BIGBANG/2NE1: Kwon Ji-yong (권지용)

“Too fast to live too young to die.”

Name: Kwon Ji Yong / 권지용

Stage Name: G-Dragon

Position: Leader, Main Rapper, Composer, Face of The Group

Date of Birth: August 18, 1988

Blood Type: A

Height: 177 cm

Weight: 58 kg

Specialties: rapper, singer, songwriter, producer and model.

Languages: Korean, English, Chinese

G-Dragon initially started out as a child hip hop artist likely in hopes of emulation the popularity and success of Lil Romeo and Lil Bow Wow in the states. He was also a model. However, he could not release an album and was limited to featuring on other YG artists’ albums.

On January 2001, GD debuted on the compilation album Daehanmingook Hip-Hop Flex as a rapper. After his debut, he was recruited along with Tae Yang to act in JinuSean’s mv as mini JinuSean, which was released in February of the same year. Then GD started training out his planned debut as one half of hip hop duo GDYB.

During that time, he was featured on songs by Perry, Se7en, Wheesung, YG Family and Masta Wu. He also had cameos in many YG artists’s music videos and performed live with Swi.T, Lexy, JinuSean and YG Family. He also performed in concert with Wheesung, Gummy and Se7en and in YG Family’s annual One concerts.

Out of everyone, GD was closest to YG and Perry, who thought him a lot, and his relationship with Hyun Suk was even described as “father and son”. GDYB released 2 songs on YG Family’s second album, but never debut or released an album. In 2004, GD and Tae Yang were both listed as YG new faces and scheduled to debut that year.

However, Hyun Suk announced that their debut was canceled in favor of forming a four-to-six member group. It took until 2006 for BIG BANG to be officially announced via The BIG BANG Documentary Reality Show. Meanwhile, GDYB were featured in Se7en’s album and performed with him at the World Cup.

After graduating from high school, he decided to wait a year before applying to college, and took his college entrance exams in Fall 2007. G-Dragon is BIG BANG’s leader. He is also a rapper and vocalist and has been producing with BIG BANG’s releases with the help of Hyun Suk since the beginning. He also wrote many of the lyrics and recently started songwriting and arranging.

→ Trivia ←

• “G-Dragon” comes from his original name “Ji Yong” because Yong means “dragon” and Ji sounds just like a “G”

• Love it when people call him “Kwon Leader”

• Older Sis, Dami owns online clothing store called “Style Love” or “Style Luv”

• "Lie" was supposed to be GD’s solo because he wrote it, but in the end they decided to sing as a group

• GD's childhood friend is KangIn from Super Junior

• GD’s most prized possession and he grew a habit of organizing it all the time is his shoes hats clothes. The reason “Even though it’s only clothes, once you lose it, you can’t just buy it back.”

• GD also known with the name Iguana Idol, because in a year he could change the color of his hair several times. It also makes the VIP (Bigbang's fans) worried his hair could be damaged.

• His favorite colors are yellow and white.

• GD's shirt size is Medium, but for some particular brand he wears the Small size.

• His fingernails are almost always looked damaged because without he's noticing he frequently bites his nails.

• His nickname when he was a schoolboy was Kwonjiral.

• GD said his ideal type of woman is the kind of Ivy, BoA, and Lee Yeon Hee. For BoA and Ivy because they dance, sing and implicate Hip Hop and R&B perfectly with their style. While Lee Yeon Hee because he said she is sweet.

• Ahn Sohee (Wonder Girls), Kiko Mizuhara (Japanese model), Sandara Park (2NE1) are three girls linked to be having relationships with GD in recent years. Even GD and Sandara Park have their own 'couple fans' called The Applers.

• GD confessed he was looking for a girl with sweet smile and good at kissing. ^^

• GD once said that Dara is the cutest girl at YGE.

• Jun Su 2PM is GD's best friend when he was a trainee.

• Among the member of Bigbang, GD's the only one who's not afraid of Appa of YG, instead Appa YG has fear to him. Maybe because GD is so talented so Appa YG feels afraid of losing him if he gets scolded ^^.

• GD is also nicknamed "Pinky Boy" because he likes to wear his favorite pink scarf.

• GD always yells as the first ritual before stage performance or before the recording session.

• Sandara Park once confessed that GD is the ideal type of her.

• If he wasn't a singer, he would learn fashion because GD has a passion in that field. GD also said that the most valuable things for him were his hats, shoes, and accessories. He would be very sad if those stuff lost because it would be so hard to find the replacements.

• Has a bulldog named Ga Ho.

• The body parts of him that he likes and feels proud of are the nape of the neck and the bones.

• He loves to sleep so much and so hard to wake him up. Bed is a heaven for him. He likes to lay down to muse and think about everything he has been doing on the day.

• About 20 years ahead, GD wants to be like Appa YG, to help people make their dreams come true.

• GD has 7 tattoos on his body: One on his back is written: "Too Fast to Livem Too Young to Die," which is a quote on one of Vivienne Westwood's T-shirt design. On his right arm is written "Vitta Dolce," which means a better life. On his left arm is written "Moderato,", means "Moderate,"a term in music. On his left arm is written "Moderato,", means "Moderate,"a term in music. On his left chest, a tattoo of a dragon ball with eight stars from the Dragon Ball series. It symbolizes GD's name and the eight stars as the highest achievement. On his right flank there's a tattoo written "Forever Young". And on his left flank is written "Mind Control". On his Naval there’s a two “Xs” to appear to be a face “XoX”. On his left hand there’s a “Smiling Face”. On his upper shoulder there’s VIIIVIII VIII IVIII (88 8 18 [August 18, 1988: his date of birth] although the tattoo isn’t fully visible, this is my best guess as to what it says.). On his finger there’s a “♥F$” sign.

Solo Discography/Work:

1st Album [2009]

Heartbreaker

1st Mini Album [2012]

One of a Kind

Digital Single [2013]

Michi Go

2^nd Album [2013]

COUP D’ETAT

•2001•

- G-Dragon a.k.a My Age is 13

- Storm

•2002•

- Hip Hop Gentlemen

- YMCA Baseball Team

- Get Ready

•2003•

- Hot

•2004•

- Telephone number

•2009•

- RAIN IS FALLIN

- Fire (Street Ver.)

- Strong Baby

- Heartbreaker

- Breathe

- She's Gone

- Butterfly

- A Boy

•2010•

- Gmarket Party

- I Need A Girl

•2012•

- When I Can't Sing

- One Of A Kind

- That XX

- Crayon

•2013•

- Michi Go

- Coup D’ETAT

- Crooked

- Who You

Filmography:

Music Videos

Perry – Storm [2001]

YG Family – Get Ready [2002]

1TYM – Hot [2003]

Jinusean – Telephone Number [2004]

2NE1 – Fire (Street Ver.) [2009]

Seungri – Strong Baby [2009]

Taeyang – I Need A Girl [2010]

Se7en – When I Can’t Sing [2012]

Taeyang – Ringa Linga [2013]

CL – The Baddest Female [2013]

PSY – Hangover [2014]

1st Album: Heartbreaker

1 소년이여 (A Boy)
2 Heartbreaker
3 Breathe
4 Butterfly (feat. Jin Jung)
5 Hello (feat. 다라)
6 Gossip Man (feat. 김건모)
7 Korean Dream (feat. 태양)
8 The Leaders (feat. Teddy & CL)
9 She´s Gone (feat. Kush)
10 1년 정거장 (Station Of One Year)

1st Live Album: Shine A Light

DISC 1

1 Heartbreaker
2 This Love
3 Hello (feat. 다라)
4 Gossip Man
5 내 나이 열셋 (I'm Thirteen Years Old) + Storm + 멋쟁이신사 (Hip Hop Gentlemen) + G-Dragon
6 소년이여 (A Boy)
7 The Leaders (feat. Teddy & CL)
8 Breathe
9 Butterfly
10 But I Love U
11 She´s Gone (feat. Kush)
12 나만 바라봐 (Don’t Cheat On Me) - GD & 태양
13 Korean Dream (feat. 태양)
14 1년 정거장 (Station Of One Year)
15 거짓말 (Lie)
16 Heartbreaker (Encore)

DISC 2

1 Heartbreaker (feat. Flo Rida)
2 This Love (G.H Remix)
3 소년이여 (A Boy - Choice37 Remix)
4 Breathe (Hitchhiker Remix)
5 Heartbreaker (Choice37 Remix)

1st Mini Album: One of a Kind

1 One Of A Kind
2 크레용 (Crayon)
3 결국 (Without You) (feat. ? of YG New Girl Group)
4 그 XX (That XX)
5 Missing You (feat. 김윤아 of 자우림)
6 Today (feat. 김종완 of Nell)
7 불 붙여봐라 (Light It Up) (feat. Tablo, Dok2) - Bonus Track

2^nd Album: Coup D’ETAT