<p>As one of the founding members of the K-pop powerhouse boy band BTS, rapper, producer, and songwriter Suga brought an edge to the group with his aggression and street-smart attitude. As BTS rose to the top of the
... <p>As one of the founding members of the K-pop powerhouse boy band BTS, rapper, producer, and songwriter Suga brought an edge to the group with his aggression and street-smart attitude. As BTS rose to the top of the charts around the globe, he released introspective, lyrical solo efforts under the Agust D moniker, such as 2020's D-2 and 2023's D-Day, while also guesting on tracks with the likes of Halsey and Psy.</p>
<p>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 who would build a massive global following with chart-topping releases and international tours. In August 2016, he debuted his solo project, Agust D, via a free eponymous mixtape (BigHit Entertainment). The self-produced Agust D brought Suga away from the shiny K-pop idol world, 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.</p>
<p>As the BTS star continued to rise across the globe, Suga and his bandmates ruled the charts in both Korea and the U.S. during their Love Yourself and Map of the Soul eras. He also joined American pop artist Halsey on their 2019 album, Manic, contributing "Suga's Interlude."</p>
<p>Suga's second mixtape as Agust D, D-2, arrived in May 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. That year, he also teamed with MAX on his single "Blueberry Eyes" and produced the chart-topping "Eight" for IU. In 2021, Suga continued his solo endeavors, working with Samsung, producing "You" for ØMI, and featuring on Juice Wrld's "Girl of My Dreams."</p>
<p>Activities with BTS heated up in 2022 before the band took a break for military service obligations in 2023. During that time, Suga teamed with Psy on his album Psy 9th, producing and featuring on the single "That That." He also released the first official studio effort as Agust D, 2023's D-Day, embarking on a global tour in support of the album.</p>
<p>Neil Z. Yeung<br />AllMusic.com</p>
