10 Things You Might Not Know About YG's Newest Solo Rapper ONE

YG Entertainment certainly has dished several surprises and heartaches this year, but a fresh face has emerged from the prestigious hip hop label, and he’s here to add some diversity to YG’s growing family. Jung Jae Won, simply known as ONE, debuted in July and has since been garnering many fans because of his deep, smooth voice, charisma, and undeniably good looks. Here are things you might have missed about this budding star:

ONE almost joined WINNER

When member Nam Tae Hyun decided to leave the group last October, Yang Hyun Suk was seriously considering having ONE fill in his shoes. According to a statement released by a YG source, “Yang Hyun Suk was worried about the empty position in the group. Many meetings were held regarding the empty spot and what solutions were available.”

Being the lead vocalist of the group, Nam Tae Hyun left quite a big hole in WINNER; YG’s top choice was ONE, because he was certain that ONE would add a totally new flavor to WINNER’s concept, but he decided to trust in the end that WINNER would do just fine.

The source continued, “ONE was meant to release his solo debut track on July 11, and everything for his solo project was complete. It would’ve been a waste to completely scrap his solo project.”

He debuted in 2015 as a member of the hip hop duo 1PUNCH with Samuel Kim

The duo debuted under D-Business Entertainment and Brave Entertainment on January 23 with the release of “Turn Me Back,” which is the title track of 1PUNCH’s album “The Anthem.” Their concept was “old school hip hop,” re-introducing ’90s music to K-pop, even though ONE was only 21 at the time while Samuel was only 14. Unfortunately, the group didn’t get enough traction and disbanded after eight months.

But everything worked out in the end; ONE is experiencing success as a solo artist, not to mention Samuel Kim, whose popularity blew up after he participated in “Produce 101 Season 2.”

Check out their debut MV here:

He was in “Show Me the Money 4” and “Show Me the Money 5”

In “Show Me the Money 4,” ONE was a member of “Team Zipal” under leaders Zico and Paloalto until his elimination in the sixth episode. A year later, he returned and participated in the fifth series of the show, placing 10th as a member of Simon Dominic and Gray’s team.

He played Lee Hi’s boyfriend in her “My Star” MV

If you’re wondering who the handsome guy was in Lee Hi’s “My Star” MV, the mystery is solved. It’s actually ONE, and in true YG style, he helped out his YG label mate Lee Hi by appearing in her music video.

Watch them play an adorable couple here:

ONE is the first male solo from YG in 14 years

YG Entertainment usually focuses on the music of its artists and develops its trainees for a really long time before they officially debut. Many insiders in the music biz know that the agency’s artist selection is very strict and selective. But in an unexpected move, Yang Hyun Suk debuted ONE as a solo act, making him the first male solo artist to debut from YG Entertainment in 14 years since Se7en’s debut in 2003.

He is considered to be a “flower boy rapper” together with WINNER’s Song Mino and iKON’s B.I

The three handsome rappers recently made a guest appearance in “Get It Beauty,” hosted by another ONE of YG’s visual representatives, Sandara Park.

ONE is a flower boy for sure!

The episode preview for their appearance will definitely make your heart skip a beat:

Speaking of YG’s visuals, many fans have noticed that ONE and WINNER member Jinwoo have similar features, and have commented that they could be twins!

His song “Gettin’ by” was produced by AOMG’s Cha Cha Malone

If you heard the signature tag “I need a Cha Cha beat boy” in the beginning of ONE’s “Gettin’ by,” it wasn’t a misheard lyric, and it certainly is not Jay Park’s song. Cha Cha wrote the song with ONE and iHwak!

He is a dog lover!

These images are taken from his Instagram account, and show him cuddling with some adorable dogs, which make him even more lovable!

He has cool tattoos

At the moment, ONE has a total of seven tattoos. He may have an angelic face, but ONE has a tough artistic side, and the same thing can be said about his music.

He is becoming a favorite of several magazines in Korea

With his cool hair, intense gaze, and effortless style, ONE is quickly becoming a certified YG fashionista.

Has ONE captured your heart yet?

Hey Soompiers, what do you love most about ONE? Let us know in the comments below!

DP_Kim is an English magazine and online writer and former stylist based in South Korea. Follow her Korean adventures at instagram.com/dianne_panda.