists of seven members: Haeyoon, Yuju, Bora, Jiwon, Remi, Chaerin and May. In 2021, Bora, Jiwon and May took part in the Mnet survival show Girls Planet 999. In 2022, Cherry Bullet released their second EP Cherry Wish and its lead single “Love In Space”.

Billlie

BILLLIE is a South Korean girl group formed by Mystic Story. Billlie debuted on November 10, 2021, with the extended play (EP) The Billage of Perception: Chapter One. The group originally consisted of six members: Moon Sua, Suhyeon, Haram, Tsuki, Siyoon and Haruna. A seventh member, Sheon, later joined the group. On February 11, 2022, it was announced that Billlie would be releasing their second EP The Collective Soul And Unconscious: Chapter One, featuring lead single “GingaMingaYo (the strange world)” on February 23. On March 1, the group released their first soundtrack album The Collective Soul and Unconscious: Chapter One Original Soundtrack from “What is Your B?”.

Hip-Hop Day (31 July)

Jay Park

Jay Park is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and entrepreneur of Korean descent. He is a member of the Seattle-based b-boy crew Art of Movement (AOM), and founder and former CEO of the independent hip hop record labels AOMG and H1ghr Music, as well as the founder of the record label More Vision. Park initially rose to fame as the leader of South Korean boy band 2PM, officially leaving the group in 2009. Park returned to South Korea in June 2010 for the filming of Hype Nation, and in July, Park signed a contract with SidusHQ, one of the largest entertainment agencies in South Korea. Rebranding and re-debuting as both a solo singer and a rapper, Park’s musical identity would lend to him partaking in the underground hip hop culture in South Korea, a rarity for both active and former K-Pop idols. An influential figure in the Korean hip hop scene, Park has been described as the “scene stalwart” of Korean R&B, and has been credited as one of the main figures responsible for the increased commercial acceptance and mainstream popularization of K-hip hop in South Korea.

Loco

Loco is a South Korean rapper signed to hip hop label AOMG. He won the first season of Mnet’s rap competition Show Me the Money in 2012. Loco has been widely loved for his sincere lyrics and melodic flow by both domestic and international fans. Ever since winning the reality rap competition TV show, ‘Show Me the Money Season 1’, he has dropped multiple platinum hits including ‘Hold Me Tight (Feat. Crush)’, ‘You Don’t Know’, ‘Too Much (Feat. DEAN), It Takes Time (Feat. Colde)’ and ‘It’s been a while (Feat. Zion.T)’.

Furthermore, his creativity along with his consistency has been highly acclaimed by fellow artists because instead of being bound by fame and success, Loco continues to present fresh sounds to us as shown in his full-length album BLEACHED, and the newest EP SOME TIME.

Gray

Lee Seong-hwa better known by his stage name Gray is a South Korean singer, rapper and record producer. In 2012, he released his debut single “Blink”. In 2021, he released his first studio album Grayground. He is currently signed to hip hop label AOMG. GRAY is a perfect example of an ‘all-round musician’, who shows impeccable performances not only in producing, writing, and composing, but also in rapping and singing. He has become an irreplaceable figure with his debut single [KKAMBBAK] and tracks like ‘Dream Chaser (Feat. Dok2 & Crush)’ and Just Do It (Feat. Loco)’.
His unique style of classy producing has led to collaborations with many artists including AOMG artists such as Jay Park, Simon Dominic, Loco, and Woo. He also appeared on popular TV shows such as ‘Show Me The Money’ and ‘Hangout with Yoo’, showing his exceptional producing skills and drawing the broadcasting and advertising fields’ attention.

Lee Hi

LeeHi is an R&B and Soul artist, who has been loved for her captivating voice since the debut in 2012. She has showcased her soulful voice through her discography that spans diverse genres of music, including single ‘1,2,3,4’, the full-length album ‘First Love’, EP ‘SEOULITE’, and EP ‘24˚C’.
In 2020, LeeHi broke her one-year hiatus and appeared in the music variety show ‘Begin Again Korea’. Her music yet again captivated the fans’ hearts and such success proved that her presence could not be replaced.

The success of the two singles ‘HOLO’ and ‘For You’ she released after signing with AOMG in 2020 July attests to LeeHi’s rise as one of the top vocalists in Korea. Please keep an eye out for LeeHi as the new chapter in her music career unfolds at AOMG.

Epik High

Epik High is a South Korean alternative hip hop group from Seoul, composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz. They are known for having combined genres and different styles of hip hop throughout their career, which has seen the release of eleven studio albums since their debut in 2003, as well as for their coverage of diverse lyrical themes. The group went on hiatus between 2010 and 2012 whilst two of the members served mandatory military service. Upon their return, YG Entertainment signed Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz on July 25, 2012, with Tablo having already released a solo album under the label. They have received international acclaim, winning several music awards in Korea and becoming the first Korean act to play at Coachella.

Dok2

Dok2 is a South Korean rapper, record producer and co-founder of now-defunct Illionaire Records. His first music appearance is when he was 12, when he performed “FEVER” with Jo-PD & Hype at the 2002 Mnet Music Video Festival. In 2011, Dok2 and rapper The Quiett formed Illionaire Records. Despite its small size, Illionaire Records is considered one of the most influential hip hop record labels in South Korea due to the popularity of its artists. He also founded sub-label Ambition Musik below the label. In 2014, Dok2 was a judge on the third season of the TV rap competition Show Me the Money, where he and The Quiett were the producers behind winning contestant Bobby of the band iKon. They again participated in the show’s fifth season and were the producers behind Superbee, who came in third place. Dok2 again participated in Season 6 as part of a producer team with Jay Park (AOMG and H1GHR Music).

pH-1

pH-1 is a Korean-American rapper based in South Korea. He released his debut extended play The Island Kid in 2017, followed by the full-length album HALO in 2019. He then moved to Korea in pursuit of his music career after Jay Park reached out to him via Instagram to join his newly formed record label, H1GHR MUSIC.

Jessi

Jessi, is a Korean-American rapper, singer, and entertainer based in South Korea. She was born in New York, raised in New Jersey, and moved to South Korea at the age of 15. Jessi originally debuted in South Korea in 2005 and temporarily was part of the hip hop group Uptown in 2006. After a brief 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. Following the end of her contract with YMC, she later moved to Psy’s record label P Nation in 2019 as the first artist signed under the label, where she continued her solo career. 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.