Name: Kwon Ji Yong
Stage Name: G-Dragon / GD
Position: Leader / Rap
Date of Birth: August 18, 1988
Hobby: Drawing and listening to music
Favorite colors: Black, White, Red, Yellow, Fluorescent colors, Silver, Gold
Influences: Jay-Z
Education: Seoul Korean Traditional Arts Middle & High School
Specialties: Rapping, Dancing, Beat Boxing, Composing, Singing, English, Chinese
First Stage Performance: DaeHanMinGook Hip Hop Flex (2001)
Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Kwon began his career at the age of eight as part of the group Little Roora. After releasing a Christmas album, the group's contract was terminated by their record company, to which Kwon described as shocking. Although he vowed to his mother that he wouldn't do it (becoming a singer) again, Kwon was scouted by SM Entertainment while on a ski trip with his family. Kwon was a trainee under the record label for five years, specializing in dance before he left as he was unclear about what he wanted to do.In third grade, Kwon was introduced to the American rap group Wu-Tang Clan by a friend. Inspired by their music, Kwon expressed his interest in rapping and began taking classes at the age of 12. Under their tutelage, he joined in the release of the Korean hip-hop Flex album in 2001. Although he wrote his own lyrics for his song, he admitted that his English was bad and the story behind the lyrics was the same old thing. Something like, ‘I’m young, but I’m the best’." Kwon first caught the interest of Sean of the hip-hop duo Jinusean from YG Entertainment when he was 14, who later recommended him to CEO Yang Hyun Suk. After signing a contract with the record label, Kwon spent the first year cleaning the studio after the other artists in the record label and fetching them water bottles during dance practice.
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