Choi Whee-sung (Korean: 최휘성; born February 5, 1982), known professionally as Wheesung or by the stage nameRealslow, is a South Korean R&B singer, record producer, and musical theatre actor.
Career
1982: Early life and education
Wheesung was born on February 5, 1982.[1] He was an avid dancer in high school, where he was part of a rock band. He began singing in his senior year.[2][full citation needed]
He started his career in 1997 as a member of a back dancing team ING.[4][unreliable source?] Wheesung began his career in 1999 with the short lived Korean boy group, A4. He left after the band's first album debut, citing musical differences between himself and the other members of the band. After that, He joined a rock band, MAME, as vocalist for a short while. And, he participated the MBC College Music Festival (MBC 강변가요제) in 2000.[5]
2000–2006: Solo Debut and YG Entertainment
In 2000, he signed onto M Boat, a former sister company to YG Entertainment. He underwent a few years of vocal training under the label and released his first solo album Like A Movie in 2002.[2] The album became very popular after receiving praise from many well-known artists, including Seo Taiji and Shin Seung Hun. In 2003, he released his second album, It's Real. It proved to be as popular as his first, making him the best selling artist of 2003 in Korea. Unlike his debut album, It's Real wasn't restricted to R&B and it included different musical elements like pop and hip-hop.
2006–2009: Orange Shock Agency
Wheesung left YG Entertainment after his contract expired in March 2006. He signed a new contract that is reportedly worth 1.5 billion won with his new company Orange Shock Agency.[citation needed]
Wheesung has collaborated with many artists. In late 2008, Wheesung has collaborated once again with Lee Hyori who featured as his girlfriend in his music video of "별이 지다.." (Fading Star) in the "With All My Heart and Soul" album. In 2009, Wheesung seeks help from producer Lee Hyun-do, they will collaborate to produce the new album which the release date has been set in August 2009.[citation needed]
2009–2011: POP/UP Entertainment
In April 2009, Wheesung is the MC/host of a new Mnet TV show called "Pre Star-1 Show. This show gives opportunities for new talented singers to introduce themselves, a platform for them to reach out to more fans. Every month about nine or ten teams will be introduced on Mnet.com and the team which receives most response from the netizens will be chosen onto the show. The chosen team/singer will also be given the chance to perform with popular stars.[6] Wheesung's 'Pre-Show 1 Show' started airing on April 24 on Mnet Cable Channel.
Wheesung had participated in several Kpop concerts in Los Angeles, California, which include the Hollywood Bowl, and the Victory Concert. On June 19, 2009, Wheesung and Lena Park held a concert in Los Angeles Disney Concert Hall.[citation needed] After the concert, Wheesung planned to stay in Los Angeles for a month to work on his new album with producer Lee Hyun-do. The new album will go back to the r&b/hiphop style similar to "With Me" and "Incurable Disease". The new album is set to be released in August 2009. Wheesung also claimed in an interview that he wants to visit Pink's Hot Dogs while in LA. On June 27 and July 4, Wheesung performed at "Insomnia Concert" and club Le Cercle in LA. On July 11, he performed at the HALO nightclub in Hollywood.
In June 2009, Wheesung changed his label again from Orange Shock to POP/UP Entertainment, which houses stars like JK Kim Dong Wook and group M to M.[7][full citation needed] Wheesung has decided to change his label because former producer, Park Gun Tae, concentrated more on producing and working by himself. Wheesung gave thanks to Park Gun Tae for his growth as an artist and hopes to learn from him as a little brother, no longer as an artist under a producer.
In 2017, Wheesung parted ways with YMC Entertainment after his contract with the agency came to an end. He set up an independent label called Realslow Company, and he will now be promoting under the stage name Realslow.[9][unreliable source?]
Realslow is a stage name used by Wheesung when he was an underground singer. Wheesung gained attention in the early 2000s as an underground musician before he debuted in 2002. The name references his love and passion for R&B music, which still struggles to have much popularity in Korea. Through this new name and label, Wheesung aims to return to his roots and produce some soulful R&B music.[10][11]
Personal life
On November 7, 2011, he enlisted for mandatory military service. He served 21 months of active service after completing five-week of basic training course at a boot camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province.[12]
On July 11, 2012, Wheesung was granted a 9 nights, 10 days temporary leave from the army to undergo surgery for a herniated disc as well as other medical conditions such as bilateral shoulders dislocation, psoriasis and alopecia.[13]
In 2013, the singer was accused of using propofol from 2011 to early 2013 in various places including dermatology clinics in Gangnam, Seoul. Wheesung claimed he used it to treat a herniated disk and hair loss. The court later cleared him of the allegations.[15]
On March 31, 2020, Wheesung was found passed out in a bathroom of a shopping mall in Seoul after using Etomidate. A black bag lying containing four syringes and five white vials were found next to him. Not being classified as a narcotic in South Korea, police released him but confiscated the items of the black bag.[16] On the same day, the man who sold drugs to Wheesung without a doctor's prescription was arrested after a CCTV analysis of Wheesung's trail prior to his discovery unconscious in the bathroom.[17][full citation needed]
On April 2, 2020, Wheesung was found again collapsed in a bathroom of a hotel in Gwangjin District, Seoul, with a syringe and a glass bottle containing Etomidate. Although released, a hair and urine test analysis was performed.[16]
In April 2020, ex-TV personality Amy revealed she and a celebrity friend, later confirmed to be Wheesung, partook in recreational propofol use.[18] While investigating a tip, the police had come to suspect Wheesung of purchasing propofol and sent his case to the prosecution with a recommendation of indictment. Later, Wheesung was charged for propofol use several times in December 2019.[18]
At the first trial on January 19, 2021, prosecutors at the Daegu District Court sought a three years in prison sentence. Wheesung pleaded guilty and received a sentence of one year in prison, probation for two years, 40 hours of community service, and 40 hours of drug treatment lectures.[19][full citation needed]
^Yoo Jeong-min (November 24, 2022). "프로포폴 논란' 휘성, 2022년 마지막 날은 팬들과 함께" ['Propopol Controversy' Wheesung, last day of 2022 with fans] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022 – via Naver.
