Epik High

Epik High (Hangul: 에픽하이) is a South Korean alternative hip hop group from Seoul, composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz. They are known for having combined genres and different styles of hip hop throughout their career, which has seen the release of eleven studio albums since their debut in 2003, as well as for their coverage of diverse lyrical themes. The group went on hiatus between 2010–2012 whilst two of the members served mandatory military service. Upon their return, YG Entertainment signed Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz on July 25, 2012, with Tablo having already released a solo album under the label. They have received international acclaim, winning several music awards in Korea and becoming the second ever Korean act to play at Coachella. 2History 32001–2004: Career beginnings, debut album Map of the Human Soul, and High Society Epik High formed in 2001 upon frontman Tablo's return to South Korea after being educated in Vancouver and Stanford. With the addition of Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz, the group made their beginnings in the underground hip hop scene in Seoul, performing with other Korean hip hop groups such as CB Mass and as part of the "Movement Crew", one of the largest hip hop crews of the time in South Korea. As the genre was unpopular among mainstream audiences, the group was relatively unknown early on in their career, with critics seeing little market for "lyrically complex music" that did not match the K-pop model of the time. Their first performance was to a small audience at the amusement park Everland in 2002. They released their debut album, Map of the Human Soul, under Woollim Entertainment in 2003, and began to gain success with the release of their second album, High Society (2004