-Seung Jo
Korean hip hop didn't just appear out of nowhere. There had to be some artists who set the road for future hip hop artists to walk on. Because their genre of music weren't strictly hip hop, they belong to the pre-first generation.
Seo taiji and boys
Seo Taiji and Boys (서태지와 아이들) debuted in 1992 and were the most popular musicians in the history of Korean music industry. In Pop goes Korea, Russell states, "There were two eras... Before Seo Taiji and after Seo Taiji". Their music incorporated hip hop, dance, rock, punk, techno, etc, they still incorporated some hip hop to their music. Also, they put little bits of rhyme into their music, which was uncommon in Korean music. In 1996, Seo Taiji and Boys disbanded. There are rumors saying that the reason for their break up was due to pressure from politicians.
Seo Taiji and Boys' debut song "난 알아요 (I Know)"
Seo Taiji and Boys' debut song "난 알아요 (I Know)"
deux
DEUX (듀스) debuted in 1993 as a duo group. Although their music was more of a dance music, they are a 'hip hop' group performance-wise. Starting with their 2nd album, they tried to incorporate more hip hop to their music. Unlike Seo Taiji and Boys, DEUX was dedicated to dance-hip hop fusion music. Only 2 years later, DEUX disbanded because each member wanted to respect what each other wanted to. Lee Hyundo went onto become a successful producer, but Kim Sungjae passed away the year they disbanded. He was found in a hotel having overdosed drugs. His then-girlfriend was suspected of murdering him, but the trials ended with her being not guilty.
Go Go Go (With H2O) - DEUX in their second album
Go Go Go (With H2O) - DEUX in their second album