Epik High
photo: explicit · cc by-sa 4.0 ↗Formed in Seoul in 2002 when Stanford graduate Tablo teamed with rapper Mithra Jin and turntablist DJ Tukutz, Epik High built its reputation on boom-bap fundamentals filtered through confessional, literary songwriting — a hip-hop trio that kept its rap pedigree intact while sitting inside the K-pop mainstream. Signature singles like 'Fly' and 'One' balanced old-school rap craft with pop hooks and guest vocalists, making the group a bridge between underground Korean hip-hop and idol-pop's biggest stages. Still active decades later, Epik High is frequently named by younger Korean idols and rappers as proof hip-hop could carry K-pop's mainstream.
Tablo has said Nas is the rapper who influenced him most, and that Illmatic — the first album he bought with his own money — is 'the greatest hip-hop album ever made'; Epik High's storytelling-first verses carry that lineage directly.
listen forPlay Nas's 'N.Y. State of Mind' next to Epik High's 'Fan' — both trade hooks for vivid, first-person narrative detail packed into every bar.
Epik High's members have named Dilated Peoples among their formative hip-hop influences, and the L.A. trio's turntablist, boom-bap-loyal underground approach shows up in Epik High's scratch-inflected, rhyme-dense early records.
listen forLine up Dilated Peoples' 'Worst Comes to Worst' with Epik High's 'Umbrella' — under the pop hook, the same scratch-and-snare boom-bap backbone is doing the work.
Epik High's members have cited Rakim among their key influences; his internal-rhyme-driven, unhurried delivery is a clear ancestor of Tablo and Mithra Jin's own dense, technically layered verses.
listen forSet Rakim's 'It's Been a Long Time' against Epik High's 'One' — both ride a laid-back pocket while stacking multisyllabic rhymes on top, prioritizing lyrical craft over volume.