Bang Yong-guk

Bang first began meeting with other members of Soul Connection when he was in his second year of middle school after posting his rap lyrics on an online forum and being recognized for his skill. Through meeting with seniors that were actually active in the music industry, watching them compose and produce, and learning from them, he was able to refine his own techniques and become better at making his style of music[3]

In 2010, Bang was contacted by TS Entertainment to be part of a hip-hop idol group after the duo Untouchable recommended him. Though he was worried that the type of music he could make would be limited, TS Entertainment assured him of being able to live out his dreams. Thus, he joined.

On March 3, 2011, Song Ji-eun's single "Going Crazy" was released, featuring Bang.[4] The single was a commercial and critical success, with fans praising Bang's "husky and fiery delivery".[5][6] It topped the Gaon Music Chart and Gaon Digital and Streaming Chart[5] and gained attention for Bang as an artist; following the single's release, he trended on major portal search sites in South Korea[6] and was requested for multiple broadcast appearances. However, his agency declined these appearances, stating that he was still a trainee and not ready to appear on broadcasts outside of promotional performances.[7] The agency thanked fans for their interest nevertheless.[6]

On August 11, TS Entertainment released Bang's single "I Remember", featuring Yoseob of Beast.[8] The song was a moderate success, peaking in the Top 10 on real time charts in Korea and at #22 on the Gaon Chart.[9] However, the single was deemed unfit for broadcast promotions by KBS because of multiple scenes of shooting and violence.[10]

On December 11, Bang debuted with Zelo as part of the sub-unit rap duo Bang&Zelo with the song "Never Give Up".[11][12]

Bang at a fan meeting, March 2017

Bang was the first member to be announced as part of new TS Entertainment boy group B.A.P, of which he acts as the leader and main rapper.[13][14][15] The group released its first single, "Warrior", in January 2012. They held their debut showcase in Seoul with over 3,000 attendees on January 28.[16] The single met with critical acclaim, with media outlets describing the single as "powerful and charismatic".[17][18]

The following year, Bang performed at the 2013 SBS Gayo Daejeon as part of a collaborative hip-hop stage featuring Tiger JK, Yoon Mirae, and Bizzy and also including Zico, RM and Eun Jiwon.[19]

On November 27, 2014, it was reported that all B.A.P members had filed a lawsuit against their label to nullify their contracts, claiming unfair conditions and profit distribution. The group entered a hiatus

On 4 April 2015 during the hiatus, Bang released a solo song titled "AM 4:44".

On August 1, 2015, it was revealed that B.A.P had reached an agreement with and returned to TS Entertainment. B.A.P made their comeback in November 2015 with the mini-album Matrix, produced and written by Bang.

On October 25, 2016, TS Entertainment revealed that Bang will not be participating in the promotions for B.A.P's upcoming full-length album, Noir, due to anxiety disorders.[20]

In April 2017, B.A.P began their six city 'Party Baby- U.S. Boom' tour. Bang returned from his hiatus to join the rest of the boys for the single's promotion, "Wake Me Up".

On July 4, 2017, Bang released a solo track titled "Yamazaki". The track featured lyrics in English, Japanese, and Korean. On April 25, 2018, Bang released the official music video of his solo instrumental track "Portrait", co-directed alongside Joe Brown. On May 25, 2018, Bang released the official music video of his solo track titled "Drunkenness." Which features falsetto vocals provided by fellow band-member Yoo Youngjae. He co-directed the music video alongside Joe Brown.

Following the expiration of Bang's contract on August 19, 2018 with TS Entertainment, he decided to leave the company; B.A.P would continue as 5 members until the expiration of all member contracts, after which all members declined to re-sign with TS Entertainment, going their separate ways.[21]

Following his departure from TS Entertainment, Bang released the MV for single "Hikikomori", a study of his own anxiety and fears facing both the stage and the world itself, with the title taken from the Japanese slang for 'shut-ins' that refuse to go outside due to various stressors.

On Feb 26, 2019, Bang released "A Short Film About Bang Yongguk", featuring pre-release track "Journey" to announce his upcoming self-titled solo album. The 13 track album, "BANGYONGGUK", was released March 15, 2019 with lead track "Ya". A MV was filmed for "Ya", but Bang later posted that he had made the decision to "indefinitely postpone" the release due to various factors.[22] Other tracks on "BANG YONGGUK" include re-masters of "AM 4:44" and "Portrait", as well as "Xie Xie" and a remixed version featuring Sway D, Liquor, and rapper LE of girl group EXID.

On June 24, 2019, Bang released photo essay book "The Best Is Yet To Come", a best seller on Korean charts.

Following up, he released single "Orange Drive" as a gift and message to fans prior to his mandatory enlistment period of 2 years.

Bang enlisted in the Korean military as a public service officer on August 1, 2019.

On September 2, 2019, Bang announced through Consent Media that "Something to Talk About", a documentary he had directed in conjunction with producer Kim Jinbeom, had been selected for screening at the 2019 DMZ International Film Festival. "Something to Talk About" was also nominated under the DMZ Open Cinema category. Covering Bang's experiences as a member of B.A.P as well as his creative process when recording "BANGYONGGUK" and featuring interviews with friends and familly, "Something to Talk About" is the first documentary to be produced by an idol.[23]