Danny Im (born May 6, 1980), better known by

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Taebin (), is an American singer and television host. He debuted as a member of the

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

group

1TYM 1TYM (, pronounced as "One Time") was a four-member South Korean group. They were Teddy Park (also known as Park Hong-jun), Oh Jinhwan, Song Baekyoung, and Danny Im (also known as Im Taebin). History In the late 1990s, YG CEO Yang Hyun Suk ...

in 1998, and he released his first solo album in 2004. Im began hosting the Mnet America talk show ''Danny From L.A.'' in 2012.

Early life

Danny Im grew up in

Diamond Bar Diamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The 2020 census listed a population of 55,072. It is one of a few cities in California with a majority Asian population (59.24% as of 2020). It is named after the ...

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 ...

. He attended Diamond Bar High School with future fellow 1TYM member

Teddy Park Teddy Park (born Park Hong-jun on September 14, 1978) is a Korean Americans, Korean–American Rapping, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Park moved to the United States with his family as a young child. Wh ...

, and graduated in 1998.

Career

Im debuted as a singer in 1998 as a member of Korean hip hop group

. Im promoted under the

Taebin, which his grandfather chose when Im asked him for a Korean name. While he was the leading vocalist for 1TYM, he also rapped like the rest of the members of the group in various songs such as 'What You Gonna Do,' and 'One Time For Your Mind' . After the release of 1TYM's fourth album ''Once N 4 All'' in 2003, Im returned to his fans with the release of his solo album "TAEBIN of 1TYM", which showcased the full range of his sound potential rather than hip-hop sounds to which his fans were accustomed. The main track of this album "The Reason Why I Close My Eyes" is a mid-tempo song featuring mellow vocals and string arrangements. His album also features songs composed by Kim Do Hoon with lyrics by

Wheesung Choi Whee-sung (; February 5, 1982 – March 10, 2025), known professionally as Wheesung or by the stage name Realslow, was a South Korean R&B singer-songwriter, record producer and musical theatre actor. Career 1982-: Early life and educati ...

. The second track, "The Reason Why I Close my Eyes", is the only song on the album with a music video made for it and stars Koo Hye Sun. The twelfth track, "TaBu (featuring Park Teddy)" was banned in Korea due to the song 'being thick with sexual intentions.' A music video was supposed to be filmed for the song, but as it was banned, the video was never made. Taebin expressed his disappointment on this ban by stating that "TaBu" was one of his favorite tracks on the album, and that he only wanted to show an amazing love through his voice. In 2012, he began his own TV show, "Danny from LA", which premiered on

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, ...

America in September. The show talks about the latest trends in Kpop, as well as his time in 1TYM.

Personal life

On December 1, 2012, Danny officially revealed a photo of himself and his son through his personal Twitter account @Dannyim. The news of Danny having a son first broke out through one of Seungri's Diary entries. Danny then officially confirmed his marriage and child at ''Danny From LAs episode with Big Bang. After mistaken reports of the birth of a son, Danny announced the birth of a daughter on a ''Danny From LA'' special for

CN Blue CNBLUE () is a South Korean pop rock band formed in 2009. The band consists of Jung Yong-hwa (leader, main vocals, guitar, keyboard, rap), Kang Min-hyuk (drums), and Lee Jung-shin (bass). First bassist Kwon Kwang-jin left the band after they ...

Blue Moon World Tour concert, which aired on February 20, 2014.

Discography

Studio albums

References

{{Authority control 1980 births Living people 21st-century American male rappers 1TYM members People from Diamond Bar, California Rappers from Los Angeles YG Entertainment artists American musicians of Korean descent 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians