MC Mong

MC Mong debuted in 1998 as a member of hip hop group People Crew.[2] Between 1999 and 2002, the group released three albums, titled, Hiphop Spirit Forever, 태산북두, and We Believe We Can Fly, respectively.[3] However, MC Mong's break came not from rapping but from acting, when he appeared on the sitcom Nonstop 4 in 2003. His acting abilities on the show won him mainstream popularity.[6]

In 2004, he made his solo debut as a rapper with the album, 180 Degree. The following year, he released his second album, titled, His Story.[2] In 2005, he also had a role in the TV drama, Sad Love Story.[7]

MC Mong's third album, 2006's The Way I Am, showed a more serious side of the rapper, who had become known for his light-hearted image. The track "Secret" deals with his parents' divorce and his poor relationship with his father.[8] The album, which also features guest vocals from Japanese singer Lisa and Korean singers Park Hyo Shin and Ivy, topped the charts after it was released, beating out "big names" like Rain and Se7en.[9][10]

In 2007, he starred in a live-action TV adaption of the Korean web comic, The Great Catsby.[11] That same year, he began hosting MC Mong's Donggo Dongrak on SBS Radio, and he joined the cast of the popular TV variety show, 2 Days & 1 Night. He was the center of controversy in July 2008, when 2 Days & 1 Night aired a scene showing him smoking. The show publicly apologized for not editing out the scene, as all major Korean broadcasting stations had agreed in 2004 not to air smoking scenes before midnight.[12][13]

MC Mong released his fourth album, Show's Just Begun, in 2008. The album's first single, "Circus," was immensely popular, winning the number one spot five weeks in a row on the TV music countdown show, Music Bank. He followed up "Circus," with the single, "Feel Crazy."

In 2009, he released his fifth album, Humanimal. Pre-order sales of the album reached over 55,000 copies, and the album's tracks topped numerous music charts shortly after they were released.[14] MC Mong wrote the single, "Jin Shil, Even If You're in Heaven," for the late actress Choi Jin-sil, who had committed suicide the year before.[15] MC Mong's management company said that sales for this single would be donated to charity.[16]

In 2010, MC Mong's career was put on hold when he was accused of evading South Korea's mandatory military service by having healthy teeth extracted to gain exemption. He was ultimately sentenced to a suspended six-month jail term for dodging conscription.[17] Following his sentence, two major TV networks, the Korean Broadcasting System and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, banned MC Mong from appearing on their programs.[5]

He made his comeback in 2014 with the album, Miss Me Or Diss Me, which topped nine Korean music charts shortly after its release. Despite the album's popularity, MC Mong also received backlash from members of the public who were still angered over his alleged draft dodging.[18]

In 2015, he held his first concert in six years.[19] He also released the single, "Love Jumble," from EP Song For You, which topped music charts after its release.[4]