Seotaiji

Born on February 21, 1972, as Jeong Hyeon-Cheol, the South Korean music figure known as Seotaiji entered the scene in 1990 by joining the band Sinawe at age 17. The following year he struck out independently and assembled Seotaiji & Boys. Across the next five years the group issued four studio albums plus two live releases, gradually shifting its style from dance-driven pop toward a more contentious rock-and-metal approach. Anti-establishment themes in the lyrics helped sustain strong sales throughout that evolution. The band dissolved in 1996. After several years away from the spotlight while considering his next move, Seotaiji reemerged as a solo force in the K-rock landscape. His self-titled debut album arrived in 1998 and became a major commercial success, reestablishing him at the forefront of South Korean pop. The equally popular Ultramania LP followed in 2000. A reissue of Ultramania came out in 2002, and 7th Issue appeared in 2004. Plans called for a deluxe anthology of his full catalog in 2007, preceding the intended arrival of his eighth studio album in 2008.