Lim Sung-bin (Korean: 임성빈; born September 12, 1987),[1] better known by the stage name Beenzino (빈지노), is a South Korean rapper.[2] His stage name is a play on that of Boston rapper Benzino, combined with "빈" (pronounced "been") from his birth name.[3] Beenzino first gained popularity through the duo Jazzyfact, which he formed with Shimmy Twice in 2008.[4][unreliable source?] And he made his first official public appearance at Dok2's Hustle Real Hard Concert on June 5, 2011, and has since released three solo albums, as well as other works in collaboration with hip hop producers Primary and Shimmy Twice, and as the duo Hot Clip with South Korean rapper Beatbox DG.[5] He is noted for his melodic style of rapping.[6]
After establishing his reputation within the Korean rap scene, he became well known through singles such as "Dali, Van, Picasso", which was a mainstream hit.[6] Beenzino toured as a solo artist in the U.S. in 2015.[7]
He first gained recognition by posting recordings to the DC Tribe website, through which he was first recruited by established rapper Simon Dominic. He went on to feature on albums by well-known artists including Dok2, Epik High, Supreme Team, and Verbal Jint, and released albums as part of the rap duos Jazzyfact (with producer Shimmy Twice) and Hotclip (with Beatbox DG).[8]
Debut as a solo artist
Beenzino made his debut as a solo MC on hip hop producer Primary's collaborative album P'Skool's Daily Apartment, released July 28, 2009.[11] By 2011, he was a respected solo artist, although still a rookie by industry standards.[12] In October, he featured on Primary's 2011 album Primary and the Messengers.[13]
In 2012, Beenzino released his first solo album, 24:26, and performed with Illionaire Records during their nationwide Korean tour that summer.[14] In November, he collaborated with label-mates The Quiett and Dok2 in the free digital single "Illionaire Gang", which was released to coincide with their November 11 Illionaire Day Concert.[15]
In 2013, the pre-release of his single "Dali, Van, Picasso" from his 2014 album Up All Night was downloaded almost 600,000 times without a music video, and propelled him to mainstream success.[6] He went on to perform at MU:Con 2013[16][unreliable source?] and featured on albums by K.Will (The Third Album Part 2: Love Blossom) and Lee Hyori (Monochrome).[17][unreliable source?]
In 2016, he released his third album, 12, including the prior releases "Dali, Van, Picasso", "We Are Going To", and "Break".
In 2020, Beenzino left Illionaire Records and joined fellow rapper and friend E Sens after signing with Beasts and Natives Alike in 2021.[23]
Personal life
In August 2022, Beenzino registered his marriage to model Stefanie Michova, and the wedding has yet to be decided.[24] On May 23, 2024, Beenzino and Michova made an announcement on Instagram that they are expecting their first child.[25] The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Ru-bin, on November 9, 2024.[26]
^Yeon, Hwi-seon (August 5, 2022). 빈지노♥스테파니 미초바 혼인신고, 정식 부부 됐다 [Beenzino ♥ Stephanie Michova Marriage Registration, Officially Married] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Retrieved August 5, 2022 – via Naver.
^"Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
^Kang, Joo-hee (November 9, 2024). "빈지노♥미초바 득남 "임루빈, 세상에 도착"" [Beenzino♥Michova's Deuknam "Im Rubin, Arrived in the World"] (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
^ ab"Gaon Album Chart". Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Retrieved October 1, 2019.
^'한국 힙합 어워즈 2017' 누적 투표수 5만 돌파, 힙합 팬들의 뜨거운 관심 [Votes surpass 50,000 for Korean Hip-hop Awards 2017; Hot interest from hip hop fans]. Star Daily News (in Korean). January 25, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
^빈지노, 한국 힙합 어워즈 '올해의 아티스트' 선정 [Beenzino named 'Artist of the Year' at Korean Hip-hop Awards]. ET News (in Korean). February 27, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
^한국대중음악상 후보 발표…싸이, 4개 부문 올라 [Korean Popular Music Awards nominees announced… Psy up for 4 awards]. Pressian (in Korean). January 29, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
^트와이스·볼빨간사춘기·비와이… '올해의 신인' 누구? [Twice, Bolbbalgan4, BewhY… Who will be the Rookie of the Year?]. No Cut News (in Korean). February 7, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
^"'2016MAMA' 후보 발표..엑소·방탄·트와이스까지" [2016 MAMA nominees announced: EXO, BTS, Twice and more]. Star News (in Korean). October 28, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
^산이 레이나 MMA 랩힙합상 '레이나 덕에 돈 많이 벌었다' 수상소감 [San E and Raina MMA Rap/Hip Hop Award acceptance speech: 'I made a lot of money thanks to Raina"]. Busan Ilbo (in Korean). November 14, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
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