Beginner’s Guide to Epik High
So you’re new to K-Hip-Hop and you’ve heard the name Epik High left and right, but are intimidated by their discography and senior status in the industry. Have no fear, The Kraze is here to help you start your journey down the great legacy of Epik High.
The trio consists of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz. Tablo is the most recognized member of the group due to his active role on social media, his radio show, and for some, his Stanford controversy. He is a tried and true leader that definitely spearheads the band. Mithra Jin is known for his rapping in the group, but is definitely quieter than Tablo. DJ Tukutz is the biggest mystery to outsiders. Outside of his work with Epik High, he’s not super well-known and tends to keep his life pretty private. His main function in the group is being a producer and working the turntable. The trio formed in 2001 when Tablo moved to Korea after finishing his Stanford degree, and mostly operated in the underground. At the time, hip-hop was less mainstream, so finding success was more difficult.
The group’s debut album Map of the Human Soul was released in 2003 under Woollim Entertainment, with the second album High Society following in 2004. Both albums did not perform particularly well, and album Swan Songs in 2005 was scheduled to be their final album before the title track “Fly” hit it big. The track skyrocketed to the top of the charts and was featured on soundtracks for FIFA 07 and Pump It Up. After “Fly” went viral, the group began winning major awards, including “Best Hip-Hop Performance” at the Mnet Asian Music Awards and the “Best Artist Award” at the KBS Music Awards that year.
For more recent K-Hip-Hop fans, a lot of Epik High’s older music may seem to sound more like mainstream pop. A lot of their hits from that time sound a lot like early BIGBANG for comparison. But while the songs may seem somewhat subdued compared to what many consider hip-hop, there are a lot of traditional rap influences even in their early releases.
In 2010, both DJ Tukutz and Mithra Jin had to enlist for their mandatory military service, and in that time Tablo signed with YG Entertainment and had his solo debut in 2011 while the group was on hiatus. His reason for leaving Woollim ultimately boiled down to the Stanford controversy, which was an overblown rumor that he lied about graduating from Stanford and even caused a police investigation. It’s well known that this controversy severely affected Tablo, as he’s spoken about it on a number of occasions and written about it in his music.
With the controversy and military enlistment, it would be three full years before the group returned to the scene. Their first release with YG was the single “It’s Cold” featuring soloist LEE HI.
More international recognition began to form in 2014 with the release of eighth studio album SHOEBOX and pre-release single “BORN HATER,” which to this day is the gateway into Epik High for many. “BORN HATER” featured a strong lineup of musicians, including rapper Verbal Jint, Beenzino, and then-trainees B.I, Bobby, and MINO. By that point, the three boys had gained a lot of attention for their participation in Win: Who Is Next and Show Me The Money 3, which Bobby would ultimately win. SHOEBOX became a critically acclaimed album, and remains one of the most impactful albums from the group to this date. In 2015, Epik High would perform at SXSW, then at Coachella in 2016, marking one of the first crossovers for Korean artists into major American music scenes.
WE’VE DONE SOMETHING WONDERFUL is the next album release in 2017 that featured a star-studded lineup, with artists such as Lee Suhyun of Akdong Musician, Crush, and Oh Hyuk of the band HYUKOH. By now the group was mainstream both in Korea and internationally. 2019 album Sleepless in __________ marked a production collaboration with SUGA of BTS, which caught a lot of attention from new ARMYs that were not familiar with the impact Epik High had on BTS’s own musical journey. Sleepless in __________ was also considered a raw and comforting album from the group that soothed many listeners.
Most recently, Epik High released their new album Epik High is Here in January with lead single “Rosario,” which featured second generation behemoths CL and ZICO. A new single “Rain Song” featuring Colde was also dropped about two weeks ago.
Aside from music, Tablo spent most time in the spotlight with his radio show and podcast on DIVE Studios, which is currently discontinued. His daughter Haru is also a well-known figure among fans, as Tablo often speaks of his relationship with her and the fact that as a small child she featured on The Return of Superman, a super popular show that has young children take center stage. Many were endeared by a particular episode where she was infatuated with BIGBANG’s G-DRAGON and is seen running around backstage and just being downright infectiously adorable.
Epik High has certainly cemented their legendary status from their humble beginnings twenty years ago, but they are a great example of perseverance and talent bringing success. There’s no question they’re a huge contributor to the expansion of K-Hip-Hop, and they definitely deserve your attention.