Before playing rapper Thanos in ‘Round 6’, TOP already had an established career as a K-pop idol and actor. Find out more!
Last week, the long-awaited second season of the K-drama “Round 6” premiered on the Netflix streaming platform. With seven episodes, the South Korean series will continue to follow the life of Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung Jae) who, after winning in the first season, will return to the deadly game in search of revenge, with the aim of putting an end to the bloodthirsty competition.
In addition to the return of Lee Jung Jae In addition to the main role, the new episodes feature the arrival of a series of new characters. Among the new names that gained prominence among the public is Player 230, Choi Su Bong, a rapper known as Thanos who generated a huge debt after making investments in cryptocurrencies that went wrong.
Controversial and with a strong presence, the character is played by an extremely recognized and acclaimed name in the South Korean entertainment industry: Choi Seung-hyunbetter known as TOPformer member of the boy group BIGBANG.
If you don’t follow the k-pop universe or the South Korean industry, you probably haven’t heard of TOP, and you don’t know that, in real life, he is also an extremely skilled and recognized rapper — but don’t worry , RECREIO will introduce you!
Who is TOP?
Born on November 4, 1987 in Seoul, South Korea, Choi Seung-hyunthe TOPgained prominence when he debuted as a member of the k-pop boy group BIGBANG in 2006, under the company YG Entertainment, alongside G-Dragon,Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri (member who left the formation in 2019 after a series of controversies).
Before debuting as a K-pop idol, he used to perform as an underground rapper known by the name “Tempo”, and won a rap competition called “Rap Battle” on Radio Star in 2003.
Despite already attracting attention on the independent scene, joining YG was not an easy task. According to the Kprofiles portal, TOP He was rejected from his first audition for the company because he was considered overweight for a K-pop idol. The star was only approved just over a month later, after losing 20kg.
Within BIGBANG, the rapper made history, with the group becoming one of the most influential of all times in the industry, creating trends that are still used today — such as the famous lightsticks, colored sticks of different colors and shapes, used to represent groups and soloists, where the first version was created by the boy group in the mid-2000s, with the design developed by G-Dragon.
In addition to standing out within the group, in 2010, TOP made his long-awaited debut as a soloist with the song “Turn It Up”. One of his most popular songs as a solo artist, however, is “DOOM DADA”, a track that highlights his rapping and songwriting skills, as the singer also participated in the song’s production.
His acting career began a year after his debut as an idol, in 2007, when he participated in the drama “I Am Sam” playing the character Chae Mu-sin. His most prominent role so far, before the arrival of Thanos, was that of Oh Jang-beom in the film “71: Into the Fire” (2010), where he starred alongside two great actors from South Korea, Cha Seung-won and Kwon Sang-woo.
His performance in the film earned him a series of awards, including Best New Actor and Popularity at the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2011, one of the most respected South Korean awards shows in the country.
In 2017, while he was performing his mandatory military service, TOP was the target of enormous controversy, when he was accused of drug abuse — an illegal act in South Korea. After the accusation, Seung-hyun He attempted to take his own life, suffering an overdose of prescribed tranquilizers, spending a few days in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit).
Upon recovering, the idol pleaded guilty to the charges, stating that he had used marijuana on different occasions in 2016. In July of the same year, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced the singer to 10 months in prison suspended for two years.
Possibly, TOP He served his sentence, recovered from the overdose and returned to his activities. In 2022, a few days after BIGBANG’s first release with just four members with the track “Still Life”, the star announced his departure from YG Entertainment after the end of his contract, through a letter on Instagram, where he said:
“I wouldn’t be here without the help of the entire YG team. Thank you all for the last 16 years. It means a lot to me.”
In December of the same year, already as an independent artist, TOP was announced as one of the artists selected to participate in the dearMoon (“Dear Moon”) project, a lunar tourism expedition organized by the Japanese billionaire, Yusaku Maezawawhich would take some personalities to the Moon through the company SpaceX, Elon Muskbut it ended up being cancelled.
In June 2023, through Instagram, the rapper confirmed his departure from BIGBANG by responding to a fan’s question, saying: “I’ve already withdrawn. I already told you that I’m leaving and now I’m facing a new chapter in my life since last year.”
Days later, TOP had his name confirmed as one of the new actors who would participate in the cast of the second season of “Round 6”, alongside Jo Yuriformer member of the k-pop girl group IZ*ONE, in addition to the actors Park Gyu-young (Sweet Home), Kang Ae-sim (The Drama of My Life), Lee David (At the Fortress Walls), Lee Jin-uk (Sweet Home), Roh Jae-won (Missing Yoon) and Won Ji-na (DP).
Watch the trailer!
Also read: What happens to TOP’s character, ex-BIGBANG, in ‘Round 6’?
Source: Recreio
