Agust D

As one of the founding members of K-pop powerhouse boy band BTS, rapper, producer, and songwriter Suga (aka Agust D) brought an edge to the group with his aggression and street-smart attitude. In 2016, he made his first foray into the solo arena under the Agust D moniker with a self-titled debut mixtape. A second mixtape, D-2, followed in 2020, featuring the hit single "Daechwita." As activities with BTS quieted and its individual members released more solo material, Suga delivered his official debut studio album as Agust D, 2023's D-Day. Born Min Yoon-gi in Daegu, South Korea, Suga began songwriting at 13, later performing as an underground rapper named Gloss and joining the hip-hop group D-Town. In 2013 he made his breakthrough as a member of BTS, a seven-piece pop group that would build a massive global following with chart-topping releases and international tours. In August 2016 he debuted his solo project, Agust D, with a free eponymous mixtape (BigHit Entertainment). The self-produced Agust D brought Suga away from the shiny world of the K-pop idol, tackling topics like depression, fear, and fame. Featuring the bombastic single "Agust D" -- which sampled James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" -- and appearances by Yankie ("Tony Montana") and Suran ("So Far Away"), Agust D was re-released in 2018. It rose to the Top Five of both the World Albums and Heatseekers charts, as well as peaking at number 46 on the Billboard Emerging Artist chart. Suga's second mixtape, D-2, arrived in May of 2020. Documenting his life and experiences in the years since his debut, the project embellished his hip-hop-indebted sound with inspiration from traditional Korean storytelling, instrumentation, and military music. In addition to features from MAX, NiiHWa, and Kim Jong Wan (NELL), the effort also included an appearance by BTS leader RM. The official first album from Agust D arrived in 2023. Featuring guests such as J-Hope and Ryuichi Sakamoto, D-Day continued to refine his blend of traditional Korean textures and hardened hip-hop production and lyricism.
© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo