Hyun Jin-young, also known as Heo Hyeon-Seok, is a South Korean singer, rapper, and dancer.
He gained notoriety for bringing hip-hop music to South Korea. In 1989, Hyun was the first performer signed to SM Entertainment, which at the time was known as S.M. Studio. He did, however, finish his term and depart from SM in 1995.
Hyun’s father was a jazz pianist, thus he was exposed to music at an early age and became interested in it.
Through his American pals, he was introduced to African-American music while growing up at Hannam-dong UN Village. He began learning to sing, dance, and rap as a young boy, and at the age of 16, he left high school to pursue a career in hip-hop.
Lee Soo-man and Hyun crossed paths, and Lee was taken aback by Hyun’s rendition of the toggichum (, “The Roger Rabbit”). Hyun received instruction from Lee to be ready for his debut.
He made his music debut in 1990 as Hyun Jin-young and Wawa, and his hits included “Sad Mannequin,” “Sexy Lady,” and “You Are in My Unclear Memory.”
Even though his albums didn’t sell well, he became known as a South Korean hip-hop music pioneer, which at the time was a unique idea for most fans.
Koo Jun-yup and Kang Won-Rae from Clon were first a part of Wawa, followed by Lee Hyun-do and Kim Sung-Jae from Deux, and finally, Sean, who would go on to form one half of Jinusean.
A slew of drug offences had a negative effect on Hyun’s reputation and set back his career. He was detained in 1991 for marijuana usage and in 1993 for methamphetamine use.
Later on, Hyun said that he became addicted to methamphetamine after making friends with a drug dealer while serving his first jail term.
He was detained again in 1995 and 1998. He joined forces with Lee Tak to establish the hip-hop group I.W.B.H. in 1997.
With the release of his fourth solo album, “Wild Gangster Hip Hop,” in 2001, Hyun made a return that was favourably appreciated by his audience. In 2003, he voluntarily checked himself into a hospital and underwent drug treatment.
His fifth album, “Street Jazz In My Soul,” was released in 2006 and featured jazz music in contrast to his earlier hip-hop-focused sound. The next year, he started instructing at Gangnam’s RAUM, a professional music academy.
Hyun also held the position of head producer for the Korean entertainment company SidusHQ. His personal life includes a 2013 wedding to actress and businesswoman Oh Seo-un, whom he wed officially in June 2011.
Does Hyunjin Have Siblings?
Hyun Jin does not have any known siblings at the moment as there is no report about him having any brothers or sisters on the internet.
In June 2011, Hyun Jin-young and businesswoman and actress Oh Seo-un were lawfully wed. But their marriage ceremony was delayed, until it finally happened in 2013.
In terms of his discography, Hyun Jin-young has released a number of studio albums during the course of his career:
- New Dance 1 (as Hyun Jin-young and Wawa) – Released on April 1, 1990, under S.M. Studio.
- New Dance 2 – Released on August 1, 1992, under S.M. Studio.
- Int. World Beat and Hiphop Of New Dance 3 – Released on September 1, 1993, under S.M. Studio.
- Wild Gangster Hiphop – Released on January 1, 2002, under King Entertainment.
- Street Jazz In My Soul – Released on March 27, 2006, under Seal Media.
As for his filmography, Hyun Jin-young has appeared on the television show “Mr. House Husband” as a cast member. He has been part of the show since 2023, starting from its second season.
