
In South Korea, hip-hop has not only evolved into an essential part of the music scene, but also a big part of the country's pop culture. While K-Pop has been taking over the world, Korean hip-hop has also started to gain international popularity, with K-hip-hop artists expanding their presence in the global market. With the growing interest from fans and listeners worldwide, Spotify launched KrOWN in September of this year, our official global Korean hip-hop playlist (formerly known as K-Hip-Hop +82). KrOWN serves as a bridge between K-hip-hop and music fans around the world, ultimately elevating Korean hip-hop artists and culture.
To dive further into the genre, uncover what makes K-hip-hop unique to the world, and explore the music's roots, Spotify sat down with some of the most iconic artists in the scene.
Meet some of the key players who have propelled the growth of K-hip-hop:
Tiger JK: The history of hip-hop in South Korea is generally considered to have begun in the 1990s with iconic figures like Tiger JK helping the genre become mainstream. Often referred to as the godfather of K-hip-hop, the rapper was also a founding member of the group Drunken Tiger. Back then, every day was like war, and finding a place to perform was almost impossible. But it was so much fun, Tiger JK recalls. And the best trophy for us at the time was having three or four fans walk up to us in the subway and share which lyrics and rhymes they liked about our song.
Yoon Mirae: Yoon debuted in 1997 and is recognized as an icon in Korea. She runs the record label Feel Ghood Music with her husband, Tiger JK. If you are a fan of hip-hop, you can't help but be a fan of K-hip-hop, she says. A lot of artists in Korea are just really that good, and a lot of MCs-especially people like Tiger JK-stay grounded to their roots and want to show their love and appreciation for the Korean culture we came from I think people recognize that.
Dynamicduo (consisting of CHOIZA and Gaeko): The K-hip-hop scene began to coalesce further in the 2000s, as the genre's top artists continuously challenged themselves to bring the sound forward. In 2006, the iconic group Dynamicduo established hip-hop record label Amoeba Culture, which has since become a home to various prominent artists.
Jay Park: Fast-forward to the present, and Jay Park-rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur-believes the overall popularity of Korean culture around the world has benefitted K-hip-hop as well. Having started his career in the K-Pop entertainment business, Jay Park is now a renowned multifaceted talent and one of the most streamed Korean hip-hop artists worldwide.
The Quiett: The Quiett holds a strong presence in South Korea's hip-hop scene with over two decades of experience in the space. A rapper, composer, and record producer widely known for founding major hip-hop record labels (including Illionaire Records and Ambition Musik), the artist thinks back to when he first started as a rapper and to the exciting present of the scene, now filled with passionate, unique talents.
Not only has the genre become a significant part of the music culture in South Korea, but it has also emerged as a form of entertainment, including TV shows, festivals, and films, enjoyed across many generations.
In addition to the campaign video available on KrOWN (via Spotify Clips) and Spotify's official global YouTube channel, starting mid December, the KrOWN playlist will be taken over each week by one of the artists featured in the video. Through the KrOWN playlist takeover campaign, Yoon Mirae and Tiger JK, Dynamicduo, The Quiett, and Jay Park will each select 10 of their favorite tracks to be added at the top of the KrOWN playlist for one full week. Interviews of each artist will also be unveiled on the platform.
More from Spotify
24/03/2023
Each year when we publish Spotify's Equity and Impact Report, we have the opportunity to reflect on our efforts toward creating a more equitable and sustain...
24/03/2023
No Brasil, o ver o aquele per odo para aproveitar o calor e as altas temperaturas, mas n o s isso. De dezembro a mar o, a poca para celebrar grandes feria...
24/03/2023
Mark March 30 on your calendars. That's when RapCaviar Presents arrives on H...
23/03/2023
From township jive in the shebeens to the piercing sounds of Kwaito and house music across taverns and pubs, Amapiano comes from a long legacy of underground mu...
23/03/2023
Summer in Brazil is a time for enjoying sunshine and warm weather, but that's only the start. Running from December to March, it's also a time to celebr...
21/03/2023
Craig David hit the music scene just before the turn of the millennium when he w...
21/03/2023
Burgeoning creators on college campuses across the U.S. are already harnessing t...
21/03/2023
Desde sua estreia no mundo da m sica em 2014, com Hoje, a hitmaker brasileira LUDMILLA j ganhou um Grammy Latino e se tornou a primeira cantora negra da Am ric...
21/03/2023
Since making her musical debut in 2014 with Hoje, Brazilian hitmaker LUDMILLA has won a Latin Grammy and become the first Black singer in Latin America to rea...
20/03/2023
photo credit: Victor Jeffreys As one of the hosts of NPR's flagship program,...
20/03/2023
This week marks the start of Ramadan, a month of spiritual rejuvenation, humilit...
16/03/2023
Hack Week has become something of Spotify lore. The beloved Discover Weekly playlist originated as a Hack Week idea, as did the ability to exclude select playli...
15/03/2023
One year ago this week, Spanish superstar ROSAL A released her album MOTOMAMI to...
15/03/2023
On Sunday night, the post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us wrapped up a thrilling first season that saw Joel and Ellie set off on a cross-country trek in a worl...
13/03/2023
When Spotify launched in South Africa in March 2018, new users and music lovers raced onto the platform to stream Thelonious Monk's Round Midnight. In th...
10/03/2023
This month we were proud to launch our EQUAL program in Ukraine, with singer-son...
10/03/2023
On Sunday night, movie fans around the world will tune in to the 95th Academy Awards-aka the Oscars-to celebrate Hollywood's exceptional talent. Once the sh...
10/03/2023
South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu built his name through sleek, forwar...
10/03/2023
Following a milestone day of announcements, inspiring stories, and hands-on demo...
09/03/2023
Today at Stream On, artists, songwriters, podcasters, and authors from around the world joined us for the latest announcements and hands-on demos of the new too...
09/03/2023
Today at Stream On, artists, songwriters, producers, podcasters, and authors from around the world joined for the latest announcements and hands-on demos of the...
08/03/2023
Our users love creating playlists to reflect key moments in their lives or soundtrack moments that matter. These often become a listener's most-streamed pla...
08/03/2023
Spotify has gone through updates and iterations throughout the years, but today, during Stream On, we unveiled our biggest evolution yet: a new, dynamic mobile ...
08/03/2023
Today at Spotify Stream On, artists, songwriters, podcasters, and authors from around the world joined us for a day of news, networking, and inspiration-and a d...
08/03/2023
Since launching Spotify's brand-new AI DJ in beta a few weeks back, Premium listeners across the U.S. and Canada have had the chance to experience our perso...
08/03/2023
Today at Spotify Stream On, artists, songwriters, podcasters, and authors from around the world joined us for a day of announcements and inspiration. They also ...
08/03/2023
Today at Spotify Stream On, artists, songwriters, podcasters, and authors from a...
08/03/2023
Today at Spotify Stream On, artists, songwriters, video and content creators, po...
08/03/2023
Photo credit: Eric Hobbs
Today at Spotify Stream On, artists, songwriters, podc...
08/03/2023
Empowering creators is central to everything we do at Spotify. We've long been building the tools that podcasters need to tell their stories and grow their ...
08/03/2023
Mark Fishbach, alias Markiplier, is one of the voices behind storied podcasts Di...
08/03/2023
We know that many podcasters are able to establish their creative business on Patreon. But until now, there wasn't an easy way for fans to listen to Patreon...
08/03/2023
Artists, songwriters, video and content creators, podcasters, and fans from all over the world joined Spotify for our second Stream On event today in Los Angele...
06/03/2023
Music has often stood at the forefront of social change, especially when it come...
06/03/2023
Every month, tens of billions of discoveries happen on Spotify. Personalized recommendations play an important role in our ability to match listeners around the...
06/03/2023
The star power that Elvis Presley brought to the stage is undeniable. With a sha...
03/03/2023
Last night, Morgan Wallen proved you can go home again. The Tennessee native vis...
02/03/2023
When the Peacock original series Bel-Air debuted last year, it reimagined the original series in the truest sense. Where the original sitcom was more of a light...
01/03/2023
Ten years ago, Spotify launched in Italy and Poland, and we began our work to engage with local creative talent and the community through Spotify programs, fest...
28/02/2023
Listening to audio activates key centers of your brain, from your emotional response to memory storage to interest and engagement. On Spotify, that's happen...
28/02/2023
The European Commission has once again made it abundantly clear that consumers are the ultimate victims of Apple's abusive and anticompetitive behavior-and ...
28/02/2023
Last year, as part of our commitment to fight against racial inequity and develop opportunities for Black creators, we shared that Spotify was partnering with U...
27/02/2023
There's so much to stream on Spotify, and the best way to hear those tracks, playlists, and podcasts again and again is to save them directly to Your Librar...
24/02/2023
What do you get when you put a comedian and a pop culture icon together in a roo...
23/02/2023
There's no denying that Jay Chou is the King of Mandopop. He has reigned as Taiwan's top artist on Spotify for the past four years and was crowned Top M...
23/02/2023
It's no easy feat to be as fearless and uncompromising as Villano Antillano....
22/02/2023
Personalization is at the heart of what we do at Spotify-just think of fan-favorite playlists like Discover Weekly, or our annual Wrapped campaign. The beauty o...
21/02/2023
When it comes to getting in the zone, few things do the trick like music. Professional and recreational athletes-and everyone in between-use pump-up songs to ge...
21/02/2023
While Carmelo Anthony is best known as a professional basketball player, there a...
16/02/2023
When it comes to U.K. podcast producers, Immediate Media stands out. In 2022, th...