Early life
Gary was born on February 24, 1978. His nickname in middle school was "Gae" (meaning "dog" in Korean), which he adapted to become his stage name, after deciding between "gaemi" (ant) and "Gary". In his younger years, he was more interested in dancing than rapping. Gary revealed that he participated in a dance competition and actually won, defeating other competitors, Jang Woo Hyuk and Moon Hee Jun, who eventually became members of H.O.T. Lee Soo Man scouted all three boys, and offered them a contract to SM Entertainment. Ultimately, Gary rejected the offer. Gary went to Yong In University and trained as a bodyguard. He was an amateur boxer for 10 years.Musical and film career
1997–2001: X-Teen and Honey Family
In 1997, Gary joined X-Teen, a hip-hop group where he met his future Leessang partner, Gil. Gary participated in the group's album release in 1998 before being dropped along with Gil. In an interview, Gary said they had neither the look or the talent which made them quit the group. Afterwards, Gary and Gil ended up joining "Honey Family" and released two albums in 1999 and 2000. Gary took part of the responsibility for the break up of the group by stating that he "started feeling like a celebrity" after their initial success. Gary, Gil, and fellow Honey Family member Diggity decided to form "Leessam Trio" ("sam" means "three" in Korean). They released a compilation album called ''2000 Korea'', in the year 2000. When Diggity left the group, Gary and Gil changed the name to LeeSsang.2002–2017: Leessang
Leessang was created in 2002 by Gary and Gil. So far, the group has produced eight albums with numerous hits. Although the duo achieve critical success from their earlier albums, they remained underground. Their last three albums,2010–2017: Running Man
In 2010, Gary joined '' Running Man'', an urban variety show, as a co-host, along with 6 other original cast members, including Yoo Jae-suk, Haha, Ji Suk-jin, Kim Jong-kook, Lee Kwang-soo and Song Joong-ki while the only female member, Song Ji-hyo, joined the cast a few episodes afterward. The popularity of Running Man helped Gary and the rest of the cast gain international recognition. In October 2016, the producers of '' Running Man'' announced the departure of Gary, who wanted to focus on his music career after being a regular member for a little over six years. His last filming with the main cast was for episode 324. However, he made a brief return in the following episode 325 as a guest. In January 2017, Gary appeared for Member's Week on episode 336.2014–present: Solo career
In January 2014, he released a mini album, ''Mr.Gae''. Three major TV broadcast stations, MBC, KBS, and SBS, all deemed the album unfitting for broadcast, stating reasons such as explicit lyrics and being too sexually provocative. Despite the ban, Gary's title track "Shower Later" clenched the number 1 spot on 8 real-time music charts. Gary later commented on the ban saying that he felt confined by his image and wanted to break the mold. In May 2014, Gary and Jung-in released their first collaboration "Your Scent." The lyrics was penned by Gary while Jung-In andPersonal life
On April 5, 2017, Gary revealed on his social media account that he had married a non-celebrity woman known as "Miss Kim" who worked at Gary's company named 'Leessang' for 5 years before their marriage. Their first child, a son named Kang Ha-oh was born on October 15, 2017.Filmography
Film
Television series
Variety shows
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles
Soundtrack appearances
Featuring
Awards and nominations
References
External links
* {{Authority control 1978 births Living people Jungle Entertainment artists Leessang members Music promoters South Korean chief executives South Korean hip-hop record producers South Korean hip-hop singers South Korean male rappers South Korean hip-hop musicians South Korean music industry executives South Korean television personalities Yong In University alumni 20th-century South Korean male singers 21st-century South Korean male singers 21st-century South Korean rappers South Korean male singer-songwriters South Korean singer-songwriters