Teddy Park (born Park Hong-jun on September 14, 1978)
is a
Korean–American rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
,
songwriter
A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
, and
record producer
A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...
. Born in
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, South Korea, Park moved to 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 ...
with his family as a young child. When he was 17 years old, Park and his friend
Danny flew to South Korea during summer vacation to audition for
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...
.
Both were signed immediately, and after finishing high school in the States, moved to Korea to pursue music.
In 1998, Park debuted in 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 ...
with his friend Danny, Jinhwan, and Baekyoung.
Together, the group recorded five studio albums with Park as their primary songwriter and producer. After his performing career with 1TYM ended in January 2006, Park became an in-house producer for
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...
and co-founded
The Black Label in 2016. He has co-produced and co-written songs for YG artists such as
Jinusean
Jinusean (stylized in all caps; ) is a South Korean Hip hop music, hip hop duo signed to YG Entertainment. The duo, which is made up of Kim Jin-woo (also known as Jinu) and Noh Seung-hwan (also known as Sean), debuted in 1997 and rose to fame wit ...
,
Seven,
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 ...
,
2NE1
2NE1 (, ) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment in 2009. The group consists of Park Bom, Bom, CL (rapper), CL, Sandara Park, Dara, and Minzy. Known for their Experimental music, musical experimentation, fashion, and stage pre ...
,
Lee Hi
Lee Ha-yi (; born September 23, 1996), known by her stage name Lee Hi, is a South Korean singer and songwriter. She first garnered attention as the runner-up of '' K-pop Star season 1''. She debuted with single "1, 2, 3, 4" on October 28, 2012, ...
,
Blackpink
Blackpink (, stylized in all caps or as BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment. The group is composed of four members: Jisoo, Jennie (singer), Jennie, Rosé (singer), Rosé, and Lisa (rapper), Lisa. Regarded by ...
, and
Jeon Somi
Ennik Somi Douma (born March 9, 2001), known professionally by her Korean name Jeon Somi (), is a South Korean and Canadian singer signed under The Black Label. Born in Canada to a South Korean mother and a Dutch-Canadian father, she moved to ...
, as well as
Uhm Jung-hwa
Uhm Jung-hwa (; born August 17, 1969) is a South Korean singer, actress and dancer. Uhm is considered to be one of the most influential women in the Korean entertainment industry, finding success in both music and film. Her legacy and career re ...
and
Sunmi
Lee Sun-mi (; born Sun Mi, May 2, 1992), known mononymously as Sunmi, is a South Korean singer, dancer, songwriter and record producer. She debuted in 2007 as a member of South Korean girl group Wonder Girls and left the group in 2010 to purs ...
.
[According to the content on '']2NE1
2NE1 (, ) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment in 2009. The group consists of Park Bom, Bom, CL (rapper), CL, Sandara Park, Dara, and Minzy. Known for their Experimental music, musical experimentation, fashion, and stage pre ...
'' and ''To Anyone
''To Anyone'' is the debut studio album by South Korean girl group 2NE1. It was released on September 9, 2010, by YG Entertainment and CJ E&M Music. 2NE1 worked alongside YG CEO Yang Hyun Suk, Teddy, and e.knock to produce the album. Sonica ...
''s album jackets.
Life and career
Early life
Park was born in
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, South Korea, but moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
as a young child.
He learned the piano as a child, but as he grew up, he was more interested in playing the guitar and beatboxing.
After his father was transferred to
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 ...
, Park attended
Diamond Bar High School and became friends with future bandmate
Danny Im.
Growing up, the two sang together at karaoke bars and tinkered with recording equipment.
They were discovered when they were teenagers by a producer who worked with
Yang Hyun-suk
Yang Hyun-suk (; born January 9, 1970) is a South Korean music executive, rapper, dancer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of Seo Taiji and Boys during the 1990s. After the group disbanded, he founded and became t ...
, founder of YG Entertainment.
After auditioning for Yang and sending in demo tapes, the two were signed to his newly established label, and moved to South Korea.
Although Park enrolled in a university when he returned to South Korea, he dropped out to focus on his career.
1998–2006: Work with 1TYM
Park and Im were joined by rappers Jinhwan and Baekyoung and debuted as 1TYM in 1998 with the album, ''One Time for Your Mind''.
It became one of the best-selling albums of the year and won several major awards.
After the first album, Park began to have more input into the songs, and had a more prominent role in producing. In 2000, 1TYM released their second album ''2nd Round''. The songs 'One Love' and '쾌지나 칭칭' (Let's Sing and Dance Together), which he wrote and produced, won first place on TV music programs. ''This was followed by Third Time Fo' Yo' Mind'' in 2001. In 2003, 1TYM released their fourth album ''Once N 4 All,'' which yielded two singles: "Hot 뜨거", an up-beat hip-hop track with reggae rhythms, and "Without You", an emotional R&B ballad.
The group went on a two-year hiatus in which member Im embarked on a brief solo career under the name of Taebin. The group reunited for the album ''One Way'' in 2005, their fifth and last studio album, before going on hiatus due to Jinhwan's
mandatory military service.
Their albums have sold a combined total of 780,000 copies.
Though they were predominately hip hop artists, 1TYM was influenced by
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
and
R&B. 1TYM along with the duo
Jinusean
Jinusean (stylized in all caps; ) is a South Korean Hip hop music, hip hop duo signed to YG Entertainment. The duo, which is made up of Kim Jin-woo (also known as Jinu) and Noh Seung-hwan (also known as Sean), debuted in 1997 and rose to fame wit ...
were credited for bringing hip hop music and YG Entertainment to the mainstream.
At 22 years old, Park also began producing for other artists on the label, most of whom were much older and more experienced than him.
2006–present: Producer for YG Entertainment
With 1TYM on hiatus, Park transitioned into the role of producer for other YG artists, his first major contribution being "La La La" for Seven's album ''Sevolution''.
He also collaborated with
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 ...
for several of their songs,
most notably "
Sunset Glow."
When BigBang member
Taeyang embarked on a solo career in 2008, Park produced his
extended play
An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
, ''
Hot.''
The following year, Park produced "
Lollipop
A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker and sticky-pop. Lollipops are avail ...
" for a collaboration between BigBang and
2NE1
2NE1 (, ) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment in 2009. The group consists of Park Bom, Bom, CL (rapper), CL, Sandara Park, Dara, and Minzy. Known for their Experimental music, musical experimentation, fashion, and stage pre ...
. The song went on to top the
Gaon Chart
Gaon may refer to
* Gaon (Hebrew), a non-formal title given to certain Jewish Rabbis
** Geonim, presidents of the two great Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita
** Vilna Gaon, known as ''the'' Gaon of Vilnius
* Gaon Music Chart, record cha ...
during April.
Park would go on to have a hand in producing a majority of 2NE1's work, including their debut
extended play
An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
, ''
2NE1
2NE1 (, ) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment in 2009. The group consists of Park Bom, Bom, CL (rapper), CL, Sandara Park, Dara, and Minzy. Known for their Experimental music, musical experimentation, fashion, and stage pre ...
''
(2009) and studio album, ''
To Anyone
''To Anyone'' is the debut studio album by South Korean girl group 2NE1. It was released on September 9, 2010, by YG Entertainment and CJ E&M Music. 2NE1 worked alongside YG CEO Yang Hyun Suk, Teddy, and e.knock to produce the album. Sonica ...
'' (2010). Two of the three main singles, "
Can't Nobody" and "
Go Away," from the latter were also composed by Park.
To continue producing for 2NE1, Park rejected an offer to work with
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
.
He collaborated with Seven again to produce the
promotional single
A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
"Better Together," in addition to other songs for the EP ''
Digital Bounce'' (2010)
and was featured in
G-Dragon
Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), best known as G-Dragon (), is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of K-pop". Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, G-Drag ...
's song "The Leaders."
[According to the content on '' Heartbreaker''s album jacket.] He also had a role in Taeyang's solo album
''Solar'', including the singles "Where U At" and "Wedding Dress."
At the end of the year, Park also participated in the production of
GD & TOP's
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, and co-composed both "High High" and "Oh Yeah".
In 2011, he wrote and produced 2NE1's second EP ''
''2NE1'''', scoring three number-one hits: "
Lonely", "
I Am the Best
"I Am the Best" () is a song by South Korean girl group 2NE1. YG Entertainment released the song for Music download, digital download and Streaming media, streaming as the third Single (music), single from the group's 2NE1 (2011 EP), self-tit ...
", and "Ugly".
In the first half of 2013, Park produced
Lee Hi
Lee Ha-yi (; born September 23, 1996), known by her stage name Lee Hi, is a South Korean singer and songwriter. She first garnered attention as the runner-up of '' K-pop Star season 1''. She debuted with single "1, 2, 3, 4" on October 28, 2012, ...
hit single "Rose," 2NE1's leader CL's solo debut single "
The Baddest Female," and
Kang Seung-yoon
Kang Seung-yoon (; born ), also known mononymously as Seungyoon or Yoon, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and leader of boy band Winner (band), Winner. His appearance on the reality television singing contest Superstar K (season 2), ...
's YG debut "Wild & Young." The following year, he wrote and produced 2ne1's second and final studio album,
Crush
Crush may refer to:
* Infatuation or limerence, the romantic attraction to another person
* Puppy love, feelings of love, romance, or infatuation felt by young people
Crush may also refer to:
Film
* Crush (1972 film), ''Crush'' (1972 film), a H ...
.
In 2015, he wrote and produced
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 special project single albums ''
M'', ''
A'', ''
D'', and ''
E'' which became major hits.
In 2016, Park began working with girl group
Blackpink
Blackpink (, stylized in all caps or as BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment. The group is composed of four members: Jisoo, Jennie (singer), Jennie, Rosé (singer), Rosé, and Lisa (rapper), Lisa. Regarded by ...
and produced their first two single albums ''
Square One
Square One may refer to:
Film and TV
* ''Square One: Michael Jackson'', a 2019 investigative documentary about the first allegations of child sexual abuse brought by the Chandler family
*''Square One Television'', a children's television series ...
'' and ''
Square Two'', consisting of number-one hit "
Whistle
A whistle is a musical instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It is a type of Fipple, fipple flute, and may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a s ...
" and top-ten hits "
Boombayah", "
Playing with Fire", and "
Stay
Stay may refer to:
Places
* Stay, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the US
Law
* Stay of execution, a ruling to temporarily suspend the enforcement of a court judgment
* Stay of proceedings, a ruling halting further legal process in a tr ...
". That same year, he founded
The Black Label, a
subsidiary
A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...
of
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...
.
The label currently houses
Zion.T, Korea's second bestselling artist of 2015 after BigBang, Korean-Canadian singer and former
I.O.I member
Jeon Somi
Ennik Somi Douma (born March 9, 2001), known professionally by her Korean name Jeon Somi (), is a South Korean and Canadian singer signed under The Black Label. Born in Canada to a South Korean mother and a Dutch-Canadian father, she moved to ...
, and K-Pop Girl-Group
Meovv.
In 2017, Park wrote and produced the hit single "
As If It's Your Last
"As If It's Your Last" () is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Blackpink. It was released as a standalone single through YG Entertainment on June 22, 2017. The song was written by Teddy Park, Brother Su and Choice37, whilst production ...
" for Blackpink. In 2018, he wrote and produced their debut EP, ''
Square Up'', including the number-one single "
Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" as well as "
Forever Young". Park also wrote and produced Blackpink member
Jennie's number-one hit song "
Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity
* Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character
* Napoleon Solo, fr ...
". Park produced for the first time for a non-YG Entertainment artist with "Just Dance," the theme song for the
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
competition ''
Mix Nine
''Mix Nine'' () is a South Korean reality competition show broadcast on JTBC. In the show, YG Entertainment founder and producer Yang Hyun-suk traveled to music agencies across Korea to find up-and-coming K-pop stars. Throughout the episodes, con ...
''. Participants singing and dancing to the song was released and three versions of the song were released overall: a male version led by Hyojin of
ONF, a female version led by Lee Sujin from Fave Entertainment, and a co-ed version performed by both teams. He produced two songs for singer
Sunmi
Lee Sun-mi (; born Sun Mi, May 2, 1992), known mononymously as Sunmi, is a South Korean singer, dancer, songwriter and record producer. She debuted in 2007 as a member of South Korean girl group Wonder Girls and left the group in 2010 to purs ...
: "
Gashina" and "
Heroine
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
".
In 2019, Park wrote and produced Blackpink's second EP, ''
Kill This Love''. He also wrote and produced singer
Jeon Somi
Ennik Somi Douma (born March 9, 2001), known professionally by her Korean name Jeon Somi (), is a South Korean and Canadian singer signed under The Black Label. Born in Canada to a South Korean mother and a Dutch-Canadian father, she moved to ...
's debut single "
Birthday
A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage.
Many religion ...
".
In 2020, Park played a major role in writing and producing Blackpink's debut studio album, ''
The Album'', which consisted of the number-one song "
How You Like That" as well as hit singles "
Ice Cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as Chocolate, cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food ...
" and "
Lovesick Girls".
In 2021, Park wrote and produced Blackpink members
Rosé
A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the wine color, color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the Macerati ...
and
Lisa
Lisa or LISA may refer to:
People
People with the mononym
* Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA"
* Lisa, stagename of Japanese singer Lisa Komine (born 1978)
* Lisa (South Korean singer) (born 1980)
* Lisa (Japanese musician, b ...
's respective debut solo singles "
On the Ground" and "
Lalisa". He also wrote and produced many of the songs on Jeon Somi's debut studio album ''
XOXO'', which included top-ten single "
Dumb Dumb".
Musical style and influences
Park's production style often incorporates
contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music Music genre, genre, originating from African Americans, African-American musicians in the 1980s that combines rhythm and blues with elements of Pop music, pop, Soul music, soul, funk, Hip-hop, ...
, especially when working with Taeyang and Seven.
He also features
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
in his songs,
acknowledging the genre's influence on 2NE1's
debut EP.
His work with 2NE1's first
full-length album and
2011 EP contained songs that are
pop and
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
, in addition to featuring
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
elements.
The song "
Lonely" by 2NE1 was praised for its
acoustic sound.
Park also experimented with
electronic music
Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
when working with BigBang.
At the end of 2009, 10Asia named Park as one of the top 10 people of 2009 for his participation in some of the year's biggest
k-pop
K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...
hits. In 2018, ''Seoul Sports'' published a list of "Most Influential Power People of K-pop," which was ranked by music industry executives. Park placed fifth in the category of best producer. That same year, he and
G-Dragon
Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), best known as G-Dragon (), is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of K-pop". Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, G-Drag ...
tied for the most earned royalties for lyrics writing and song composition within the field of popular music from the Korean Music Copyright Association. Park gets paid about US$850,000 a year from the Korean Music Copyright Association.
Controversy
In 2018, there were concerns that
Sunmi
Lee Sun-mi (; born Sun Mi, May 2, 1992), known mononymously as Sunmi, is a South Korean singer, dancer, songwriter and record producer. She debuted in 2007 as a member of South Korean girl group Wonder Girls and left the group in 2010 to purs ...
's "
Heroine
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
" has plagiarized
Cheryl's debut solo single "
Fight for This Love
"Fight for This Love" is the debut solo single by English singer Cheryl Cole, recorded for her debut studio album, '' 3 Words'' (2009). It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the lead single on 2009 by Fascination Records (Polydor ...
".
Sunmi's agency said that they were investigating the issue. It later concluded with stating, "We unequivocally reveal that 'Heroine' is 100 percent an original creative work with absolutely no reference to the song that has been named in the controversy."
Personal life
After becoming an in-house producer for YG Entertainment, Park has refused to appear on the air. In 2014, he purchased a building in
Hongdae, Seoul worth US$9 million and opened his own cafe called Twosome Studio in that building.
In 2016, he purchased a US$6 million house in
Hannam-dong, Seoul from
Hyundai Group
Hyundai Group (; ) is a South Korean conglomerate founded by Chung Ju-yung. The group was founded in 1947 Hyundai Engineering & Construction, as a construction company. With government assistance, Chung and his family members rapidly expanded ...
founder's nephew.
Discography
As featured artist
Awards and nominations
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Park, Teddy
1978 births
Living people
American hip-hop record producers
American male rappers
1TYM members
Myongji University alumni
People from Diamond Bar, California
Rappers from Los Angeles
South Korean hip-hop singers
South Korean emigrants to the United States
South Korean male rappers
South Korean hip-hop musicians
South Korean hip-hop record producers
West Coast hip-hop musicians
YG Entertainment artists
Melon Music Award winners
Record producers from California
American people of South Korean descent
21st-century South Korean rappers