Code Kunst
Jo Sung-woo (Hangul: 조성우; born December 18, 1989), better known by his stage name Code Kunst (Hangul: 코드 쿤스트), is a South Korean composer and music producer. In 2015, he released his second studio album Crumple and joined Highgrnd. In 2017, he released his third studio album Muggles' Mansion. In 2018, he signed to AOMG and appeared as a judge alongside Paloalto on Show Me the Money 777. He released his fourth studio album People in 2020 and won Producer of the Year at the Korean Hip-hop Awards in 2021. In 2023, he released his fifth studio album Remember Archive.
Code Kunst 코드 쿤스트 | |
|---|---|
Woo Won-jae's Music High February 27, 2020 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jo Sung-woo |
| Born | December 18, 1989 Yeonsu, Incheon, South Korea |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | AOMG |
| Website | aomgofficial |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 조성우 |
| Revised Romanization | Jo Seong-u |
| McCune–Reischauer | Cho Sŏngu |
Early life and education
Jo Sung-woo was born on December 18, 1989, in Yeonsu, Incheon.[1][2] He became interested in hip hop after listening to Nas' "Doo Rags".[3] He decided to pursue a career in music after serving in the military.[4] He studied design at Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts, but got expelled.[5]
The word "Kunst" means "Art" in German, so the stage name Code Kunst has a meaning of "the music I produced will become arts."[6]
Career
2013–2017: Signing to Highgrnd
In 2013, Code Kunst released his debut single "Lemonade",[1] starting his music career relatively late in his life. Upon being asked whether he was nervous about his career in the beginning, he said, "At first, I wasn't nervous because in the beginning I was really going to do music as a hobby. I was already somewhat old and I didn't have the skills at first, but I felt that I needed to hurry. I'm too late, I'm too late... this thought was so strong. So I made the decision to spend the years I was 24 and 25 years old, 2 years--2 years, let me use that as if it were 4 years."[7]
In April 2015, he released his second studio album Crumple, which was later nominated for Best Rap Album at the Korean Music Awards.[8] In September 2015, Code Kunst joined the label HIGHGRND under YG Entertainment due to the impact of Tablo.[9] He specifically cited Tablo's willingness to work together in person, such as on tracks like "Hood" featuring Tablo and Joey Bada$$, made him believe HIGHGRND was a good label for him.[10] He released his third album Muggles' Mansion in February 2017,[11] which received critical acclaim.[12]
2018–present: Signing to AOMG
Code Kunst left HIGHGRND and joined AOMG in June 2018.[13] In September 2018, he officially appeared in the Korean Hip-Hop survival show Show Me the Money 777 as one of the judges.[14] "Good Day", a song he composed on the show, received positive reviews from critics.[15] Loopy and Kid Milli from his team won second and third place in Show Me the Money 777.
In 2019, Code Kunst, along with Jay Park, Simon Dominic, Woo Won-jae, and Gray, appeared as judges on the audition program Signhere started by Korean Hip-hop label AOMG and MBN.[16] In the same year, he appeared in another Hip-hop reality survival program High School Rapper 3.[17] He was in the same team with The Quiett. Together they produced "Go High" (feat. Changmo, Woo Won-jae), sang by female rapper Lee Young-ji, who became the final winner to the show.
Code Kunst released his fourth studio album People in 2020. In the same year, he was announced as a producer for 'Show Me the Money 9' along with Paloalto as a team.[18] In 2021, he won Producer of the Year at the Korean Hip-hop Awards.[19] He then appeared as a winning producer for ‘Show Me the Money 10’ along with Gaeko of the rap group Dynamic Duo.
In 2023, he released his fifth studio album Remember Archive.[20]
Artistry
Code Kunst said that looking at his mother's paintings while growing up has greatly influenced and aided him in visualizing music.[21] Additionally, in an interview-style conversation with fellow AOMG member punchnello, he has said that he draws musical inspiration from the simple and common experiences of everyday people which he also had before signing with larger labels (including "financially troubling situations and the kinds of things that happen in such situations"). As a result, he thought signing with a label too early might hinder his ability to experience the things regular people go through in their mid-20s.[22] For similar reasons, he had decided to name his 2017 album, "Muggles' Mansion." Specifically he has said that the world "muggles" has two meanings to him, one which means very common and one that does not. For the album he wanted to "tell common stories with sources that reflect myself, yet includes sounds which aren't so common."[23]
He adds a lot of vocal chopping in his music which became one of his unique music styles.[24] Rolling Stone India commented that "he takes deep dives into old-school blues, rock, soul and hip-hop, tying it all neatly together with his signature vocal chopping techniques and flawless loops of instrumentals."[25]
He cited Mac Miller as his biggest influence.[26]
Philanthropy
In 2020, Code Kunst donated to the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund, claiming that black music made a big impact on his life.[27]
Personal life
Code Kunst has two cats named Panda and Seeroo.[28]
Filmography
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Show Me the Money 777 | Judge | ||
| 2019 | Signhere | |||
| High School Rapper | Season 3 | |||
| 2020 | King of Mask Singer | Contestant | [29] | |
| Show Me the Money 9 | Judge | |||
| 2021 | Show Me the Money 10 | Producer | [30] | |
| 2022–present | I Live Alone | Regular cast | [31] | |
| 2023 | My Friends Are Smarter Than Me | Host | [32] |
Web shows
Music video appearances
| Year | Song Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | "Lipstick" | Lee Hi (Feat. Yoon Mirae) | [35] |
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [36] | |||
| Novel |
| — | — |
| Crumple |
| 34 |
|
| Muggles' Mansion |
| 26 |
|
| People | 10 |
| |
| Remember Archive |
| 19 |
|
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Hear Things |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [41] | |||
| "Lemonade" feat. Blnk-Time | 2013 | — | Hear Things |
| "1-2" feat. C Jamm | — | ||
| "Betting" feat. Don Mills | 2014 | — | Novel |
| "Edison" (에디슨) feat. Nucksal | 2015 | — | Crumple |
| "Golden Cow" feat. C Jamm and DJ SQ | — | ||
| "Hood" feat. Tablo and Joey Badass | — | Non-album single | |
| "Parachute" feat. Oh Hyuk and Dok2 | 24 | Muggle's Mansion | |
| "Beside Me" feat. BewhY, YDG and Suran | 2016 | 92 | |
| "Fire Water" feat. G.Soul and Tablo | 2017 | — | |
| "Rain Bird" feat. Colde and Tablo | 2018 | — | Non-album singles |
| "Bless" feat. Loco and Woo Won-jae | — | ||
| "XI" feat. Lee Hi | 2019 | 199 | |
| "Too Late" feat. JMSN | — | ||
| "Treat Her Better" feat. Niia | — | All About Us | |
| "Joke!" Feat. C Jamm and Simon Dominic | 2020 | — | People |
| "Knock" feat. Baek Ye-rin | — | ||
| "Flower" (꽃) feat. Jay Park, Woo and Giriboy | 140 | ||
| "For the Gone" (사라진 모든 것들에게) with Choi Jung-hoon and Simon Dominic | 106 | Non-album singles | |
| "You Get Off" | 2021 | — | |
| "Cheers" (치열) with Lee Chan-hyuk, Colde and Sogumm | — | ||
| "Take Me" with Meenoi | 2022 | — | |
| "The Ball Is Round" with Woo Won-jae and Jeon So-yeon | — | ||
| "Bad Bad" (feat. Tabber and Jay Park) | 2023 | — | Remember Archive |
| "55" (feat. Baek Ye-rin and Wendy) | 99 | ||
| "Jumper" (feat. Gaeko and Mino) | 102 | ||
| "Circle" (feat. Crush) | 183 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Nominee | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korean Music Awards | 2016 | Crumple | Best Rap Album | Nominated | [8] |
| Korean Hip-hop Awards | 2018 | Muggles' Mansion | Hip-hop Album of the Year | Nominated | [42] |
| Himself | Producer of the Year | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | Nominated | [43] | |||
| 2021 | Won | [19] | |||
| 2022 | Nominated | [44] | |||
| MBC Entertainment Awards | 2022 | Rookie Award – Male | Won | [45] | |
| Brand Customer Loyalty Awards | 2023 | Multitainer - Male | Won | [46] |
References
- ^ a b "코드 쿤스트". Daum Encyclopedia.
- ^ Park, Eun-hae (February 18, 2022). "샤이니 민호 서울대 출신 엄친아 형, 코드쿤스트 절친으로 깜짝 등장 '나혼산'" [Shinee Minho's brother, Mr. Perfect who graduated from Seoul National University, made a surprise appearance as a close friend of Code Kunst]. Newsen (in Korean).
- ^ "[GL Interview] 다양한 장르의 용광로에서 주조된 Code Kunst의 음악 바이오그래피". Gear Lounge (in Korean). June 8, 2020.
- ^ Park, Su-in (March 5, 2017). "[팝인터뷰]코드쿤스트, 하루를 이틀처럼 2년 같은 1년 보낸 이유". Herald Pop.
- ^ "코드쿤스트 "이하이 백예린 AOMG행? 아티스트 판단에..." / CODE KUNST(코드 쿤스트) _ Flower(꽃) / 본인등판 / Look Me Up". 1theK Originals. YouTube. April 7, 2020.
- ^ Kang, Il-gwon (June 20, 2014). "코드 쿤스트 – 이례적인 비트메이커, '코드명: 쿤스트'". Rhythmer.
- ^ "[Producer Code Kunst] All About_Code Kunst : part.1". YouTube. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ a b "CODE KUNST [CRUMPLE]". Korean Music Awards (in Korean).
- ^ Lee, Mi-yeong (September 22, 2015). "코드쿤스트, 혁오 이어 하이그라운드 합류" [Code Kunst, joins Highgrnd after Oh Hyuk]. iNews24 (in Korean).
- ^ "Picking at the mind of producer Code Kunst!". YouTube.
- ^ "코드 쿤스트, 신곡 'FIRE WATER' M/V 티저 공개" (in Korean). Ten Asia.
- ^ "2017 올해의 가요 앨범". IZM. December 2017.
- ^ Kim, Eun-ae (June 11, 2018). "AOMG, 코드 쿤스트 정식 영입..신곡 타블로 피처링" [AOMG, officially signs Code Kunst..Tablo features on new song]. Chosun Ilbo (in Korean).
- ^ Park, Se-hoe (July 15, 2018). "(공식)'쇼미더머니 777'의 프로듀서 라인이 완성됐다" [The producer line of 'Show Me the Money 777' is completed]. Huffington Post Korea (in Korean).
- ^ "《2018, 음악취향Y의 추천》 장르별 싱글 (6) : 힙합 #2". Music Y. February 21, 2019.
- ^ "MBN, 첫 힙합 예능 'SignHere' 론칭한다…KBS 출신 남성현 PD 첫 작품". 스타투데이 (in Korean). 22 March 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
- ^ "[HD스압포토] '고등래퍼3' ① 더 콰이엇-코드 쿤스트, 힙합 어르신 납시오!(제작발표회)". 제니스글로벌뉴스 (in Korean). 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
- ^ "엠넷 '쇼미9' 프로듀서 4팀 결성·자이언티-기리보이 등" [Mnet 'Show Me 9' 4 producer teams are formed, Zion.T-Giriboy etc.]. Hankyung Entertainment (in Korean). August 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "한국힙합어워즈 2021 수상작" [Korean Hip-hop Awards 2021 Winners]. Korean Hip-hop Awards (in Korean).
- ^ Lee, Jin-ju (March 3, 2023). "코드 쿤스트, 정규 5집 'Remember Archive' 16일 발매" [Code Kunst, releases fifth studio album 'Remember Archive' on 16]. BNT (in Korean).
- ^ "[CODE KUNST : 9¾ DOCUMENTARY] EP 01 엄마의 그림들 (Mother's Drawings)". YouTube.
- ^ "코드 쿤스트(CODE KUNST) & 펀치넬로 (punchnello) | AOMG ANJU(안주) (ENG)". AOMG.
- ^ "[ENG SUB] COMMENTARY&BEHIND : CODE KUNST - MUGGLES' MANSION". SEOUL MUSIC (서울뮤직).
- ^ AOMG - [코드 쿤스트 (CODE KUNST)] MBC, '라디오스타' - 2019. 06. 19.... | Facebook, retrieved 2020-01-31
- ^ Chakraborty, Riddhi (April 5, 2020). "Kulture Kolumn: Appreciating the Genius of Code Kunst". Rolling Stone India.
- ^ Lee, Ju-han (September 8, 2018). "'쇼미더머니 777' 코드 쿤스트, 故 맥 밀러 추모 "진심으로 동경했던 유일한 뮤지션"". Seoul Economic.
- ^ "국내에서도 뜨거운 'Black Lives Matter' 운동". Melon (in Korean). June 5, 2020.
- ^ Shin, Ji-won (January 14, 2022). "코드 쿤스트, 고양이 집사로 사는 법..."반려묘 시루X판다 궁디 팡팡...내 궁딩이는 누가 두들겨 주나"('나혼산')". Hankyung.
- ^ Ji Min-kyung (May 3, 2020). "'복면가왕' 코드쿤스트·차청화·김강훈·럭키 1R 탈락..주윤발 6연승 도전 [종합]". OSEN (in Korean). Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ Park Soo-in (August 9, 2021). "개코-코드 쿤스트 '쇼미더머니10' 프로듀서 합류 '킹메이커 군단 완성" [Gaeko-Code Kunst joined the producer of 'Show Me the Money 10' and completed the 'Kingmaker Corps']. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
- ^ Hwang, Hyo-i (July 25, 2022). "기안84X코드쿤스트, 황정민·조승우·지진희 계보 이을까" [Kian 84 x Code Kunst, will they be the next Hwang Jeong-min, Jo Seung-woo, and Ji Jin-hui?]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean).
- ^ Kang Da-yun (January 2, 2023). "내친나똑' 전현무 MC 발탁→조세호·코드쿤스트·김동현 출격 [공식]" [Selected MC Jeon Hyun-moo for ‘My Chin-na-tok’→Jo Se-ho, Code Kunst, and Kim Dong-hyun sortie [Official]] (in Korean). My Daily. Retrieved January 2, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Jeong Bit (May 12, 2022). "[공식]'체인지 데이즈' 시즌2, 6월 2일 첫공개…"진짜 헤어지는 기분" 티저부터 화제" [[Official] 'Change Days' Season 2, first released on June 2nd... From the teaser of "It feels like a real breakup" topic] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ Oh Ji-won (May 23, 2022). "마녀사냥' 7년 만의 귀환…신동엽·김이나·코드쿤스트·비비 MC 발탁" ['Witch Hunt' returns after 7 years... Shin Dong-yeop, Kim Ina, Code Kunst, and BB were selected as MCs] (in Korean). YTN. Retrieved May 23, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ Choi Jeong-ah (September 9, 2021). "이하이, 등장한 '빨간 립스틱' 뮤비 티저 공개…박재범→정찬성 총출동" [Lee Hi, 'Red Lipstick' MV teaser released... Jae-beom Park → Chan-seong Jeong]. Sportsworld (in Korean). Retrieved September 9, 2021 – via Naver.
- ^ Circle Chart peaks:
- "Crumple". Circle Chart. September 16, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- "Muggle's Mansion". Circle Chart. March 11, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- "People". Circle Music Chart. April 11, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- "Remember Archive". Circle Music Chart. April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "2017년 09월 Album Chart".
- ^ "2017년 03월 Album Chart".
- ^ "Circle Album Chart – April 2020". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Cumulative sale of Remember Archive:
- "Circle Album Chart – Week 15, 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- "Circle Album Chart – Week 16, 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ Circle Digital Chart peak positions
- "Parachute": "Digital Chart - 2015 Weeks 44". Circle Chart. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- "Beside Me": "Digital Chart- 2016 Weeks 31". Circle Chart. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- "XI": "Digital Chart - 2019 Weeks 02". Circle Chart. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- "Flower": "Digital Chart – Week 14 of 2020". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- "For the Gone": "Digital Chart - 2020 Weeks 47". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- "55": "Digital Chart - 2023 Week 11". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- "Jumper" and "Circle": "Digital Chart - 2023 Week 12". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Korean Hip-hop Awards 2018 nominees". Korean Hip-hop Awards (in Korean).
- ^ "Korean Hip-hop Awards 2019 nominees". Korean Hip-hop Awards (in Korean).
- ^ "Korean Hip-hop Awards 2022 Nominees". Korean Hip-hop Awards (in Korean).
- ^ Cha Sang-yeop (December 30, 2022). "MBC연예대상' 전현무 대상… '나혼산' 올해의 예능프로그램(종합)" ['MBC Entertainment Awards' Jeon Hyun-moo Grand Prize... 'Nahonsan' Entertainment Program of the Year (Comprehensive)] (in Korean). Money S. Retrieved December 29, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ Kim, Yang-su (May 2, 2023). "황제성x장도연x아이브, '브랜드 고객충성도 대상' 부문별 최고점" [Hwang Je-seong, Jang Do-yeon, Ive, scores highest in each "Brand Customer Loyalty Award' category]. Joy News 24 (in Korean).
External links
- Code Kunst on AOMG