It doesn’t seem long ago since Kim Hanbin was on top of the world. As the leader of iKON, his group soared to the top of the charts consistently, with “Love Scenario” winning “Song of the Year” in 2018, becoming one of the most well-known tracks in the country. He’s known for being a monster songwriter and producer who has created a number of smash hits in his time. But after a scandal broke out in 2019, everything changed for the leader, with his group going on to make their first comeback without him, despite the number of credits to his name on the album. The future for Hanbin is a little fuzzy right now, but we think it’s safe to say that we haven’t seen the last of this talented musician.

Career Origins

Hanbin’s musical career began with a feature on MC Mong’s single “Indian Boy” in 2009, and he signed with YG Entertainment two years later. Fans got their first taste of the rapper in his appearance on Win: Who is Next, the survival show that ultimately created popular boy group WINNER. This was also the first appearance of the later formed iKON, and the band of trainees that would eventually make up the group gained a significant amount of attention through the show, with some arguing that their team (which was “Team B”) should have won the contest.

Hanbin, alongside fellow labelmate Bobby, competed in Show Me The Money 3 in 2014, amidst their group’s own survival show Mix & Match. The duo gained even more notoriety for their budding group with the appearance, as Hanbin’s single “Be.I” became the first song from the series to top Korean charts and Bobby went on to win the entire contest. Hanbin was also featured on Epik High’s super popular track “Born Hater” released at the end of 2014.