T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun)

Some Lesser Known Facts About T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun)

• T.O.P, also known as Choi Seung-hyun, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor, who is well-known for being a former member of the highly popular South Korean boy band ‘Big Bang,’ which is part of the record label YG Entertainment. In 2023, it was announced that he would act in the second season of the popular Netflix South Korean survival drama series ‘Squid Game.’

• He is the great-nephew of Kim Whanki, a famous abstract art artist in Korea. Growing up in his family, he was exposed to the world of art, which had a significant impact on him. ^[17]Star News

  

• Reportedly, he used to sleepwalk when he was young.

• At a young age, Choi Seung-hyun developed a keen interest in hip-hop. He and Kwon Ji-yong (later known as G-Dragon), who would become his fellow BigBang member, were childhood friends and lived in the same neighbourhood during middle school. They both shared a passion for dancing and rapping, often practising together.

• Seung-hyun gained popularity as an underground rapper using the stage name ‘Tempo’ and performed at various hip-hop clubs. After Kwon moved away, they reconnected when Kwon, who was already signed with YG Entertainment, reached out to Choi. Kwon told him about the chance to form a boy group under YG Entertainment, which eventually led to their collaboration as BigBang members. In 2003, he achieved recognition by winning KBS Radio’s ‘Rap Battle’ using the name ‘Tempo.’ ^[18]Asiae News

• After being contacted by YG Entertainment, Seung-hyun recorded some samples with Kwon and submitted them to the agency’s CEO, Yang Hyun-suk. Following this, he was asked to audition. Unfortunately, Seung-hyun faced rejection after the first audition due to the agency deeming him ‘chubby’ and not fitting their idealistic image of an idol. ^[19]Asiae News After facing the initial rejection, Seung-hyun was determined to become part of YG Entertainment. He decided to lose weight and shed 20 kg in just 40 days. ^[20]Asiae News After six months, he returned for another audition. This time, he impressed the agency and was signed by YG Entertainment.

• Choi Seung-hyun received his stage name, ‘T.O.P,’ from a senior artist at YG Entertainment, SE7EN. ^[21]Big Bang

• In 2006, he made his debut as one of the two rappers in the group called ‘Big Bang.’ The group consisted of four other members named G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri. Together, they embarked on their journey as a K-pop sensation and gained widespread fame in the music industry. The band became one of the best-selling groups in the history of Asian music and one of the most successful boy bands globally.

  

• His fans admire him for his husky voice, which is one of the reasons he is so popular among them.

• In 2007, the group achieved mainstream success after releasing an EP titled ‘Always.’ The song ‘Lies’ from the album topped various music charts upon its release.

• In 2008, he got admission to the theatre department at Dankook University. ^[22]E-Today

• They continued to release numerous hit songs, including ‘Last Farewell’ (2007), ‘Day by Day’ (2008), ‘Fantastic Baby’ (2012), and ‘Bang Bang Bang’ (2015).

  

• T.O.P. went on an extensive ten-month world tour spanning four continents from 2011 to 2012 to promote BigBang’s EPs ‘Tonight’ (2011) and ‘Alive’ (2012).

• He has appeared in several TV series, such as ‘Iris’ (2009), ‘Haru’ (2010), and ‘Secret Message’ (2015).

• In 2010, T.O.P and his bandmate G-Dragon formed a subunit and released an album titled ‘GD & TOP.’ The album featured three hit singles: ‘High High,’ ‘Oh Yeah,’ and ‘Knock Out,’ which all reached the top three positions on the Gaon Chart. The album was highly successful, with 200,000 copies pre-ordered, and it reached the top position on the Gaon Chart.

• He hit the spotlight as an actor after playing the role of Oh Jang-beom in the 2010 war drama film ’71: Into the Fire.’ His performance in the movie was well-received, and it played a significant role in establishing him as a talented actor in the entertainment industry.

• In 2013, Rolling Stone named him one of the hottest sex symbols. ^[23]Rolling Stone

• He likes to collect Be@rbrick figurines.

• In November 2013, T.O.P. released his second digital single titled ‘Doom Dada.’ The song received significant acclaim and reached the top position on Dazed magazine’s list of the Top 10 K-Pop tracks of 2013.

• In 2013, while filming the South Korean movie ‘Commitment,’ T.O.P. injured the back of his hand on a glass fragment during a combat scene. Later, he was hospitalized and underwent surgery to address the issue.

• He has appeared in several South Korean films including ‘Nineteen’ (2009), ‘Commitment’ (2013), and ‘Tazza: The Hidden Card’ (2014).

• In August 2014, T.O.P took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, a worldwide initiative to raise funds for medical research on Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). As part of his involvement, he generously donated to the Seungil Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing assistance to individuals impacted by Lou Gehrig’s disease. ^[24]Newsen

• In 2015, the group embarked on a global concert tour called ‘MADE.’

• Apart from being a singer, he is renowned for his passion for art and is recognized as an art collector. In an interview, he talked about his plans to collaborate with the Japanese sculptor Kohei Nawa on an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) project. ^[25]Lifestyle Asia

• In October 2016, T.O.P partnered with the prestigious auction house Sotheby’s to curate a collection of contemporary art for a charitable auction in Hong Kong called #TTTOP. The collection featured 28 artworks from both Asian and Western artists. The auction achieved extraordinary success, with sales exceeding HK$ 135 million. A significant portion of the proceeds was donated to the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) to support emerging artists from Asia.

• In 2017, he confessed to dating a former trainee named Han Seo-hee during the time they both smoked marijuana, but they supposedly ended their relationship shortly after that incident, and he claimed to have stopped using marijuana. T.O.P.’s lawyer revealed during the court proceedings that the idol was going through emotional distress and was also under the influence of alcohol when he impulsively decided to engage in marijuana use with his former girlfriend. ^[26]Hype ^[27]Koreaboo

• In 2017, he was cast in a lead role as Tom Young in the German-Chinese action thriller film titled ‘Out of Control.’

  

• On 4 November 2018, in celebration of T.O.P’s birthday, his fans from four Asian countries collaborated and made a donation of ₩11 million (equivalent to US$9,900) to the Yongsan Welfare Foundation in T.O.P’s name. ^[28]The Jakarta Post ^[29]Naver

• In March 2020, T.O.P donated 100 million won to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to support the purchase of essential supplies for medical teams working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[30]Sports Seoul

• On 3 March 2020, using his legal name, T.O.P made a generous donation of ₩100 million to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Association in Daegu. The donation aimed to support medical staff in the region by providing them with essential personal protective equipment during their efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[31]News CJ

• T.O.P has earned significant recognition in the art world by becoming the first K-pop singer to be featured in Growse Magazine’s list of 200 artists. ^[32]Allkpop

• During a 2022 interview with a luxury magazine, he opened up about the difficult time he faced in 2017, referring to it as “the worst moment” of his life when he tried to commit suicide. He said,
  

  This is the first time I’ve spoken about this publicly, but I did try to commit suicide about five years ago. I realised later how many hurt and painful memories I gave to the people around me, my family and fans out there. Actually, I was going to seriously stop making music and stop being a musician. But during the bad times, the rough times, my motivation to keep going was the music. It’s been my motivation, like wanting to fill up a bookshelf with my work. It’s been my passion. I realised how precious it is to pay back what I’ve received. I feel that I’m reborn.” ^[33]Prestige

• He has a passion for drinking wine and champagne. During an interview, he expressed his interest in creating his own wine brand, which would be carefully selected and produced in France. In 2022, he launched his wine brand named T’SPOT.

  

• In 2022, T.O.P successfully went through the application process and was selected to be part of the DearMoon project crew, which is a mission to travel to the moon. The mission is scheduled to take place in 2023 aboard the SpaceX Starship, a spacecraft designed for space travel.

• On 7 February 2022, YG Entertainment announced that Big Bang would be making a comeback with a new song on 5 April 2022. They also disclosed that T.O.P had terminated his exclusive contract with YG Entertainment. However, the agency mentioned that T.O.P would still be participating in group activities despite the contract ending. ^[34]Naver On 31 May 2023, T.O.P confirmed that he had left the group, indicating his departure from ‘Big Bang.’ ^[35]NME

• He smokes occasionally.