Overview of Block B
Block B is a popular South Korean boy band managed by KQ Entertainment with seven members Taeil, B-Bomb, Jaehyo, U-Kwon, Park Kyung, Zico, and P.O. The band is known for its several accolades and nominations, like Golden Disc Awards and Seoul Music Awards.
The band was created in 2011 by the musician Cho PD with a budget of US$1.4 million. They debuted with a live performance on Music Bank and MTV’s Match Up!. The band released their studio album ‘Blockbuster,’ which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Korea and Gaon Album charts. In 2013, the band filed a lawsuit against Stardom Entertainment, leading to a temporary pause in their activities.
Their successful albums, credited with top-hit commercial success, include ‘Jackpot’ (2014), ‘Very Good’ (2015), and ‘H.E.R.’ (2015). Their Japanese-language studio album, ‘My Zone,’ released in 2016, achieved a top-10 ranking on the Billboard Japan and Oricon charts. In 2018, the members enlisted for military service.
History of Block B
Formation and Beginnings
In 2011, Cho PD announced his desire to create a seven-member hip-hop group as part of his ‘Creating Korea’s Eminem Project,’ investing 1.4 million US dollars. That same year, the band debuted their music video ‘Freeze,’ but it was banned by the Commission of Youth Protection, deeming it too provocative for Korean television and unsuitable for minors. On April 15, 2011, the band made their live debut on KBS Music Bank.
Legal Action Against Stardom Entertainment
On January 3, 2013, the band filed a lawsuit against Stardom Entertainment at the Seoul Central District Court, seeking the cancellation of their exclusive contract. However, the court ruled in favour of the agency.
Top Charts and Mini Albums
On August 29, 2013, the band negotiated the transfer of their rights from Stardom to a new management company, Seven Seasons. In the same year, the band announced their pre-released single, ‘Be the Light,’ via Seven Seasons’ YouTube channel. It was released on September 22, 2013, and topped the Gaon digital chart at #14. Additionally, in the same year, Block B released their first full-length album, ‘Blockbuster.’ The band’s other hit tracks include ‘Nillili Mambo,’ ‘Very Good,’ ‘When Where What How,’ and ‘Nice Day.’
Block B starred in the reality show ‘Five Minutes Before Chaos.’ The band’s first Korean concert series, ‘2014 Blockbuster,’ was a huge success, with tickets quickly selling out due to the band’s popularity. Other concerts were held in New York, Miami, and Washington D.C. in June through the concert organizer Jazzy Group. Block B also released a mini-album, ‘H.E.R.,’ and their other mega-hits include ‘Jackpot,’ ‘Extraordinary Woman,’ ‘Hold Me Now,’ and ‘Very Good (Rough Ver.).
Global Expansion of Block B
With the mega-hit single ‘Very Good (Japanese Version),’ Block B made its official Japanese debut on January 21, 2015. The band’s first European tour in 2015 included visits to Paris, Helsinki, Warsaw, and Milan, with all their shows selling out. Block B performed at the Los Angeles KCON. The Los Angeles Times reported that “Block B had one of the most successful melds of Korean hip-hop with boy-band dynamics to come off the scene.”
Block B’s music has consistently stolen the hearts of many and topped the charts. Some of their mega-hits include ‘A Few Years Later,’ ‘Blooming Period,’ ‘Toy,’ ‘Walkin’ in the Rain,’ ‘It Was Love’ (Taeil version), and ‘Bingle Bingle’.
On June 16, 2016, Block B’s agency, Seven Seasons, changed its label name to KQ Entertainment. Although it was announced that Block B would be managed by Seven Seasons, later KQ Entertainment directly managed Block B.
Having a diverse fanbase in Japan, Block B released two singles, ‘Jackpot’ and ‘Toy.’ They also released their first Japanese album, ‘My Zone,’ on October 26, 2016. In 2017, the band embarked on a European tour, visiting cities like Amsterdam, Helsinki, Lisbon, Budapest, and London.
On September 20, 2017, the band released their ‘Block B Project-1,’ an album featuring five group members performing songs in collaboration with various Japanese artists. P.O. performed ‘Winner,’ and U-Kwon collaborated with Chanmina. Taeil teamed up with Keita Tachibana of W-inds to perform ‘Lost & Found.’ ‘Paradise’ featured B-Bomb with Ken the 390, and Jaehyo collaborated with Naoko Tanaka for ‘Bus Stop.
Block B held two concerts in Jamsil Arena, Seoul, on January 27 and 28, 2018. For the international promotion of artists, Sony Music Entertainment collaborated with KQ Entertainment.
Members of Block B
Taeil
Lee Tae-il, famous by the stage name Taeil is a South Korean singer, signed under Seven Seasons. He is the main vocalist of the band managed by KQ Entertainment.
Born on 24 September 1990 in Seoul, South Korea. He is a graduate of Global Cyber University and has attended Kim Myung-ki’s Vocal Academy. Before joining Block B, he was an MBC’s Star Audition 1 contestant.
On 13 January 2017, Taeil performed two solo concerts in Tokyo, Japan in addition to his work with Block B. He was the judge for the Blind Musician singing competition sponsored by the Korea Music Copyright Association, the Federation of Korean Music Performers, and the Korean Entertainment Producers’ Association in 2018.
Taeil is a promising and fledging artist with several lead singles and collaborative works. He was nominated at the 2017 Melon Music Awards for ‘The Hot Trend Award’ for his work ‘I Like You, I Don’t ‘. In 2022 he was nominated as the ‘Best New Male Entertainer (Variety)’ at Blue Dragon Series Awards.
Taeil’s net worth is estimated at around 4-5 million US dollars. Much about his lifestyle and personal life is not known to the public. He has a keen interest in collecting glasses and always opts for the ones with circular frames.
On 10 June 2019, Taeil announced his military enlistment. Once he completed his service period, he took a break and returned home on 4 December 2020 even though his official discharge was on 4 January 2020.
B-Bomb
Lee Min-hyuk, popular by the stage name B-Bomb, is a South Korean singer, dancer and stage actor. He is the main dancer and vocalist of the band and a part of the Bastarz sub-unit with U-Kwon and P.O.
B-Bomb was born on 14 December 1990 in Seoul, South Korea. He attended Induk University majoring in Broadcasting.
He is widely recognised for his composition of the songs ‘I’m a Mess’ and ‘Don’t Be Shy’. He penned the song ‘Give & Take’ for the band’s album ‘Re: Montage’ in the band as well as his acting credits in several dramas like ‘Jumping Girl’, ‘Shut Up: Flower Boy Band’, and ‘Mackerel Run’.
B-Bomb has an approximate net worth of 3-5 million US dollars. He is a passionate and focused person, moulding a career for himself. Much about his personal life and his lifestyle is not known to the public.
He enrolled on 10 October 2019. After the completion of his term of service, he was discharged on 17 April 2021 but his official discharge was on 27 April 2021.
Jaehyo
Ahn Jae-hyo widely known by the stage name Jaehyo is the lead vocalist and visual of the band. Born on 23 December 1990 in Busan, South Korea. He joined Seoul Art College as a Music Application Major who later withdrew from Seoul Art College.
Before his debut with Block B, he was an ulzzang and featured in the 2017 Mnnet television series on male ulzzangs. On 13 April 2011, he debuted under Stardom Entertainment. He is an ex-trainee of Cube Entertainment. In 2017, he became the first Korean pop idol to appear as the cover model of the Korean fishing magazine Fishing News. He has a net worth of 3-5 million US dollars.
He decided not to renew his contract with Seven Season on 4 January 2023 and parted ways with the agency to pursue his solo career in the music industry.
He was enlisted on 20 December 2018. As he was injured during his military training he had to discontinue his military enlistment duties as of 6 December 2019.
U-Kwon
Kim Yu-kwon celebrated by his stage name U-Kwon is a South Korean singer. He is the vocalist and dancer of the band. He is a member of the sub-unit Bastarz along with fellow members P.O and B-Bomb and the sub-unit T2u with Taeil.
Born on 9 April 1992 in Suwon, South Korea. He completed his education at Kwanyang Middle School and Anyang Technical High School in the Department of Electro-Mechanical. He is a graduate of Global Cyber University from the Department of Theater and Film and Digital Seoul Culture Arts University.
On 13 April 2011, U-Kwon made his first debut with Block B’s ‘Do U Wanna B?’. Four years later, he participated in Block B’s first sub-unit Bastarz along with fellow members P.O and B-Bomb. He composed his first Japanese solo, ‘Painless’ and starred in the short vampire film ‘Q Chan’ on 24 June 2016.
Kim Yu-kwon and P.O. received the ‘Maxim K-Model Icon Idol Award’ in 2017. In company with Nancy of Momoland and Shownu of Monsta X, he hosted the music show ‘The Power of K’. On 8 January 2018, Block B released the album ‘Re: Montage’ with the solo song of U-Kwon titled ‘Everything’.
For Block B’s ‘The Best’ album, he wrote the Japanese lyrics for the T2u song ‘Good Bye’ (2018). On 12 August 2022, in Haha’s Twitch stream, he announced he was working independently and left KQ Entertainment.
In 2012, in December Kim Yu-kwon announced his relationship with the model Jun Sun-hye. On 1 May 2022, she announced their breakup stating they remained friends. U-kwon’s net worth is estimated at around $3-5 million US dollars. He is focused on building a career and enhancing his talents for future projects.
On 8 May 2020, KQ Entertainment officially announced U-Kwon’s enlistment in the military service. Following his basic military training, he served as an active-duty soldier. He was officially discharged on 21 November 2021.
Park Kyung
Park Kyung celebrated by his stage name Kyung is a South Korean singer, rapper, record producer and member of the band. He marked his official debut with Block B on 13 April 2011 with ‘Do U Wanna B?’. He began his solo artistry on 21 September 2015.
Kyung was born on 8 July 1992 in Seoul, South Korea. He completed his education at Kamo High School in New Zealand for two years and in the US for 1 year. He is also a member of Mensa International, a high-IQ society.
Kyung set out his rapping career by promoting underground along with Zico. He used the stage name ‘Holke’ for the promotion, which means Horse-K. In 2009, he debuted with the digital single ‘The Letter’ with Zico.
He was one of the regular cast members of the television variety show ‘Problematic Man’. He appeared on the show ‘Celebrity Bromance’ along with Kim Ji-seok. He released his third digital single ‘Ogeul Ogeul’ on 19 December 2016 with backing tracks by Kero One. He released his first mini-album ‘Notebook’ containing five songs.
He composed and produced Block B’s album ‘Re: Montage’ with the lead single ‘Don’t Leave’ featuring Sumin. In 2018, Kyung released a single in collaboration with the South Korean boy band, The Boyz.
As an upcoming artist and rising talent, Kyung is a rapper and record producer of Block B. He is nominated for two of his popular and celebrated singles ‘Ordinary Love’ and ‘Inferiority Complex’.
Kyung’s net worth is around 4-5 million US dollars. He is interested in rapping and composing and made several successful collaborations with prominent artists. He has also produced multiple songs. He is zealously dedicated to his professional journey and his young dream was to get rich and popular. His current goal is to buy a big and luxurious house in the modern skyscraper centre of Gangnam area, Seoul.
His official military enlistment began on 19 October 2020 serving for almost a year and a half. Due to legal actions against him, there was a delay in his joining. He was scheduled to be discharged in April 2022 because of his health issues and was switched from military service to public service which extended his discharge. He was officially discharged from his service on 21 September 2022.
Zico
Woo Ji-ho, popularly and professionally known as Zico, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He debuted his music career as the leader of the band. Zico’s first solo release was in 2014, ‘Tough Cookie’.
Zico is noteworthy for his crossover skills in tracking different musical genres within the Korean hip-hop scene in maintaining an underground reputation along with his mainstream profile as a Korean idol. His talent skills are not confined to being a singer but also a record producer of both K-pop and Korean hip-hop music.
He is also a member of the hip-hop crew Fanxy Child under KOZ Entertainment, which was formed in 2016. The crew made their first debut on 9 August 2019 and the present members include Zico, Crush, Penomeco, Stay Tuned, DEAN, and Milic. In 2019, he released his first studio album ‘Thinking’ under his agency KOZ Entertainment. On 27 July 2022, he released his Fourth EP ‘Grown Ass Kid’ with its title track ‘Freak’. He was named GQ Korea’s Men of the Year in 2022.
Zico was born on 14 September 1992 in Dohwa, Seoul. He pursued his three years of education in Japan and a year in both Canada and China. His older brother, Woo Tae-woon was a former member of the idol group ‘Speed’. He has a major in Vocal Performance from Seoul Music High School. He studied at the Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts University as a drama major and holds a bachelor’s degree.
Zico dated AOA member Seolhyun and they were in a relationship for 6 months. The dating news was confirmed by FNC Entertainment (Seolhyun’s agency) and Seven Seasons’ (his former label). The couple broke up after 6 months of their relationship.
Zico’s network is estimated to be around 6-8 million US dollars. More than being an artist, He is a producer of his own. He is one of the certified copyright-rich idols in the K-pop industry.
Zico, with his versatile skills, is a popular MC in the Korean awards and variety shows. He has several brand endorsement deals and owns his own record company KOZ. He lives a luxurious lifestyle and owns a building in Seongsu-dong, Seoul which is estimated to be around 4 million US dollars. He generates a part of his profit from the building every 2 years, which is estimated to be around 1 million US dollars.
Zico enlisted in his mandatory military service on 30 July 2020 serving as a public service worker. He was discharged from his conscription on 29 April 2022.
P.O
Pyo Ji-hoon widely known by his stage name P.O is a South Korean rapper, singer and actor. He is the youngest member and is in the Sub-unit Bastarz. He was born on 2 February 1993 in Seoul, South Korea. He graduated from Hanlim Multi Art School in 2012.
He initially ignored offers and decided to rejoin Stardom Entertainment to debut with Block B. He debuted with Block B in 2011. He released ‘Dear My Wife’ to his Cyworld featuring Winner’s Mino. For Rookie girl group Delight, P.O featured in their song ‘Mega-Yak’. He was featured in the digital single ‘It’s Not a Big Deal’ by V.O.S’s Kim Kyung Rok.
For his versatile contribution to lyrics and composition, he received recognition for the creation of the Bastarz album and received acknowledgement for lyrics credit and composition for ‘Zero for Conduct’, ‘Charlie Chaplin’, ‘Thief’ and ‘Sue Me’. He performed ‘Sue Me’ with the rapper Incredivle.
In the spring of 2018, P.O starred in various works like ‘Living Together in Empty Room’, ‘Superman.com’, ‘Great Escape’ and ‘New Journey to the West 5/6’. In 2018, he acted in two dramas ‘Encounter’ and ‘Love Alert’. On 11 November 2018, he released a new song ‘Comme des Garçons’.
In 2021, he did not renew his contract with his label Seven Seasons and signed up with Artist Company. Three days before his enlistment he performed his last show ‘Amazing Saturday’ on 10 February 2022.
As the youngest member of one of the most loved third-generation K-pop boy groups, he is celebrated for his acting roles and distinctive music. Known for his original lyrics and composition, most of his songs rank among the hit charts.
P.O and U-Kwon received the ‘Maxim K-Model Icon Idol Award’. In 2017, at the MBC Entertainment Awards, he won the ‘Popularity Award’ for ‘Living Together in Empty Room’. At the Brand of the Year Awards (2019), he won the ‘Male Variety Star’. He won the ‘Fashionista Award’ at the 2020 Asia Model Awards.
On 24 February 2012 was diagnosed with ‘stress-induced schizophrenia’. He is single and is not dating anyone. He likes to keep his personal life private and away from the public eye.
He has a net worth of approximately 3-5 million US dollars. Known for his unique songs and versatile compositions, he is also popular for his acting in minor and major acting roles.
P.O postponed his military service until December 2021 as he was focusing on broadcasting and acting. He was enlisted in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps on 28 March 2022. He was assigned to the Marine Corps headquarters in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do. He served in the military band and was discharged on 27 September 2023.
Discography
Studio Albums
- My Zone (2016)
- Blockbuster (2012)
Compilation Albums
- Block B The Best (2018)
Single Albums
- Yesterday(2017)
- Jackpot (2016)
- Toy (2016)
- Very Good (2015)
- H.E.R (2015)
- Jackpot (2014)
- Do You Wanna B? (2011)
Extended Plays
- Montage ( 2017)
- Blooming Period ( 2016)
- H.E.R (2014)
- Very Good (2013)
- Welcome to the Block(2012)
- New Kids on the Block (2011)
Singles
- Don’t Leave (2018)
- Shall We Dance (2017)
- Yesterday (2017)
- A Few Years Later (2016)
- Toy (2016)
- Very Good”(2014)
- Jackpot (2014)
- H.E.R (2014)
- Be the Light (2013)
- I’ll Close My Eyes (2012)
- Nillili Mambo (2012)
- NalinA (2012)
- Freeze (2011)
- Wanna B (2011)
- Tell Them (2011)
Awards
- Maxim K-Model Awards (2017)
Idol Icon Award - 1st Asia Artist Awards (2016)
Best Star Award, Singer - Japan Gold Disc Award (2016)
Best New Asian Artist
- 4th Gaon Chart Awards (2014)
Hot Trend Awards - MelOn Music Awards (2014)
Best Male Dance Artist (“H.E.R”) - Gaon Weibo Chart (2014)
Gaon Weibo Social Star Award
- K-Star Best KPop Awards (2013)
Best Fandom
- SBS MTV Best of The Best Awards (2013)
Best Male Group - SBS MTV Best of The Best Awards(2012)
Best Male Video (“Nillili Mambo”) - 20th Korean Culture Entertainment Awards(2012)
New Artist Award
Interesting Facts about Block-B
- Zico draws with his left hand but writes with his right hand.
- U-Kwon thinks Zico has the most fangirls in Block B.
- Taeil is said to be the cutest of the group.
- According to Zico, Taeil never ages in personality and appearance.
- B-Bomb is afraid of heights.
- B-Bomb opened a cafe Mujabee.
- Jaehyo is good at fishing, sports and video games.
- In February 2017 Jaehyo became the first Korean pop idol to appear as the cover model of the Korean fishing magazine Fishing News.
- U-Kwon, Zico, Kyung, Hanhae, and Mino were the original lineup for Block B.
- U-Kwon is friends with MASC’s Woosoo who features on U-Kwon’s 2023 song ‘Wanna Do’.
- U-Kwon was in a relationship with Jeon Sunhye, a model, for 10 years.
- Kyung and Zico have known each other since elementary school.
- Kyung was born on the same day as Venus‘s Doori.
- Pyo is best friends with WINNER‘s Mino.
- P.O was part of ‘The Great Escape; and ‘The Great Escape 2’.
FAQs
- How many members are in Block B?
Block B consists of seven members: Taeil, B-Bomb, Jaehyo, U-Kwon, Park Kyung, Zico, and P.O. - Who is the youngest member of Block B?
Pyo Ji-hoon (P.O.) - Who is the main vocalist of Block B?
Taeil. - What are the Instagram IDs of Block B members?
Zico- blockb_official_ , Taeil- 2taeil2 , B-Bomb – bbomb2011, Jaehyo – bbjhyo , U-Kwon – uk_0530, Kyung – qkrrud78, P.O. – pyojihoon_official
