Tiger JK

Tiger JK (Seo Jung-kwon) is a South Korea–born American rapper, producer, and entrepreneur best known as the driving force of Drunken Tiger and as founder of the labels Jungle Entertainment and Feel Ghood Music. Widely credited with bringing Korean hip‑hop into the mainstream, he is also a member of the trio MFBTY with Yoon Mi-rae and Bizzy.

Identity and roles

Legal name: Seo Jung-kwon; stage name: Tiger JK; born July 29, 1974; rapper, record producer, entrepreneur based in South Korea.
Best known as founding member of Drunken Tiger and as founder of Jungle Entertainment (2006) and Feel Ghood Music (2013).
Member of MFBTY alongside Yoon Mi-rae and Bizzy, active since 2013.

Early life and education

Born in Seoul and moved to the United States at age 12, first living in Miami where he trained Taekwondo to a 3rd dan black belt.
Grew up in Los Angeles, attended Glendale Hoover High School, and witnessed the 1992 LA Riots, which shaped his desire to use hip‑hop to bridge communities.
Studied at Santa Monica College, then UCLA, graduating with a B.A. in English (Creative Writing).

Career beginnings and Drunken Tiger

Debuted solo with Enter the Tiger (1995) via Oasis Records; the album received limited airplay due to explicit content.
Formed Drunken Tiger with DJ Shine in 1998; debuted in Korea with Year of the Tiger (1999) featuring “I Want You” and “Do You Know Hip‑hop,” now regarded as Korean hip‑hop classics.
Drunken Tiger expanded membership, released multiple acclaimed albums, and DJ Shine departed in 2005 while Tiger JK continued the brand’s musical legacy.

Labels and entrepreneurship

Founded Jungle Entertainment in 2006, which became home to Drunken Tiger and other notable hip‑hop artists.
Co-founded MFBTY in 2013 and launched Feel Ghood Music the same year to house MFBTY and future projects, naming it after his 2009 Drunken Tiger album Feel gHood Muzik.
Feel Ghood Music’s roster has included Tiger JK, Yoon Mi-rae, Bizzy, Junoflo, MRSHLL, Black Nine, Ann One, BIBI, and groups Drunken Tiger and MFBTY at various times.

Key releases and projects

Drunken Tiger highlights: The Legend Of… (2001) with hit “Good Life,” Sky Is The Limit (2007) with “8:45 Heaven,” and Feel gHood Muzik: The 8th Wonder (2009), which won major awards and sold over 100,000 copies.
Final Drunken Tiger album: Drunken Tiger X: Rebirth of Tiger JK (2018), featuring artists such as Yoon Mi-rae, Bizzy, RM, and others.
Notable singles under Tiger JK include “Forever” (2015), “This Is Pengsoo” (2020), and “POV” (2022).

Collaborations and crossovers

Collaborated with BTS’s RM on “Timeless” for the 2018 Drunken Tiger album, bridging generations of Korean rap.
Featured on SEVENTEEN Hoshi’s “Tiger” (2022) and on Stray Kids’ 2023 single “TOPLINE,” also appearing in the music video.
Earlier collaborations included features with artists like Brian Joo and Fiestar during the 2012 period of cross‑genre projects.

Awards and cultural impact

Recognized as a highly influential figure in Korean hip‑hop and cited by the Los Angeles Times as “perhaps the most popular Korean rapper in America, Asia and the world” in 2011.
Drunken Tiger is widely described as a pioneer that helped bring hip‑hop into the Korean mainstream, rejecting then‑standard K‑pop performance norms.
Honors include Mnet Asian Music Awards (e.g., Best Male Artist 2009 for “Monster”) and multiple Korean Music Awards and Seoul Music Awards connected to Drunken Tiger’s catalog.

Personal life and health

Married rapper-singer Yoon Mi-rae in June 2007 in a private Buddhist ceremony; their son Jordan was born in March 2008.
Diagnosed with acute transverse myelitis in 2006, leading to hospitalization and a performance hiatus while continuing long‑term treatment.
Arrested on drug charges in 2000 and received probation; he has stated he did not use drugs in Korea and cited false testimony in the case.

Discography highlights

Solo albums: Enter the Tiger (1995); Drunken Tiger X: Rebirth of Tiger JK (2018).
Drunken Tiger albums: Year of the Tiger (1999), The Great Rebirth (2000), The Legend Of… (2001), Foundation (2003), One Is Not A Lonely Word (2004), 1945 Liberation (2005), Sky Is The Limit (2007), Feel gHood Muzik: The 8th Wonder (2009), The Cure (as Drunken Tiger ft. Yoon Mi‑rae & Bizzy, 2013), Drunken Tiger X: Rebirth Of Tiger JK (2018).
MFBTY releases under Feel Ghood Music include Wondaland (2015) after the group’s debut projects in 2013.

TV, film, and media

TV and variety: appearances on Infinite Challenge (2010), Project Runway Korea S2 (guest/judge), Show Me The Money (producer judge, 2017), and other programs.
OST work includes “Reset” (Who Are You: School 2015 OST) and multiple 2022 OST tracks, reflecting ongoing media presence beyond albums.
Select endorsements over the years included campaigns with Hite, Reebok, Samsung, and others tied to different phases of his career.

Recent activity

Continued single releases in the 2020s, including “POV” (2022) listed in his singles catalog.
Maintains active collaborations with younger K‑pop and hip‑hop artists, reinforcing a multigenerational influence within the scene.
Feel Ghood Music remains his primary platform for releasing music and nurturing artists connected to the MFBTY circle and beyond.