Jinu
Jinu
American rapper
Kim Jin-woo (Korean: 김진우; born October 23, 1971), better known by his stage name Jinu, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He debuted in 1994 as a solo singer before teaming up with Sean to create a hip-hop duo Jinusean in 1997 under YG Entertainment.
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김진우 |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization | Gim Jinu |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Chinu |
| Stage name | |
| Hangul | 지누 |
| Revised Romanization | Jinu |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chinu |
 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for music. (May 2018) |
JINU | |
|---|---|
| 김진우 | |
 Jinu in 2015 | |
| Born | Kim Jin-woo (1971-10-23) October 23, 1971 (age 52) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Louisiana State University |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse |
Kim Jun-hee
(m. 2006; div. 2008) |
| Family | Paik Nam June (grandfather) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | YG Entertainment |
| Website | JINUSEAN |
Kim was born in California. He is fluent in English and Korean.[1]
1994: Solo debut
On March 9, 1994, Kim Jin-woo released his first album "Kim Jin Woo Vol. 1" with "I Am Awesome" (나는 캡이었어) as his first single.[1] After hearing about his album, Yang Hyun-suk, former Seo Taiji and Boys' member, pick Kim Jin-woo to be in a hip hop duo under his label, YG Entertainment with Sean.[citation needed]
1997: Jinusean debut
Jinu and Sean debuted as Jinusean with the single, "Gasoline," in 1997 under the guidance of YG Entertainment CEO and former Seo Taiji and Boys member Yang Hyun-suk and former Deux member Lee Hyun Do.[2] Their second single, "Tell Me" (featuring singer Uhm Jung-hwa), was the duo's first hit and propelled them to stardom.[3]
2004–present: Extended hiatus and Work at YG Entertainment
Between 2004 and 2014, the duo went on an extended hiatus. They remained at YG Entertainment working in various behind-the-scenes roles. Jinu was appointed as the Director of Overseas Operations. He was in charge of matters overseas including auditions and concerts.[4] He discovered Bobby of iKon in New York then brought him to Korea to train under YG Entertainment.[5]
In 2014, Jinusean made his first appearance in 10 years on a Korean variety TV show called Infinite Challenge.[6] In 2015, they released the single "Tell Me One More Time" which marked the end of their hiatus.[7]
As of 2018, Jinu is confirmed to star in a new series by Netflix and YG Entertainment, YG Future Strategy Office.[8]
He is the grandson of Nam June Paik, a Korean-American artist, with his first wife.[9]
On May 14, 2006, Jinu married actress Kim Jun-hee. They divorced in 2008, after two years of marriage due to irreconcilable differences.[10]
Kim is a Christian.[1]
Solo album
| Year | Album Information | Track Listing |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Kim Jin Woo Vol. 1
|
Track listing
|
Singles
As a lead artist
| Title | Year | Sales | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "I was Awesome" | 1994 | — | Kim Jin Woo Vol. 1 |
As a featured artist
| Title | Year | Sales | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "가요 톱 10"
(Turbo featuring. Lee Ha-neul, Jinu, and Lee Sang-min) |
2015 | — | 10집 Again |
| Year | Channel | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-2015 | MBC | Infinite Challenge | Himself | Saturday, Saturday's: I am a Singer |
| 2015 | MNET | Show Me the Money 4 | Judge | Team YG (with Sean of Jinusean and Tablo) |
| 2017 | SBS | Fantastic Duo 2 | Himself | with Sean of Jinusean |
| 2018 | Netflix | YG Future Strategy Office | Cast member |
- "Jinusean's Profile". Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "지누션" [Jinusean]. Mnet (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
- Kim, Jae-heun (April 16, 2015). "Hip-hop duo Jinusean returns after 11 years". Korea Times. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.