Who Is Zico And What Is He Doing Now? Is He Still Part Of Block B?

Quick Facts

The multi-talented rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and the head of the group Block B in South Korea is a wonder worth checking out. Zico, as he is known on stage, is not just another rapper we see every day as his rare style of rap has placed him at the forefront of his career. He has a special way of appealing to audiences across various walks of life and has proven that good rap music can be delivered to audiences through different genres of music.

Who Is Zico?

Woo Ji-ho, also known as Zico on stage, was born on born 14th September 1992 in Mapo, Seoul. Much has not been said about his parents but it is known that his mother’s name is Lee Geum Bi. He started his journey to stardom in the music industry by attending the Seoul Music High School and later took his studies further by enrolling in a school in Canada, Japan, and China. He was determined to be a star before he sets out for the music industry and so, he was properly educated about the art of music.

You may not have heard the name “Nacseo” (it means scribble in Korea) before now, well, that was Zico’s name at the inception of his career when he was an underground rapper. Zico’s thirst for excellence started as a teenager when he auditioned for S.M Entertainment, Korea’s largest entertainment company. He quickly advanced his career by releasing his first mixtape titled Zico on the Block in 2010 and the mix-tape was his entrance into the Korean hip-hop platform.

On April 15, 2011, Zico debuted as the leader of the Block B group when releasing their group debut single “Freeze”. He further produced the debut mini-album titled “Welcome to the Block” which has five tracks. However, after the release of the album, public broadcast channel KBS and The Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and banned two of the tracks on the album list. “LOL” and “Did You or Did You Not” were banned from under-aged persons.

One would have thought a ban of more than one song on a debut album will make an artiste furious but Zico handled it well. When he was questioned about the ban, he took the blame for not paying more attention to details. Zico has been nominated for more than 50 awards and has won 19 of them to his credit.

Is Zico Still Part Of Block B?

January 2019 came with the surprising news that Zico has established his own record label and this news raised a lot of questions about the possibility of his breakaway from the Block B group. However, on various occasions, Zico has tried to clear the air about the rumor of his breakaway from the group. In November of 2018, Zico left the Seven Seasons record label which is the official record label for the Block B band. His exit was interpreted by his fans to be a total break from the Block B group which is actually not true.

On many occasions, Zico has reassured his fans that although many of the group members are doing their different works, they are still one group. The compulsory military service of Korean youths of a certain age bracket has also contributed to their inability to come together because some of the group members are serving in the military. Hence, a full squad is not possible in the group. Zico may have left the seven seasons agency, but he is still in touch with his Block B band members.

What Is He Doing Now?

Zico is busy building his record label, promoting new artistes and signing them under his record label. Zico’s work was recognized by the mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon, as he announced that Zico will be appointed as a goodwill representative for the city. In August 2019, The Fanxy Child Hip-Hop Crew which Zico also belonged to organized a sold-out concert.

The rapper is having a great time in his career. Zico is rounding off the year on a good note as he releases his extended play (EP) studio album which has two parts. Part 1 was released on September 30, 2019, and Part 2 hit the streets on November 8, 2019.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.