Artist of the week - Turtles (거북이)

Aug 15, 2006

PROFILE:
Name: Turtleman (original name: Lim Sung Hoon)
Birthday: September 3, 1970
Height: 169cm
Weight: 100kgs
Position in group: Leader, Rapper, Singer, Songwriter, Producer
Hobby: Driving, Games, Cooking

Name: Z-E (original name: Lee Ji Hee)
Birthday: July 27, 1980
Height: 165cm
Weight: 49kgs
Position in group: Rapper, Singer
Hobby: Cooking, Choreing

Name: Geum Bi (original name: Son Yeon Ok)
Birthday: November 13, 1982
Height: 165cm
Position in group: Lead Vocal
Hobby: Collecting Purfumes

BIOGRAPHY

Our featured artist this week is the co-ed trio Turtles (거북이). The trio were formed back in 2001 and caught our attention with their first hit "Four Seasons" which were a remake of a traditional Korean folk song into their hip-hop style. They had one male rapper (Turtleman), one female rapper (Z-E), and a female lead vocal (Su Bin). Their music was more hip-hop and R&B at that time.

With the change of lead singer from Su Bin (who has a soulful voice) to Geum Bi (who has a more powerful voice) on their 2nd album, Turtles changed to a more pop-oriented approach on their music. The style is cheerful and energetic, reminding us of Cool. They scored their 1st top 10 hit with "Come On" at the end of 2003.

One year later, Turtles released their 3rd album. This time both Turtleman and Z-E participated more in the vocal parts with fewer rappings. The change was very successful and accepted by the mainstream audiences. This album produced 2 top 10 hits – "얼마나" and "Bingo". "Bingo" even went to the top 3. Turtles Vol. 3 sold more than 60,000 copies in 2004, firmly establishing them as one of the most popular co-ed group in kpop.

However, as Turtles is enjoying their success, bad news came. Turtleman, who is the heart and soul of the group, became ill and his doctor advised him to give up his singing career. Fans thought they have seen the last of Turtles……

In the summer of 2006, Turtleman is healthy again and the group released their 4th album to the delights of their fans. The music style is similar to the 3rd album. The title song "비행기" (Aeroplanes) is posied to become their 1st ever No. 1 song. Turtles’ first 3 albums were all released in Winter but their current album is relesed in Summer, which fits the groups joyful style much better. Turtles has evolved to become essentially a pop group now. That is a lot of changes compared to the time when they debuted.

DISCOGRAPHY
Turtles Vol. 1 (Go Boogie, 2001) – Four Seasons, Let’s Go Boogie, 사랑하는 그대여, 순한 사랑
IPB Image
Turtles Vol. 2 (Turtles:2, 2003) – Come On, 왜이래

Turtles Vol. 3 (Turtles:3, 2004) – 얼마나, Bingo

Turtles Vol. 4 (거북이사요, 2006) – Aeroplanes