Nicholas Seok-bae Choi (; born February 28, 1992), better known by his stage name Nafla (), is a South Korean and American rapper. He was the winner of '' Show Me the Money 777''.

Early life and education

Nicholas Seok-bae Choi was born in Orange County,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, on February 28, 1992, to South Korean parents. He lived in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

until he was five years old, and then lived in South Korea until he was in the fourth grade. Choi subsequently returned to America and immediately entered the sixth grade, skipping a grade level. He attended Rosemont Middle School in La Crescenta, a

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

an neighborhood in

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

. Choi went on to attend

Crescenta Valley High School Crescenta Valley High School is a high school in La Crescenta, California. Around 2500 students attend the school, which serves North Glendale, unincorporated La Crescenta and Montrose, as well as a municipal neighborhood on the western boundary ...

, where he met his MKIT Rain labelmates Bloo and Young West. Afterwards, Choi enrolled at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

, and graduated in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in

Business Administration Business administration is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. Overview The administration of a business includes the performance o ...

Legal issues

In 2019, Choi was investigated for illegal use of marijuana, which resulted in a suspended indictment. In June 2020, he was found guilty of violating South Korea's

Narcotics Control Act Narcotics Control Act may refer to: ;Bangladesh * Narcotics Control Act 1990 ;Brazil * Brazilian Controlled Drugs and Substances Act ; Canada * Controlled Drugs and Substances Act * Narcotic Control Act ;Germany * Narcotic Drugs Act ;India ...

by smoking marijuana in his home. Choi was sentenced to 2 years of probation with immediate imprisonment for any violations, along with 120 hours of community service. On February 22, 2023, Choi was arrested for attempting to evade South Korea's mandatory military service. He was accused of falsifying medical records that diagnosed him with depression, as well as using these documents to apply for the position of a non-active duty personnel. Choi went on to pause his military service for 18 months on 7 occasions, and he also skipped his mandated duty as a social worker by filing for sick leave or early leave with his medical records. On August 10, 2023, Choi was sentenced to a year in prison. On February 13, 2024, Choi was released on bail in accordance with the process of appealing his prison sentence.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Charted singles

References

{{Authority control 1992 births Living people South Korean male rappers South Korean hip-hop singers 21st-century South Korean male singers 21st-century South Korean rappers Show Me the Money (South Korean TV series) contestants