From the early days of Jinusean and 1TYM to the global dominance of BIGBANG and BLACKPINK, and now the rise of TREASURE and BABYMONSTER, YG Entertainment holds a special place in the K-pop market. By weaving hip-hop DNA into the mainstream and scouting artists to conquer the global stage, YG has kept its signature “YG style” alive for 30 years through successful generational shifts.
YG’s journey began in 1996 when General Producer Yang Hyun-suk founded Hyunki Planning after the disbandment of Seo Taiji and Boys. The agency later became Yanggoon Planning in 1998 before officially changing its name to YG in 2001.
For 30 years, the agency has consistently produced legendary artists and global stars. Starting with the success of Jinusean and 1TYM, YG grew with Wheesung, Gummy, and Seven, before BIGBANG and 2NE1 arrived to dominate the industry. The agency then established a survival system that gave rise to WINNER, iKON, and AKMU, and eventually birthed the worldwide phenomenon BLACKPINK. Today, TREASURE and BABYMONSTER are leading the charge for the next generation.
This is what makes YG special. Over the last 30 years, they have discovered and grown a wide range of artists across various genres in a rapidly changing music market without losing their identity. By blending hip-hop DNA with idol music through a “self-producing system,” they firmly established a unique style and created the distinct brand value known as “YG-ness.”
At the heart of this was General Producer Yang Hyun-suk, the spirit of YG. With a firm belief in music and a keen eye for star quality, he discovered and nurtured today’s artists. By emphasizing songwriting and producing abilities, YG built its world-view on raw talent. Through overseas tours and performances, these artists honed their stage presence and earned recognition for their skills, leading to the formula that YG artists are “irreplaceable.” Let’s look back at the meaning behind YG’s 30-year footprint.
Jinusean and 1TYM: The Start of YG Hip-Hop Swag
YG’s start was unique, beginning with hip-hop, a genre that was less familiar to the general public at the time. Jinusean and 1TYM donned the YG-style swag and turned hip-hop into music that captured public interest. They designed their own cool factor and developed it into a brand, playing a key role in establishing YG’s hip-hop identity.
While Jinusean and 1TYM established the hip-hop identity, the appearance of Wheesung, Gummy, Seven, Lexy, and Big Mama strengthened the image of YG as a company of “talented” musicians. During this time, YG strengthened its vocal line with Soul and R&B music alongside hip-hop, serving as a catalyst to further expand the YG sound.
BIGBANG and 2NE1: Shifting the Idol Industry Paradigm
The debut of BIGBANG on August 19, 2006, was a turning point that changed the landscape of the idol industry. BIGBANG led the K-pop craze as the symbolic team of the second generation and served as ultimate trendsetters. They captured both fandoms and the general public, leading not only the music scene but also the fashion world, with an overwhelming influence on pop culture as a whole.
BIGBANG was symbolic as a team where members handled most of their own songwriting and producing. This shifted public perception beyond the simple category of “idols.” They are also credited with opening the door for K-pop’s global expansion, conducting some of the largest North American tours for Korean artists at the time. Often cited as role models for later generations, they became a brand symbolizing K-pop. Celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, BIGBANG will embark on a world tour with YG.
Following BIGBANG, 2NE1 played a huge role in expanding the K-pop fandom overseas by championing the “girl crush” concept. As a symbol of hip-hop-based female groups, 2NE1 broke stereotypes with an intense hip-hop style, unlike other girl groups of the time who focused on innocent, sexy, or cute concepts. They are praised for presenting a new paradigm for girl groups with their strong, free-spirited image and high-level music and performance. During their active years, 2NE1 was the first female K-pop group to hold a world tour, boasting a fandom that stretched beyond Asia into North America.
WINNER, AKMU, and iKON: The Birth of a New Generation
Starting in 2013, YG expanded its survival program-based system. While BIGBANG also debuted through a survival process, the system was fully strengthened from this point. WINNER and iKON first made their mark through team battles on “WIN: Who is Next?” in 2013. The winning team, WINNER, debuted first, followed by the launch of iKON.
Like BIGBANG, WINNER and iKON were teams with members possessing producing skills. They completed their team identities through music they created themselves based on high-level lyric writing and composing skills. WINNER built a differentiated color by handling various genres such as rock, ballads, and dance-pop in addition to hip-hop, establishing the genre known as “Winnerpop.” In this way, General Producer Yang Hyun-suk has built the brand value of “YG-ness” by continuing the “self-production” system from BIGBANG to WINNER and iKON.
The sibling duo AKMU also added a special color to YG. AKMU formed a bond with YG after winning the SBS audition program “K-pop Star Season 2.” AKMU is similar to YG’s other “self-producing” teams, with member Lee Chan-hyuk leading the songwriting. Since their debut in 2014, they have been a part of a YG era, making every song they release a hit.
BLACKPINK: The Most Global IP
Debuting in 2016, BLACKPINK is now considered the most global IP among K-pop girl groups. They are a team that added another color to the YG DNA. Based on the hip-hop foundation YG pursues, they deliver music across various genres. A prime example is “girls hip-hop,” which adds BLACKPINK’s own strong hip-hop beats to the girl-crush vibe. By mastering multiple genres, they captured the ears of both fans and the general public, producing numerous hit songs.
BLACKPINK led their success with a style different from 2NE1, proving General Producer Yang Hyun-suk’s insight. With outstanding skill and visuals, they built solid group and individual fandom power by highlighting the unique personality and charm of each of the four members. After a long trainee period of 4 to 6 years, they established an identity as a team that excels on stage. As their international fandom grew, BLACKPINK set numerous records on YouTube and the US Billboard charts and recorded the highest tour revenue for a vocal group in history. They continue to write meaningful records as a team that performs stadium tours and as headliners for the US Coachella Festival. Celebrating their 10th anniversary with YG, they continue to be active both together and individually.
TREASURE and BABYMONSTER: Generational Shift and the Future of YG
TREASURE, who debuted in 2020 and continues the lineage of YG boy groups, was also launched through the survival program “YG Treasure Box.” Within one year of debut, TREASURE surpassed 1 million cumulative album sales and proved the title of YG’s “monster rookies” with popularity extending beyond Asia. They are continuing a successful path overseas, particularly in Japan, and are showcasing the strengths of performance-oriented idols through their tours. Their skills, forged through performances, are highly praised in many respects.
Ahead of their 6th anniversary on August 7, TREASURE will make a comeback on June 1 with their 4th mini album “NEW WAV.” Through this new release, TREASURE is signaling the second act of their career by returning to the intense hip-hop that is the root of YG. YG explained, “It is an album that unravels the diverse sides of TREASURE through the hip-hop genre,” adding, “They will approach with a bolder and more intense charm.” They are determined to pioneer a new flow armed with YG’s characteristic hip-hop vibe.
General Producer Yang Hyun-suk expressed confidence, stating, “TREASURE debuted during the pandemic, so there were many difficulties in the global market. Personally, this album is the result I am most satisfied with.” As Yang Hyun-suk is famous for his sharp and strict eye for music and performance, expectations are high for TREASURE’s move into their second act.
BABYMONSTER is evaluated as having successfully achieved a generational shift, completing the YG girl group narrative that connects 2NE1 and BLACKPINK. Debuting in April 2024, they are a talented team composed of members with the best skills according to Yang Hyun-suk’s philosophy. They show perfect live stages using handheld microphones and possess solid fundamentals in performance as well as high-level rapping skills. All members are referred to as “all-rounders” due to their outstanding individual capabilities across all fields.
Based on their solid skills, BABYMONSTER has become “stage masters” and is recording rapid growth just 2 years and 2 months after debut. They surpassed 12 million YouTube subscribers at the fastest rate among all K-pop girl groups. Their cumulative content views have exceeded 8.4 billion, which shows that BABYMONSTER’s international fandom is firmly established.
General Producer Yang Hyun-suk plans to strengthen YG’s identity by discovering new IPs following TREASURE and BABYMONSTER. A new boy group is scheduled to launch this autumn, the first in 6 years since TREASURE. Additionally, the start of a 4-member girl group tentatively named “Next Monster” is being announced, revealing members Evaly, Chanya, and Kasey.
