G-Dragon

"Kwon Ji-yong" redirects here. For his self-titled EP, see Kwon Ji Yong.
In this Korean name, the family name is Kwon.

G-Dragon
G-Dragon wearing black and white, looking towards the camera
G-Dragon in 2023
Born
Kwon Ji-yong

(1988-08-18) August 18, 1988 (age 36)
Seoul, South Korea
Other namesGD
EducationSejong University (MA)
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • entrepreneur
  • fashion designer
Years active1994–present
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Labels
Member of
Formerly of
Korean name
Hangul
권지용
Hanja
權志龍
Revised RomanizationGwon Jiyong
McCune–ReischauerKwŏn Chiyong
Signature

Kwon Ji-yong (Korean: 권지용; born August 18, 1988),[1] best known as G-Dragon (지드래곤), is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, known as the "King of K-pop".[2][3][4][5] Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, G-Dragon made his debut in 2006 and rose to prominence as the leader of the South Korean boy band BigBang, which went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands in the world.[6][7]

In 2009, he released his first solo album Heartbreaker; the album and its title track of the same name were commercially successful, becoming the best-selling album by a Korean soloist at the time and earning him Album of the Year at the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards. This was followed by a collaboration with bandmate T.O.P for the album GD & TOP in 2010. His first EP One of a Kind (2012), spawned three singles: "One of a Kind", "Crayon", and the chart-topper "That XX". The EP earned Best Album at the 2013 Seoul Music Awards.

In 2013, he embarked on his first worldwide tour as a solo artist, making him the first Korean soloist to tour Japanese dome arenas.[8] His 2017 EP, Kwon Ji Yong, yielded the number one single "Untitled, 2014", and the supporting concert tour Act III: M.O.T.T.E became the largest tour ever conducted by a Korean soloist.[9] In 2023, G-Dragon officially departed YG Entertainment after 20 years of activities, signing to Galaxy Corporation under his real name.[10]

Widely recognized for his influence on youth culture, fashion trends, and music in South Korea,[11] G-Dragon was included in Forbes list of the 2030 Power Leaders List for three consecutive years, Ilgan Sports's list of the most influential entities in K-pop in 2013, and was named amongst the best boy band members of all time by The Guardian. G-Dragon has written or co-written 23 number one songs on the Gaon Digital Chart most of which he has also co-produced.[12][13] G-Dragon is the recipient of numerous awards, including seven MAMA Awards, six Melon Music Awards, two Korean Music Awards, two Golden Disc Awards, two MBC Entertainment Awards, among other awards. Additionally, he is the first and only solo artist to receive the MAMA Award for Artist of the Year in 2013.[14]

  1. ^ Russell, Mark (April 29, 2014). K-Pop Now!: The Korean Music Revolution. Tuttle Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-4629-1411-1. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  2. ^ "K-Pop's G Dragon Eager For Challenge Of Solo Tour". Pollstar. May 20, 2013. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  3. ^ Peng, Elizabeth (July 31, 2017). "G-Dragon, the Undisputed King of K-Pop, Takes New York". Vogue. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  4. ^ Chakraborty, Riddhi (July 14, 2017). "I Traveled All the Way to Bangkok to Watch the King of K-Pop Live and it Was Totally Worth it". Rolling Stone India. Archived from the original on July 14, 2017.
  5. ^ Edwina Mukasa (2013). "G-Dragon – K-pop's golden boy". Dazed. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2015. G-Dragon, is one of the most powerful artists within the K-pop industry and the current King of K-pop
  6. ^ Spangler, Todd (April 26, 2017). "K-Pop Superstars BigBang Go Camping in YouTube Red's First Korean Show". Variety.com. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  7. ^ "The Korean wave hits New York| Manhattan, New York, NY | Local News". January 11, 2018. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ Arnoldo, Claudia (May 3, 2013). "G-Dragon adds Hong Kong and Japan concert dates to solo world tour". Asia Pacific Arts. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference motte was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ '새 출발' 지드래곤 "마약 퇴치·편견 없는 사회 위한 재단 만들 것". Edaily [ko]. December 21, 2023.
  11. ^ Lochanski, Tess (June 27, 2017). ""korean style is about moving fast" -- g-dragon discusses the sound of korea's future". i-D. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  12. ^ Lord, Richard (July 18, 2017). "Ahead of G-Dragon's Hong Kong show, we talk to him about new album, touring solo, and who Kwon Ji-yong really is". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on July 18, 2017.
  13. ^ "Gaon Digital Chart - Untitled, 2014". Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  14. ^ "Enjoy Mnet K·POP, Mwave". www.mwave.me. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.