G-Dragon catalogs his various musical influences, from classic Korean rock to Kanye West.Ā
This feature is part of Complex'sĀ Coup D'EtatĀ WeekĀ with G-Dragon.
A glance through G-Dragon's favorite albums list makes it clear that the K-pop idol is a big fan ofĀ American hip-hop. But, as any GD loyalist will tell you, his own music encompasses way more than just rap. So, if you look more closely at this collection of G-Dragon's favorite records, you'll notice that there are a few connective threadsāfor example, music that emphasizes melody and emotion. āThereās this thing called Korean sentiment, and since I grew up listening to it, I understand it,ā says GD. āThereās a certain code that Korean people relate to in music and Iām able to deliver that.ā
Certain feelings are universal, however, whether expressed through songs by ā70s Korean rock bands or Frank Ocean. To get a better understanding of G-Dragonās musical inspiration from his teenage years to present, here areĀ G-Dragon's 15 Favorite Albums.
As told to Jaeki Cho (@jaekicho)Ā
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San Woollim, Gaji Ma Oh (Please Don't Go) (1981)
Label: Dae Sung Records
G-Dragon:Ā āAs a rapper,Ā I was heavily influenced by American rap albums. But for songs that are more melody-driven, I get my inspiration from Korean albums. For Korean music, I mostly listen to individual songs over complete albums. Deulgukhwa [a seminal ā80s Korean rock band] has a lot of great songs; I also liked Sanwoollim [ā70s Korean rock band consisting of three brothers] a lot.
āMy personal favorite by Sanwoollim is āChung Choon [Youth].ā I actually sampled that record. [Laughs.] But I just canāt put it out. You know, the thing about Sanwoollim is that these are records sung by a bunch of ahjussis [middle-aged men], but for some reason, the lyrics, and the delivery all feel so modern. Even when I listen to it now, Iām just impressed like, āHow were they able to write lyrics like this back then?āā
Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Label: Loud
G-Dragon: āI started rapping because of that album. Itās not a matter of whether itās good or bad. Itās almost like a biblical, holy piece of music. [Laughs.] I listened to it so many times. Iām not fluent in English now, but back then I didnāt know anything. I would write down the lyrics to āC.R.E.A.M.ā in Koreanānot translating it, but phonetically writing out each word. I didnāt know what they were saying, so I would just write everything down as I heard it. I would recite it and imitate it like that. Thatās how I started to write my own raps. That album pretty much started everything for me. Itās a very meaningful album.āĀ
Jinusean, The Reign (2001)
Label: YG Entertainment
G-Dragon:Ā āItās really a hip-hop album, man. [Laughs.] The intro of the album had Prodigy of Mobb Deep on it. And āA-Yoā was the single of the album.
āTaeyang was in the video of āA-Yo.ā The other kid in the video is actually just an actor. A lot of people think itās me, but I wasnāt involved in it. At the time, just watching the āA-Yoā video I was pretty mesmerized. I was a complete rookie in YG at the time. When the hyungsĀ [older guys] would perform at TV stations, I would just sit back and watch. The ReignĀ was very special. Because there werenāt any other Korean albums at the time that openly featured so many different foreign rap artists. I was just in awe like, āHow were they able to get these guys?ā B-Real from Cypress Hill was on it. That album has so many gems.āĀ
Drunken Tiger, The Legend Of... (2001)
Label: Doremi Records
G-Dragon:Ā āI was probably in middle school or in elementary school. Drunken Tiger [formerly a two-member rap duo, currently headed by founding member Tiger JK] at the time was amazing. Both Tiger JK and DJ Shine, to me during that time, they were idols. Of course, after I joined YG, I wasnāt as exposed to Drunken Tiger, but I still reminisce about those times when I idolized them.āĀ
Fabolous, Ghetto Fabolous (2001)
Label: ElektraG-Dragon:Ā āAlong with Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), I listened to Ghetto Fabolous so many times. There are albums that I like because of specific songs, but then there are albums that I like as a complete body of work. Ghetto FabolousĀ is an album I lived with daily. Back then, I was in middle school, and I just started as a trainee in YG Entertainment.
"Teddy was the one who put me on to that album. I think I first heard it when I was in Guam, when we were shooting the music video for āHip-Hop Gentlemen.ā I heard the album while we were driving around in Guam, and then when I went home, I bought the CD, and just listened to it daily.
āI was kind of dressed like Fabolous at the time. I really liked that album, and I even listen to it these days sometimes. Whatever I like, even after a long time, I still like it. And I reminisce about the moment when I first heard it. Thatās what I love. Just remembering those moments.ā
Kanye West, College Dropout (2004)
Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def JamG-Dragon:Ā āFrom Kanyeās discography, I like his older material more. I like his current stuff, too, but I'm not sure if he went a little too far. [Laughs.] I mean, itās still Kanye, and itās still great music. When I heard his latest release, I just thought, āDamn, so heās just doing whatever he wants to do.ā In a way, I envy him. He really just did whatever the hell he wanted to do. He didnāt care about anybody. And itās great. But personally I like College Dropout.ā
Kanye West, Late Registration (2005)
Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
G-Dragon:Ā āYoon and Verbal [of Ambush Design] are close to Kanye. So they tell me a lot of things about him. I wouldnāt say weāre alike, but I completely understand him.
āI look up to a lot of artists, but I donāt know how they are in real life. I always see them when theyāre at their finest. After Kanye became a recognized icon, because heās done so many things that went beyond peopleās expectations, he has to continuously take chances. I heard he only sleeps like two to three hours a day. According to my friends, they compare him to an angry 4-year-old boy. Heās just so full of energy. He would scream and then he would be crazy about music, and then he would go meet someone, and then fall asleep. I hear thatās how he is.
I heard Kanye only sleeps like two to three hours a day. According to my friends, they compare him to an angry 4-year-old boy.
āIām not saying Iām like that, but I understand him. I have this disease-like need to try to create something new. When youāre kind of being chased, and everything you do goes so well, you develop this sickness and a sense of need to constantly do something different. And you keep try to push your limit, more and more. I definitely had instances like that. Our stages are different. Heās on the world stage, and Iām on the Korean stage. Nobodyās telling me to keep pushing myself, but I feel like I have to.
āSo when I hear how he is, I just think like, āYeah, thatās understandable. That sounds about right.ā I think heās very ambitious, whether itās fashion or music. And whatever he does, I just think itās really commendable, whether the outcome is good or bad. Whether he gets criticized or praised. And you know Iāve been criticized a lot, too. [Laughs.]ā
Pharrell, In My Mind (2006)
Label: Star Trak/InterscopeG-Dragon:Ā āI heard it didnāt do too well in terms of sales, but I personally thought it was really good. Not sure if itās because I like Pharrell so much. When I saw the music video for āNumber Oneā I think I was still a trainee. Or I probably debuted already, but nothing was really going on for me. [Laughs.]Ā I remember really being in awe, because I looked up to both Kanye and Pharrell so much.Ā
āI wouldnāt say Pharrellās a fashionista, but Iāve always liked him. As a kid, Iāve always looked up to his style. Even now, I just think heās just so cool. In terms of his fashion, thereās no real change. Heās able to retain something thatās consistent. Kanye designs his own clothes now, and he changed his outfits from Polo to something completely high-end. But Pharrellās always been doing something thatās consistent. That means that itās not his clothes that make him cool, itās just him as a person. To me thatās the biggest motto. It doesnāt matter what kind of clothes you put on, if youāre a stylish individual, youāre going to preserve that. And I gained a lot of that through Pharrell since heās someone I observe a lot, Iām sure it affected me in many ways.ā
will.i.am, Songs About Girls (2007)
Label: will.i.am/InterscopeG-Dragon:Ā āThe lead single off this album, āHeartbreaker,ā shares the same title as my solo debut. But the content of the records are completely different. Itās will.i.amās third solo album, and the first album with a major-label push. Honestly, I heard it didnāt do too well commercially, but I loved it. I was greatly inspired by the project. I loved the fact that each record didnāt have a major, commercial feel to it. There was a sense of an underground vibe to every record. I like the will.i.am then much more than the will.i.am now.ā
Kanye West, 808s & Heartbreak (2008)
Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def JamG-Dragon:Ā āFor me, itās the most fashionable album. I had this album on repeat for a long time. I think Kanyeās artistry during this phase was the most balanced. I like him now, and I liked him in the past, but to me this is my favorite period of Kanye West as an artist.ā
Mr. Hudson, Straight No Chaser (2009)
Label: GOOD Music/MercuryG-Dragon:Ā āNot sure exactly whenĀ I purchased the album, but I think it was right around the time it first dropped. I donāt remember how I first heard his voice. It was probably through a Kanye or a Jay Z record. I just remember it being very distinctive and his singing style reminded me of Sting. I liked it a lot, and I thought the album was really well put together. At the time, I was only listening to this album. I donāt know what it is, but personally I just love Hudsonās musical style. Itās very strong, but it also hints a sense of sadness.āĀ
Frank Ocean, channel ORANGE (2012)
Label: Def JamG-Dragon:Ā āI was interested in Odd Future and the whole movement. Then I stumbled upon āThinkin Bout You,ā which made me buy the [Frank Ocean] album. channel ORANGE has a congruent color all throughout, but all the records are stylistically different. My favorite off the album is āSuper Rich Kids.ā It reaffirmed my fandom when I saw the live performance of āThinkin Bout You.ā The way Frank Ocean interprets each song, applying a singing method thatās neither rapping nor singing, is very unique and stands out.āĀ
GOOD Music, Cruel Summer (2012)
Label: GOOD Music/Def JamG-Dragon:Ā āItās a compilation featuring the so-called best rappers in the game right now. I think neither the public nor the music enthusiasts could deny this album. Aside from Kendrickās good kid, m.A.A.d city, itās been a while since I listened to a hip-hop album from front to back.āĀ
Miguel, Kaleidoscope Dream (2012)
Label: RCAG-Dragon:Ā āBefore he put out the album, Shaun Evaristo, who was the choreographer for Big Bang, told me a lot about Miguel. He told me that thereās someone whoās really talented that would be putting out a project real soon. So Iāve known about Miguel for some time now.
"Kind of like Frank Oceanās channel ORANGE, I think I listened to it mostly when I was by myself in the house, while I was driving, or when I felt lonely. I just had it playing on my headphones while going through day-to-day activities. Whenever I heard it, I felt a sense of warmness to each record. At the moment, Miguel and I communicate a lot through social media, but hopefully we can get into the studio together in the near future.āĀ
Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)
Label: Top Dawg/Aftermath/InterscopeG-Dragon:Ā āItās the best album that Iāve heard as of late. It has a very traditional feel to it, and it didnāt sound like something thatās trendy. So I listened to it a lot. Thereās a need to cater to the times and follow up with whatās going on at the moment. I bumped it so much, I tend to incorporate it into my style naturally. So Iām sure Iāve been influenced by the album.āĀ