YG is different

YG Entertainment's Big Bang performs during a concert at Kyocera Dome in Osaka as a part of their Japan Dome Tour in January 2014.
/ Korea Times file

"YG Is Different" by Son Nam-won; Influential; 283 pp., 14,900 won

By Kwon Mee-yoo

YG Entertainment is one of the largest entertainment agencies in Korea. Helmed by former Seo Tai-ji and Boys member Yang Hyun-suk, YG Entertainment is a heavy hitter in the Korean music industry and a new book takes a look at the success formula of Yang, who thought outside the box to manage and support talented musicians.

"YG is Different," published by Influential, is written by veteran entertainment reporter Son Nam-won of Osen, an online news company, after a series of in-depth interviews with the singer-turned-music mogul.

Yang rose to stardom in the 1990s as a member of band Seo Taiji and Boys, which caused a change in the dynamics of the Korean pop music scene. With his revolutionary experience as a singer, Yang founded YG and became Korea's top record producer behind Big Bang and 2NE1.

The name of the company comes from "YangGun," Yang's nickname, and indicates the inextricable link between Yang, the company and their roots in hip-hop music.

Yang established YG Entertainment in 1996, soon after the legendary Seo Taiji and Boys disbanded earlier that year. "I thought I would become a music producer when Seo Taiji and Boys was nearing its disbandment," Yang said in the book. "I was a layperson in anything other than the music business and I thought this was what I could do best with my experience in music, dance and management."

YG Entertainment executive producer Yang Hyun-suk / Korea Times file

In the early days of YG, the label concentrated on hip-hop musicians. Yang's first venture as a producer was a three-member hip-hop group, Keep Six, which turned out to be a failure in engaging with audiences. Lesson learned, Yang's next approach involved hip-hop duo Jinusean, which was a great success. Yang considers Jinusean's rise as the true beginning of YG in Korea's mainstream music market.

YG Entertainment's focus on hip-hop continued to 1TYM. With more catchy tunes, the four-member group earned popularity among teenagers and expanded the horizon of hip-hop music.

"I don't particularly like hip-hop music, but I was surrounded by hip-hop," Yang said. "That was how Jinusean and 1TYM could be so successful _ we all shared hip-hop in our spirit."

Yang's experiment paid off with Big Bang, a five-member boy band, which was differentiated with many other "comely" idol groups manufactured by agencies. All the members of Big Bang contributed to the music or lyrics from their first single, making a presence in music as well as performance.

"When Big Bang debuted, it was tricky to introduce them as an idol group or musicians," Yang said. "They were young and danced during the song, so they were often classified as idol. However, some people raised questions regarding their appearance, claiming that they are not ‘handsome,' except for T.O.P."

But Yang believed in their talent and the group truly big-banged, becoming more of a group of artists responsible for their music.

Yang's confidence in music also extended to girl bands. In 2009, Big Bang released a digital single, "Lollipop," with a girl group, 2NE1, and the "female Big Bang," immediately became the talk of the town. Instead of singing sweet love songs, the four-member group pursued hip-hop music, just like YG's other musicians.

YG's turning point came when Yang signed Psy in 2010, who later became the most famous K-pop singer with his hit song "Gangnam Style."

"Psy was an established singer when he joined YG," Yang said. "I didn't have anything to teach him, but just advised him to maintain his uniqueness."

YG Entertainment celebrates its 19th anniversary this year. Now YG is not just a record label, but a comprehensive entertainment company incorporating a talent agency, a clothing line and a cosmetics firm, as well as its music business.

Son attributes the exceptional success of YG to Yang's contrarian thinking. When skinny and sweet female singers dominated the local music scene, Yang made his bid with Big Mama, a vocal group with fuller figures and remarkable vocal capabilities, and proved that good singers can win over pretty ones.

"Yang always looks for something new, something better and setting the trend," Son says in the book. "That's how YG Entertainment advanced and the 'YG Family' grew up together, sharing the spirit and displaying their originality at the same time."

Yang Min-suk, younger brother of Hyun-suk and CEO of YG Entertainment, also was interviewed for the book, complementing Hyun-suk's remarks on the journey to establish Korea's most innovative music publishing house.

The book is complemented by interviews of YG-managed artists including Sean, Teddy and CL.

"YG is Different" by Son Nam-won; Influential; 283 pp., 14,900 won

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