Kangnam (singer)
| KangNam | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Yasuo Namekawa |
| Born |
March 23, 1987 Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | Hip-Hop, K-pop |
| Occupation(s) | singer, guitarist, pianist |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | Jungle Entertainment |
| Associated acts | M.I.B, Cream, 5Zic, SIMS |
Yasuo Namekawa (born March 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Kang-nam, is a Korean-Japanese singer. He is the vocalist and oldest member of the South Korean hip-hop group, M.I.B. He made his recording debut in Korea with the single, "Say My Name," just before his debut as a member of M.I.B.
Biography
Early life and career beginnings (1987–2010)
Kangnam was born on March 23, 1987 in Tokyo, Japan, and is half-Korean (his mother is Korean) and half-Japanese (his father is Japanese). He was born into a rich and harmonious family. Kangnam is an only child. He spent most of his childhood in Japan, and also spent some years in Hawaii. Even though his father didn’t want him to be a musician, he didn’t give up. He didn't succeed his father's business. In March 2008, Kangnam debuted with the stage name Ya-Cha as a new member of the Japanese band Kick Chop Busters (KCB).[1] However, he left the band and Japan in 2010 for unknown reasons, without his parents' knowledge. Kangnam has stated in interviews that his family is wealthy, but he does not receive financial support from them.[2]
School Life
Kangnam attended Hawaiian Mission Academy in Honolulu for a period before transferring to another school to finish high school.[3] He then returned to Japan to finish his studies. Kangnam briefly attended Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he majored in Communications, but he left the school to pursue music instead.[4]
Career in Korea (2011–present)
In Korea, Kangnam debuted as a member of M.I.B (band) under the label Jungle Entertainment on October 25, 2011, with the title track "G.D.M" aka "Girls, Dreams, Money." His single track "Say My Name" was released on October 17, 2011 as part of a spin-off promotion to prove that each member is capable of standing alone. Kangnam is also an accomplished guitarist and pianist.[5]
In 2012, Kangnam appeared in a CF for Epson, an electronics company that specializes in image-related products.[6] Also in 2012, Kangnam took on his first acting role in the tvN sitcom "21st Century Family", and he became the host of the Japanese rendition of Mnet's Jjang.[7]
On the October 3, 2014 episode of 'I Live Alone' Rainbow segment Kangnam revealed that he had only $3 in his bank account. In subsequent Entertainment Relay interviews, he reported that his income had increased significantly, as he became involved with more CFs and variety shows.[8] In October 2014, Kangnam became a permanent cast member on MBC's I Live Alone.[9] In November 2014, Kangnam became an exclusive model for the shoestore ABC Mart, alongside model Nam Joo Hyuk.[10]
Kangnam finally saw the fruit of his labors towards the end of 2014, four years after his debut, hitting a year-end festival stage as an MC, as part of the "Lucky Boys" project for 2014 SBS Gayo Daejun. On the December 26 episode of MBC's "I Live Alone," Kangnam opened up about attending year-end festivals for the first time since his debut: "Singers usually appear on TV to sing at the end of each year. Every year, I have been watching TV thinking ‘I’ll do that next year,’ and somehow four years have passed.” [11]
On December 26, 2014, Kangnam released his second solo track, "What Do I Do", which soared to #1 on Daum's real time charts. Kangnam also ranked #1 on several real time searches, including Naver, Melon, Mnet, and more.[12]
In February 2015, he was appointed the honorary ambassador for the fourth KCON music festival and convention for its first time in Japan. Kangnam is also scheduled to perform at the April 22 concert. He has said that his fluency in both languages will allow him to "act as the bridge between the exchange of culture from both countries."[13][14]
Discography
For Kangnam's work with M.I.B, see M.I.B's discography.
Digital Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | |||||||||||||
| Gaon | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | "Say My Name" | — | Digital single | ||||||||||
| 2014 | "What Do I Do" | — | Digital single | ||||||||||
| 2015 | "Chocolate" | — | Digital single | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | |||||||||||||
Featurings
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | ||||
| Gaon | ||||
| 2015 | "My Type" (prod. Verbal Jint) | 2 | KOR: 778,193+ | Digital single |
Filmography
Television series
| Year | Network | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Mnet[17] | W. Military AcademyIi | Himself | Main cast |
| tvN[18] | 21st-Century Family | Unknown | Guest | |
| 2013 | KBS[19] | Happy Together 3 | Himself | Guest (Episode 257) |
| KBS[20] | Hello Counselor | Himself | Guest (Episode 139) | |
| 2013 | SBS | I Can Hear Your Voice | Thief | Cameo (episode 17) |
| 2014 | MBC | I Live Alone | Himself | Guest (episode 73, episode 75) Regular Cast (Episode 77) |
| JTBC | Inside Story Salon | Himself | Main Cast | |
| MBC | Hello! Stranger | Japanese Representative | Regular Cast | |
| SBS | Pinocchio | Song Cha-ok's student | Cameo (Episode 20) | |
| SBS | Running Man | Himself | Guest (Episode 220, Episode 248) | |
| MBC[21] | Animals | Himself | Main cast | |
| 2014-present | JTBC | Off to School | Himself | Regular Cast |
| 2015 | KBS | Invisible Man | Himself | Main Cast |
| Mnet | Unpretty Rapstar [22] | Himself | Guest (Episode 3) | |
| MBC | King of Mask Singer | Contestant | Episode 37 (with the stage name "Musical Prodigy Conductor Mozart") | |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | MBC Entertainment Awards | New Star of the Year | I Live Alone | Won |
References
- ↑ "Kick Chop Busters". J Pop Asia. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Kangnam talks about M.I.B not being popular, the debts to his company + desire to work with San E & Jay Park". All K-Pop. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Kangnam to re-attend school he got expelled from in Hawaii for 'I'm Going to School'". All K-Pop. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ↑ "'Inside Story Salon' it turns out Kangnam attended the prestigious Temple University". Naver via Osen. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ↑ "M.I.B Profiles". Freelance. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ↑ "M.I.B's Kangnam jams on the electric guitar in his first CF for Epson". All K-Pop. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- ↑ "M.I.B's Kangnam to star in new sitcom, '21st-Century Family'". All K-Pop. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "M.I.B's Kangnam reveals his income from being an idol". All K-pop. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "M.I.B's Kangnam becomes a fixed member of 'I Live Alone'". All K-pop. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "M.I.B's Kangnam and Nam Joo Hyuk become new models for 'ABC Mart'". All K-pop. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "M.I.B’s Kangnam Talks About Attending Year-End Festival for the First Time Since Debut". Soompi. 2014-12-27. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
- ↑ "M.I.B's Kangnam scores #1 on music charts for the first time since debut". All K-pop. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ↑ "KCON 홍보대사 강남 "센스있게 한류 알릴 것"". JoongAng Ilbo. March 22, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ↑ Oh, MiJung (March 23, 2015). "M.I.B′s Kangnam Appointed as Honorary Ambassador for ′KCON 2015 Japan′". CJ E&M Mwave. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ↑ "Gaon chart search". Gaon. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ↑ "Gaon chart search". Gaon. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ↑ "M.I.B To Appear In First Reality Program "W Military Academy"". DKP News. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
- ↑ "Kangnam To Debut In New tvN Sitcom". DKP News. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
- ↑ "MIB's Kangnam to make his variety show debut through 'Happy Together 3'".
- ↑ Hello Counselor - The Summer Special with Koyote & KangNam of M.I.B!.
- ↑ Ahn, Woorim (January 9, 2015). "MBC new variety program 'Animals' Confirms Its Casts". bnt news. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Kangnam and Verbal Jint to give contestants pointers on unpretty". soompi rapstar. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
External links
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