Zelo
| Choi Junhong 최준홍 | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Choi Jun-Hong |
| Also known as | Zelo, Giant baby, Maknae, 15 Year Old Genius |
| Born |
October 15, 1996 Mokpo, South Korea |
| Genres | Hip hop, K-pop |
| Occupations | Rapper, singer, dancer, Beatboxer |
| Years active | 2011–Present |
| Labels | TS Entertainment |
| Associated acts | B.A.P, Bang & Zelo, Bang Yong Guk, Kim Himchan, Jung Daehyun, Yoo Youngjae, Moon Jong Up, Secret |
| Website | Zelo's Twitter |
Choi Junhong (Hangul: 최준홍; born October 15, 1996) better known by his stage name Zelo, is a South Korean rapper, dancer, singer and beatboxer. He is best known as a member of a South Korean K-Pop group, B.A.P as the maknae (youngest) and is the lead rapper of the group. He made his recording debut with the single, "Never Give Up" under B.A.P's sub-unit, Bang & Zelo in November 2011. He is currently signed under TS Entertainment.
The stage name Zelo is derived from Greek mythology.[1] The god Zelos personifies things like dedication and zeal.
Biography
1996–2013: Early life and career beginnings
Zelo was born on October 15, 1996 in Mokpo, South Korea.[2][3] He has one older brother.[4] He aspired to be a soccer player when he was young, but then changed his dreams to becoming a singer as he chanced upon music and grew interest in it. He started practising beat-boxing and dancing at home. In 5th grade, Zelo was introduced by an acquaintance who recognized his talent to Joy Dance - Plug In Music Academy located in Gwangju, which is a well-known music academy as Big Bang's Seungri had attended it. He was once a YG Entertainment trainee. [5] He is a former trainee of YG Entertainment.[6] He auditioned to several recording companies but did not succeed generally because he was too young. He was finally accepted as a trainee at TS Entertainment.[4] He is currently studying at Seoul School of Performing Arts.
2011–Present: "Never Give Up" and B.A.P debut
Zelo serves as the lead rapper, as well as being the youngest member of the group. Being the tallest at 184 cm and still growing, fans affectionately nicknamed him "Giant Baby".
Artistry and influences
Zelo is the lead rapper of the group.[7] Zelo is influenced by Hip-Hop and R&B music, and cites will.i.am and Kanye West as his role models.[4] He also named 50 Cent and other rappers as his musical influences.[8]
Discography
For Zelo's work with B.A.P, see B.A.P's discography.
Bang & Zelo
Digital Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | |||||||||||||
| Gaon | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | "Never Give Up" | 65 | Digital single | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | |||||||||||||
Filmography
Television series
| Year | Network | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SBS MTV | Ta-dah It's B.A.P | Himself | Regular cast |
| 2012 | Mnet | B.A.P's Killing Camp | Himself | Regular cast |
Music shows
| Year | Network | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Mnet | M! Countdown | Guest MC | With B.A.P, RT M! Countdown (2012-02-23) |
References
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdYUvec1A7Y
- ↑ "INFO (B.A.P Hot Debut Story) Zelo ① & ② the ‘country boy from Mokpo’ who wanted to become a soccer player!". DKPOPNEWS (Daily K-pop News). November 23, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ↑ (Korean) Bak Geon-Uk (2012-05-29). "B.A.P 핫데뷔일기, "젤로① "B.A.P 안됐다면? 축구선수 됐을 것"". Herald M News. Herald Corporation. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Hwang Yo-Jin (2012-03-09). "(INTERVIEW) B.A.P Zelo, Jong-up". 10asia. 10아시아. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
- ↑ http://20bbv.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/b-a-p-hot-debut-story-zelo/
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YG_Entertainment#Notable_former_trainees
- ↑ "Artist Search - B.A.P, Profile". KBS World. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
- ↑ "Exclusive interview with Bang & Zelo!". Daily Kpop News. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Gaon chart search". Gaon. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
External links
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