After learning about the hip-hop group, Wu-Tang Clan, and wanting to learn freestyle rapping, G-Dragon started to be close with the members of the People Crew.
"The older hyungs found this little kid who wanted to learn how to rap cute. I appeared on their cable TV program, played around and then joined the 2001 Korea Hip-Hop Flex album."
Participating on the album with people who did Korean hip-hop helped G-Dragon a lot.
"For the album, I wrote the lyrics and then recorded it. The hyungs said it was good but my English was poor because I haven't gone abroad and that the content was generic. The lyrics were like, I am young but I am the best. (Laughs)"
G-Dragon was in the title track and wrote his own solo song. The album was really his way to get known. In the US, Lil Bow Wow was becoming popular and in Korea, there was Ryang Hyun Ryang Ha and Boa. That was also when YG Entertainment's president Yang Hyunsuk was able to notice him.
"Sean of Jinusean saw me and then told President Yang Hyunsuk. Perry (main producer) also liked me and wanted to try producing for me. I was really nervous when I met with YG then. He was my favorite when he was in Seotaiji and he had a good fashion sense with gloves and short-sleeved shirts and I liked the way he danced. But when I first saw him, my first impression of him was different. He was wearing slippers and then asked me with a weird accent, 'You're here?' He looked like a neighbor uncle and not a member of the Seotaiji."
Yang Hyunsuk told G-Dragon's mother about his plans for him. When his mother left for a while, YG sort of told G-Dragon, "Tell your mom when she's back that you want to join YG."
"I cried and begged and so I signed with YG. When I was 13, Jinusean, 1Tym, and Lexy were with YG. When I went to the office for the first time, I saw Dongwook hyung (Se7en) wearing hip-hop clothes and playing with the noonas from the company. During that time, he was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen."
G-Dragon started his trainee life by cleaning practice rooms. He mopped the floors and cleaned mirrors with newspaper and did what his sunbaes told him to do.
"For 1 year, the only thing I did was clean. I got water for my sunbaes who practice and prepared their food after it was delivered. My usual sked was 1 hour of cleaning, 2 hours of practice and then 1 hour of cleaning again."
Before he turned 14, he participated in Perry's album, went on music programs and the finally joined his hyungs in a concert. That was also when he met Taeyang for the first time, the boy from Jinusean's music video.
Original Article
Labels: News, Photos, Star Diary Series - G-Dragon