Gary | |
---|---|
Native name | 강희건 |
Born |
South Korea |
February 24, 1978
Occupation | |
Spouse(s) | unnamed (m. 2017) |
Musical career | |
Genres | Hip hop |
Instruments | Rapping |
Years active | 1996–present |
Labels |
Leessang Company Yangbans Nation |
Associated acts |
|
Gary | |
Hangul | 개리 |
---|---|
Revised Romanization | Gaeri |
McCune–Reischauer | Kaeri |
Birth name | |
Hangul | 강희건 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Gang Huigeon |
McCune–Reischauer | Kang Hŭigŏn |
Kang Hee-gun (Hangul: 강희건; born February 24, 1978), better known by his stage name Gary (Korean: 개리, often spelled as Garie), is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. Besides a solo artist, he is also the rapper and lyricist of the former hip-hop duo Leessang. Since their formation in 2002, the group has produced a total of eight albums and had several hits under their belt. In 2014, Gary made his debut as a solo artist with the mini-album Mr.Gae. Despite the album being banned by all major TV broadcast stations for its 19+ content, his songs still managed to top several charts. He and long time collaborator Jung In later went on to form the duo, Jung In & Gary. The two released the singles "Your Scent" and "Bicycle."
Aside from his own work, Gary has been featured in works by famous artists such as Psy, Baek Ji Young, Lee Hyori, Dynamic Duo, and MC Mong. He is also a former cast member of the variety show Running Man.
Gary was born on February 24, 1978. His nickname in middle school was "Gae" (meaning "dog" in Korean), which he adapted to become his stage name, after deciding between "gaemi" (ant) and "Gary". In his younger years, he was more interested in dancing than rapping. Gary revealed that he participated in a dance competition and actually won, defeating other competitors, Jang Woo Hyuk and Moon Hee Jun, who eventually became members of H.O.T. Lee Soo Man scouted all three boys, and offered them a contract to SM Entertainment. Ultimately, Gary rejected the offer. Gary went to Yong In University and trained as a bodyguard. He was an amateur boxer for 10 years.