G-Dragon: How the BIGBANG member weaved his way to achieve great success; Will he still makes a good comeback after the army?

G-Dragon has been in the entertainment business for 13 years, and he is successful throughout his career. Since debuting in 2006 as part of BIGBANG, his popularity just keeps growing until he was called the “King of Kpop.”

The leader of BIGBANG celebrated his 31st birthday last weekend, and as he turned a year older, his achievements never stop even if he is currently enlisted in the army. Here’s how G-Dragon made his name big in the challenging world of the music industry in and outside of South Korea.

The singer’s background

G-Dragon whose real name is Kwon Ji Yong got his first taste of the limelight when he participated in the daytime TV program in 1995. He was only seven years old at that time and together with his other three groupmates, they were called the Little Roo’ra as they resemble the most popular group of that time called Roo’ra.

His dance skills even when he was still a child, stands out, and people can see his talent through his smooth movements as he dances passionately. When Little Roo’ra disbanded, he joined a dance contest and won first place. The host of that competition was SM’s founder, Lee Soo Man, and G-Dragon was recruited to be a trainee.

While training, he came to know about hip-hop and learned how to rap. At age 12, he debuted as a rapper by releasing his first album called “2001 Korea.” As a hip-hop artist, this is the first time that Jiyong used the stage name G-Dragon.

Move to YG Entertainment

With the success of his hip-hop album, rappers around him urged him to leave SM Entertainment and move to YG Entertainment which is known for this music genre. G-Dragon took their advice and went to the agency for an audition and apparently, he made it. He trained for a few years more, and his composing, dancing, singing, and rapping skills were enhanced even more.

G-Dragon debuted not as a solo or a duo with Taeyang, as he first thought but part of a 5-member group that includes TOP, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri. They were described as ugly when they first debuted due to their visuals, but the talents shone, and they were started to be recognized.

The team also held shows around Asia like Japan, and they slowly infiltrated the music scene overseas. In no time, they were also performing in the U.S., Europe, and more. G-Dragon and the rest BIGBANG also received awards in the international music ceremonies, and the rest is history.

Solo Debut

G-Dragon debuted solo in 2009 with his album “Heartbreaker,” and since then, he promotes solo when he can. He also paired up with TOP, and they were successful as well. It can be said that he and BIGBANG paved the way for Kpop to be recognized in the international scene, and making it easier for the younger generations like BTS to be known.

With his level of achievements and position in the Kpop, he will surely be able to make a successful comeback after his discharge from the army. He has lots of talents to offer, and his name has become too big to be ignored as well.