J-Hope

Jung Ho-seok (born February 18, 1994), better known by his stage name J-Hope (stylized in lower case), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer.

J-Hope was born Jung Ho-seok on February 18, 1994, in Gwangju, South Korea, where he lived with his parents and older sister, Jung Ji-woo.

He was relatively well known for his dance skills, and won various local prizes, including first place in a national dance competition in 2008.

His dancing eventually led to an interest in singing, and he auditioned to become an idol trainee.

While a trainee, J-Hope appeared as a featured rapper on singer Jo Kwon's song "Animal", released in 2012.

He made his debut as a member of South Korean boy band BTS in 2013, under Big Hit Entertainment.

On June 13, 2013, J-Hope made his debut as a member of BTS on M! Countdown.

He was the third member to join the band as a trainee after RM and Suga.

Under the band's name, he has performed four solo songs: "Intro: Boy Meets Evil", "Mama", "Trivia 起: Just Dance", and "Outro: Ego".

J-Hope's first solo release, outside of his work with BTS, was the 2015 rap track "1 Verse"—it sampled "El Chapo" by The Game—uploaded for free via the band's SoundCloud.

A darker sound in comparison to what he would become known for later on in his career, the song addressed J-Hope's haters, particularly those who continuously listened to his music just to criticize him, and showcased his ability to mold his vocals and rapping style to reflect the content of his lyrics.

The first two were released in 2016 as part of BTS' second studio album Wings.

J-Hope released his first solo mixtape, Hope World, in 2018.

It was received positively by critics and peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard 200, the highest-charting album by a Korean solo artist at the time.

Lyrically, "Boy Meets Evil" was about "the thoughts of a boy faced with the evil that is temptation" and showcased J-Hope's rapping abilities, while "Mama" was a "quirky hip-hop" ode of appreciation to his mother that "captures his animated delivery and onstage style. "Just Dance", released in 2018 on the band's fourth studio album Love Yourself: Answer, was a "funky hip-hop" song that "uses the titular activity as a metaphor for love". "Outro: Ego", also an upbeat, "funky" track, from 2020's Map of the Soul: 7, reflected on J-Hope's career and the decisions and hardships he faced through the years, additionally addressing the "dichotomy between his stage persona and his birth identity".

J-Hope also collaborated with bandmate V and Swedish singer Zara Larsson on the single "A Brand New Day" for the official soundtrack of the BTS World mobile video game.

On March 1, 2018, J-Hope released his first solo mixtape Hope World worldwide, accompanied by a music video for the lead single "Daydream".

A music video for the B-side single "Airplane" followed on March 6.

The mixtape debuted at number 63 and peaked at number 38 on the Billboard 200, making him the highest-charting Korean solo act on the ranking at the time.

Six of the album's tracks entered the World Digital Song Sales chart, with "Daydream" topping the chart and making J-Hope one of only ten Korean artists, including BTS, to reach number one.

The success of his solo debut led to him ranking at number three on the Emerging Artists chart and peaking at number 91 on the Artist 100; he became the fifth Korean artist and second Korean soloist (after Psy) to chart on the latter.

Hope World charted in ten countries worldwide, and "Daydream" charted in three.

Compiled Hope World album charts:

He became the first member of BTS to enter the Billboard Hot 100 as a soloist in 2019, when his single "Chicken Noodle Soup", featuring singer Becky G, debuted at number 81.

In 2022, J-Hope released his debut studio album Jack in the Box.

In 2023, he released his single "On the Street" with J. Cole.

In March 2019, J-Hope enrolled at Hanyang Cyber University for the Master of Business Administration program in Advertising and Media.

He previously graduated from Global Cyber University with a degree in Broadcasting and Entertainment.

Before debuting with BTS, J-Hope was part of an underground dance team called Neuron, and took dance classes at Gwangju Music Academy for six years, from fourth grade to his first year in high school when he signed with Big Hit Entertainment.

The single was released on June 14, 2019.

In 2019, J-Hope released a free collaboration single, "Chicken Noodle Soup", featuring American singer Becky G, on September 27.

The track debuted at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, making J-Hope the first member of BTS to chart on the Hot 100 as a solo artist, the third Korean solo artist to rank on the chart (after Psy and CL), and the sixth Korean artist overall to do so.

"Chicken Noodle Soup" also became J-Hope's second song to debut at number one on the World Digital Song Sales chart.

On June 14, 2022, Hybe Corporation announced that J-Hope would be the first member of BTS to begin promotions as a solo artist.

His debut solo album Jack in the Box, released on July 15, was preceded by the lead single "More" on July 1.

J-Hope made his performance debut at Lollapalooza on July 31, as the headlining act for the final day of the festival.

He became the first South Korean artist to headline a main stage at a major United States music festival.

In September, J-Hope featured on the single "Rush Hour" by Crush.

He was nominated for six awards, including Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, at the MAMA Awards, and made his solo performance debut at the show as the headliner for day two of the event, on November 30.

He also made his solo performance debut at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on December 31.