Tabber: Seoul’s Alternative Hip-Hop Star
Photo: Tabber on Instagram (@honjowolf)
From the heart of Seoul's underground scenes, Kim Hyunjoon, known to the world as Tabber, has carved out his own lane as a singer-songwriter and alternative hip-hop artist. He first turned heads with his moody vocals and airy production, building a buzz through social media and raw live showcases.
Coming Onto The Scene
His official debut came in August 2020 with the self-produced "Deep End Mixtape," a project that immediately established his signature sound. The project is a deeply atmospheric blend of dreamy synths and emotionally raw songwriting, released under the influential indie label you.will.knovv.
Tabber’s sound is hard to pin down, and that’s the point. He effortlessly mixes alternative R&B, hip-hop, and slick synth-pop, refusing to be confined by a single genre. His 2021 single "Electric Animal" was a bold experiment in texture, and that same year he stepped into the spotlight on the competition show Show Me The Money 10, earning a cult following and a top-tier finish. This momentum carried him from critical acclaim to wider recognition.
Cultivating His Signature Sound
The years that followed were a masterclass in growth. His 2022 track "007" featuring SYD wove together airy R&B with trap and neo-soul, marking a key international collaboration.
Then in 2023, he dropped his first full-length album, "Madness Always Turns to Sadness," a cohesive exploration of love and isolation that featured standout tracks like "want YOU" and "Creepin'." A 2024 homecoming arrived with the single "Chi-Ka," a haunting collaboration with his mentor DEAN.
By 2025, his expanding discography, including the single "Hysteric Glamour," cemented his status as a mainstay on streaming platforms, resonating with a growing international audience drawn to his themes of late-night yearning and fluid identity.
Unforgettable Collaborations
A key part of Tabber’s story is his deep network of collaborators. He’s become a sought-after voice, lending his versatile flow to tracks with a who’s who of Korean music, from Punchnello and Code Kunst to Dynamic Duo and Jay Park. You can hear his adaptable style on songs like ROMderful’s "1 Missed Call" and Code Kunst’s "BAD BAD," proving his ability to elevate any track he touches.
His reputation as a must-see live act blew up in 2024 when he joined MISO for a European tour, with critics and fans praising the soulful yet immersive electronic experience. By late 2025, he was a fixture on festival lineups and curated showcases, proving his cross-cultural appeal. At the core of Tabber’s music is a confessional and vulnerable style. His songwriting delves into loneliness, volatile relationships, and the search for self, all delivered through a vocal range that can shift from an aching falsetto to a smooth, rhythmic flow.
As of late, Tabber continues to push forward, releasing new material and fueling rumors of another full-length project. From his DIY beginnings to international tours and star-studded collaborations, he has solidified his position as a leading voice in South Korea's alternative music scene, an artist truly redefining the boundaries of Korean popular music for a global audience.
Check Out These Tracks
“Honey!”
“Look At My”
“2049”
“Being”
“Shut the f**k up, that’s mine”