Everywhere you look in the Korean music industry these days, Zico's name seems to pop up. As a rapper and also a member of K-pop group Block B, with plenty of production projects on the side, the 23-year-old is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in Asian music.
Following a slew of successful solo releases in 2015, including the EP Gallery, Zico (whose real name is Woo Ji Ho) most recently dropped the single album Break Up 2 Make Up, showing his versatility in the studio as both an artist and a producer.
In a recent interview with Dazed, the rising star set out to prove he is more than just his boy band image and discussed balancing his solo career with his position as an idol.
Upon mentioning the positive feedback for his song "Yes Or No," the rapper wanted to clarify the meaning behind the lyrics and how they reflect his message.
When asked if he intended to criticize other idol rappers for following in his footsteps with the lines, "Get out of my way, dabblers get your hands off of composing, finish practising your choreography, there's no surgery that'll make your skills grow, I guess my authenticity gave you faint hope," Zico explained it was meant more as a reflection of himself.
"I want to clarify this point," he said. "I'm an idol group member and at the same time, I'm a young-blood rapper and producer as well. When I release new work as a hip-hop producer, I don't want to be devalued because of my activities as an idol. I want dilettantes to be more serious about my work and hip-hop itself, and to stop constantly comparing my ability to someone else because it's meaningless."
To read more of Zico's interview, check out the whole thing on Dazed Digital.
