Tablo
이선웅Released the solo album Fever's End in 2011 and has written two books.
Their story
From the underground
Epik High started out around 2001 in Seoul's underground hip-hop scene: Tablo, a Stanford graduate who writes and produces, Mithra Jin on lyrics, and DJ Tukutz behind the decks. Woollim Entertainment released their first album, Map of the Human Soul, in October 2003. The early records were known for lyrics about society and politics, which was not the usual way into the Korean charts.
"Fly"
The breakthrough was "Fly", the title track of Swan Songs in 2005. It topped the domestic charts, won five music show awards and even turned up on the FIFA 07 soundtrack. After that came "Fan", "One" and the restless "Run", and a short spell on their own label, Map the Soul. In 2012 they signed with YG, where 99 became their first album with the label.
Words first
Epik High records sound like Tablo's notebooks set to beats. Rap carries the songs, but the hooks often go to singers: Younha on "Umbrella", IU on "Love Story", Crush on "Lovedrunk". "Born Hater" went the other way, a crowded posse cut with five younger rappers. They have a sense of humour about themselves too: since 2015 their concerts have come with posters that parody films and, lately, news photos.
Where they are now
When the YG contract ended in 2018 they set up their own company, OURS Co., and kept releasing on their own terms, from Epik High Is Here to the 2024 mixtape Pump. In July 2026 they held their first fan meeting since debut, called Reunion, and sold out both days. Tukutz then won an in-house song contest; the result, "EPIKISM" with Crush, came out in September, and he is leader for six months.
