Rapper Dok2 talks about working with Jay Park and G-Dragon (from BIGBANG) in Ep. 31 of "Fun With Dumb"
Illionaire Records co-founder Dok2 is a pioneer in the South Korean hip-hop industry, but he rarely gives interviews. Lucky for fans, the rapper sat down on two separate occasions recently to talk about his life and the rise of hip-hop in South Korea. The first interview was for the March 7th face to face with rapper Snacky Chan for Chan's YouTube series - "Undergod." The second was for American rapper Dumbfoundead's March 20th (ep. 31) podcast of "Fun With Dumb."
During the podcast, Dok2 provided a mini-history lesson for anyone interested in South Korean hip-hop. Beginning with his early rise, the rapper says he's been making moves in the industry since 2002 when he was 12-years-old. He told Dumbfoundead that he used to attend a school for foreigners in Busan (because of his mixed Korean, Spanish and Filipino heritage), but after 6th grade he moved to Seoul and did not return back to school (due to family financial reasons).
He says he started hanging out with G-Dragon from mega kpop group BIGBANG, after he moved to Seoul in 2002. He says the two grew up together, and GD even once asked him to join BIGBANG before the group got its start, but Dok2 turned him down.
Dok2 says he started collaborating with R&B/Hip-Hop mogul Jay Park after Park left kpop group 2PM. According to Dok2, Park wanted to join Dok2's independent label Illionaire Records (established in 2011), but "Jay was too big" for them. Jay Park eventually founded AOMG in 2013 and H1GHR MUSIC in 2017.
Dok2 also talked about the stress of being a celebrity in South Korea, moving to Los Angeles, his business ventures and an upcoming U.S. tour. Check out the interview below...