Jay Park

Jay Park has a younger brother named Jehan. He is fluent in English and Korean and can speak basic Mandarin.

Park grew up with an early interest in hip-hop music, rap, and breakdancing. He attended Edmonds-Woodway and later completed his university education at Dankook University.

Park joined the Seattle-based b-boy crew Art of Movement as one of its first members in 2003. His interest in breakdancing led his mother to encourage him to audition for a talent program organized by JYP Entertainment in 2004. He moved to South Korea in January 2005 for training in dancing, rapping, singing, and Korean.

Park became the leader of 2PM after appearing on the training program Hot Blood Men. The group debuted in September 2008 with the song "10 Out of 10". He also appeared on variety programs and participated in music and television projects during his time with the group.

In 2009, comments from Park's old MySpace account became the subject of widespread controversy. He left 2PM in September and returned to Seattle, while JYP Entertainment later ended his contract in early 2010.

After leaving 2PM, Park gained renewed attention through his YouTube cover of B.o.B's "Nothin' on You", which received more than two million views within 24 hours. B.o.B later released a version of the song featuring Park in South Korea. Park returned to South Korea in June 2010 for the film Hype Nation and signed with SidusHQ for his Korean activities.

His first EP, Count on Me, was released in July 2010 and included a Korean version of "Nothin' on You". He followed it with Take a Deeper Look in 2011, becoming the first artist to win a Korean music-program award on his debut stage when he won on KBS's Music Bank with "Abandoned". He also appeared in the film Mr. Idol and joined the regular cast of Immortal Songs 2.

Park released his first full-length Korean album, New Breed, in 2012. The album reached number one on South Korea's Gaon weekly album chart and entered the Billboard World Albums chart. His 2010s discography also included Evolution, Worldwide, and Everything You Wanted.

Park founded the independent hip-hop label AOMG in 2013 and became its chief executive. In 2017, he announced the creation of H1GHR Music with producer Cha Cha Malone, with the label intended to connect artists from Seattle and South Korea. Park stepped down as CEO of both companies in December 2021 while remaining an adviser.

Park established MORE VISION in March 2022. His work as a label founder and executive became a major part of his role in Korean hip-hop, alongside his recording career and collaborations with artists including Cha Cha Malone, Dok2, Loco, Gray, and IU.

In 2017, Roc Nation signed Park for his American activities, making him the first Asian American artist signed to the label. His English-language EP Ask Bout Me followed in 2018, and he later released The Road Less Traveled and the collaborative EP This Wasn't Supposed to Happen with Hit-Boy.

Park has worked as a judge, producer, host, and performer on programs including Show Me the Money, Asia's Got Talent, Saturday Night Live Korea, Peak Time, and Universe League. In 2023, he hosted the KBS music talk show The Seasons: Jay Park's Drive.

His music combines Korean hip-hop and contemporary R&B with pop, soul, electronic, dance, and acoustic elements. He writes and composes songs in both English and Korean and has also written or produced material for other performers, including Brian Joo, U-KISS, Tiny-G, and Younha.

Park won Musician of the Year at the 2013 Korean Music Awards. His album Everything You Wanted won Best R&B and Soul Album at the 2017 Korean Music Awards, while his collaboration with IU, "Ganadara", won at the 2022 MAMA Awards.