Shin Ok-cheol (; born March 21, 1983), known by his stage name Outsider (), is a South Korean rapper. He is known for his speed-rapping and is able to rap at over 16 syllables per second. After a conflict between Outsider and
MC Sniper's label, Sniper Sound, in July 2013, he was also the founder of Blockbuster Records and its successor, ASSA Communication.
Career
2004–2008: Discovery and ''Soliloquist''
In 2004, Outsider began his career as an underground rapper and achieved some success with his debut EP "Come Outside". He released his first single "Speed Star" in 2006 and promoted the title track, "Motivation", on the SBS variety show ''The Truth Game''. His fast rapping skills impressed Korean hip-hop legend,
MC Sniper, who signed Outsider to his label, "Sniper Sound". On October 25, 2007, Outsider released his first full-length studio album, ''Soliloquist''.
2008–2009: ''Maestro'' and mainstream success
After a year hiatus, Outsider's second album, released June 1, 2009, Maestro, had more mainstream success. The title track "Loner" held the #1 spot on both the
Mnet
M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
and Melon music charts for more than five weeks, making Outsider one of the fastest rappers to reach #1 on Korean music charts. Outsider has performed on MBC, SBS, KBS, Mnet, and had appeared on SBS's
Star King
''Star King'' (also published as ''The Star King'') is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance, the first in his Demon Princes series. It tells the story of a young man, Kirth Gersen, who sets out to track down and avenge himsel ...
as a special guest. After the promotion for "Loner" ended, he started to promote another track from the same album titled "My Youth Confession"; the track was successful. Outsider has worked with underground and overground rappers such as
MC Sniper, L.E.O, Illnit, DJ R2, Bae Chi Gi,
Dok2
Lee Joon-kyung (; born March 28, 1990) better known by his stage name Dok2 (, pronounced as Dokki), is a South Korean rapper, record producer and co-founder of now-defunct Illionaire Records.
Biography Early life
Dok2's mother is Korean, and ...
, and more. He also did a special performance alongside singer
K.Will
Kim Hyung-soo (; born December 30, 1981), better known by his stage name K.Will (), is a South Korean singer. The name is a combination of the first letter 'K' of his last name 'Kim' and the English word 'Will'. He debuted in 2007 and has since ...
.
2010–2012: ''The Outsider'', ''Hero'' and military service
After a short hiatus, he returned on March 2, 2010, to release an EP titled "Vol. 2.5 The Outsider" along with a music video for the album's single, "Acquaintance" (), in which Outsider revisits the sound of "Loner", which mixes hip-hop with a classical edge. During this period, he garnered publicity for his remake of
Big Bang
The Big Bang is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models based on the Big Bang concept explain a broad range of phenomena, including th ...
's "Lies". He was also featured on a charity single entitled "Faddy Robot Foundation" with Vasco,
Verbal Jint
Kim Jin-tae (; born December 19, 1980), better known by his stage name Verbal Jint (), is a South Korean musician, rapper and record producer who is known for his innovations in Korean hip hop rhyme schemes. He established himself as one of Sout ...
,
Sangchu, Yong Junhyung, Joosuc,
Hyuna
Kim Hyun-ah (; born June 6, 1992), known professionally as Hyuna (stylized as HyunA), is a South Korean singer-songwriter, rapper and model. She debuted as a member of the girl group Wonder Girls in February 2007. Upon leaving the ensemble sho ...
, and
Zico.
On October 21, 2010, he released his 3rd album titled "Hero" along with two singles; "주인공 (Hero)" featuring fellow label-mate, LMNOP, and "Attitude Needed When Breaking Up" () featuring fellow hip-hop artist, Kuan of All That. The album garnered success, despite being released without a music video or many live performances to promote the album. The song "Hero" rose to #7 on the Mnet Single Charts, #5 on Melon, and #4 on the prestigious Gaon Chart. On December 21, 2010, Outsider enlisted for
mandatory military service for five weeks of basic training followed by 21 months of active duty in
Wonju
Wonju (; ) is the most populous Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gangwon Province, South Korea, with a population of 364,860 as of 2023. The city is located approximately east of Seoul.
History
During the time of Joseon, Gr ...
. He was discharged on September 24, 2012.
2013-present: ''Rebirth Outsider'' and Sniper Sound conflict
In June 2013, after a three-year hiatus, Outsider announced plans to release his 4th studio album in July. On June 25, 2013, Outsider pre-released the single "Crying Bird" featuring
Lee Soo Young.
On July 4, 2013, Outsider filed a lawsuit against Sniper Sound over financial issues. In a press release, Outsider claimed he never received proper pay or credit for his various activities and copyrights. Sniper Sound in turn filed an opposing lawsuit against Outsider calling him to halt his recent activities. The conflict broke when fans were unable to buy Outsider's previous songs from 2007 to 2010 released under MC Sniper's Sniper Sound because they were no longer available.
On July 22, 2013, despite the conflict with his former label, Outsider made his first official comeback after being discharged from the military with the mini album "Rebirth Outsider" under his own label "ASSA Communication". The album's title track Bye U features
G.O. of
MBLAQ
MBLAQ (, ; an acronym for Music Boys Live in Absolute Quality) is a South Korean boy band created by South Korean singer Rain under J. Tune Camp. The group consists of Seungho, G.O, and Mir, and formerly Lee Joon and Thunder. The group debuted ...
as Outsider's first idol collaboration. The album also features
San E
Jung San (; born ), more commonly known by his stage name San E (), is a South Korean rapper. He debuted in 2010 under JYP Entertainment, where he was the label's first solo rapper. He left the company in 2013 to sign with hip hop label Brand New ...
,
Tymee
Lee Ok-joo (born December 6, 1985), better known by her stage name Tymee (formerly known as E.via and Napper), is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and pianist. She is currently represented by Outsider's label ASSA Communication and is known ...
(formerly E.via) and more.
Personal life
Outsider was married on March 31, 2012, at Seoul's Gangnam Imperial Palace Hotel. His wife, Lee Yongbin () is director of a dance troupe as well as the CEO of a cultural contents enterprise.
He has a daughter who was born on March 9, 2016. They appeared on
KBS reality show '
The Return of Superman' in 2017 (Ep191-192) as special guests.
It was revealed in 2024 that Outsider and his wife divorced in 2020.
Discography
Studio albums
Reissued albums
Extended plays
Singles
Filmography
Variety show
Awards and nominations
Mnet Asian Music Awards
The MAMA Awards (, formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major Music award, music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ ENM. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes have been won by K-pop artists, although ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Outsider
1983 births
South Korean hip-hop musicians
South Korean hip-hop singers
South Korean male rappers
South Korean hip-hop record producers
Rappers from Seoul
Living people
21st-century South Korean rappers