J-Hope (BTS)

Jung Ho-seok (Korean: 정호석), better known by his stage name J-Hope (stylized in lower case), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer. He made his debut as a member of South Korean boy band BTS in 2013, under Big Hit Entertainment.

J-Hope released his first solo mixtape, Hope World, in 2018. It was received positively by critics and peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard 200, the highest-charting album by a Korean solo artist at the time. He became the first member of BTS to enter the Billboard Hot 100 as a soloist in 2019, when his single “Chicken Noodle Soup”, featuring singer Becky G, debuted at number 81. In 2022, J-Hope released his debut studio album Jack in the Box. In 2023, he released his single “On the Street” with J. Cole.

J-Hope Details:

J-Hope Early Life and Education:

J-Hope was born Jung Ho-seok on February 18, 1994, in Gwangju, South Korea, where he lived with his parents and older sister, Jung Ji-woo.

In March 2019, J-Hope enrolled at Hanyang Cyber University for the Master of Business Administration program in Advertising and Media. He previously graduated from Global Cyber University with a degree in Broadcasting and Entertainment.

J-Hope Career:

Before debuting with BTS, J-Hope was part of an underground dance team called Neuron, and took dance classes at Gwangju Music Academy for six years, from fourth grade to his first year in high school when he signed with Big Hit Entertainment. He was relatively well known for his dance skills, and won various local prizes, including first place in a national dance competition in 2008. His dancing eventually led to an interest in singing, and he auditioned to become an idol trainee. While a trainee, J-Hope appeared as a featured rapper on singer Jo Kwon’s song “Animal”, released in 2012.

On June 13, 2013, J-Hope made his debut as a member of BTS on M! Countdown. He was the third member to join the band as a trainee after RM and Suga. Under the band’s name, he has performed four solo songs: “Intro: Boy Meets Evil”, “Mama”, “Trivia 起: Just Dance”, and “Outro: Ego”. The first two were released in 2016 as part of BTS’ second studio album Wings. Lyrically, “Boy Meets Evil” was about “the thoughts of a boy faced with the evil that is temptation” and showcased J-Hope’s rapping abilities, while “Mama” was a “quirky hip-hop” ode of appreciation to his mother that “captures his animated delivery and onstage style. “Just Dance”, released in 2018 on the band’s fourth studio album Love Yourself: Answer, was a “funky hip-hop” song that “uses the titular activity as a metaphor for love”. “Outro: Ego”, also an upbeat, “funky” track, from 2020’s Map of the Soul: 7, reflected on J-Hope’s career and the decisions and hardships he faced through the years, additionally addressing the “dichotomy between his stage persona and his birth identity”.

J-Hope also collaborated with bandmate V and Swedish singer Zara Larsson on the single “A Brand New Day” for the official soundtrack of the BTS World mobile video game. The single was released on June 14, 2019.

In 2015, J-Hope released his first solo track “1 Verse” on BTS’ SoundCloud, showcasing his rapping skills and addressing his critics.

On March 1, 2018, he dropped his debut solo mixtape, “Hope World,” featuring the lead single “Daydream” and the B-side single “Airplane.” “Hope World” peaked at number 38 on the Billboard 200 chart, making J-Hope the highest-charting Korean solo act at the time. The mixtape’s success led him to rank at number three on the Emerging Artists chart and number 91 on the Artist 100.

In 2019, J-Hope collaborated with Becky G on the single “Chicken Noodle Soup,” which debuted at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking his first solo entry on the chart.

On July 15, 2022, J-Hope released his debut solo album “Jack in the Box,” with the lead single “More.” He performed as the headlining act at Lollapalooza, becoming the first South Korean artist to headline a main stage at a major US music festival.

In March 2023, a documentary titled “J-Hope in the Box” was released, chronicling the making of his debut album and his appearance at Lollapalooza. He was also announced as a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton.

On March 3, 2024, J-Hope released a collaboration single “On the Street” with J. Cole, earning his highest peak on the US Hot 100 at number 60. Additionally, it was announced that he would release a docuseries titled “Hope on the Street” on March 27, along with a special album “Hope on the Street Vol. 1” on March 29.

J-Hope Personal Life:

In 2016, J-Hope purchased an apartment in South Korea worth ₩1.78 billion (2016) (equivalent to ₩1.81 billion or US$1.6 million in 2017) for his personal use. As of 2018, he lives in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea with his bandmates.

J-Hope is currently single and loves his work. He had a painful past with his girlfriend who left him for someone else, as per reports. In an interview he says ‘(In the past) I had a girlfriend that I liked a lot, but she left me for another man.’ J-Hope’s ideal type is a girl who loves him, is good at cooking, and thinks a lot.

J-Hope Military service

Following revisions made to the Military Service Act in December 2020, J-Hope was granted an automatic postponement of his mandatory military service in 2021, until the end of 2022. On February 26, 2023, Big Hit announced that J-Hope had filed a cancellation request for the deferment and would be proceeding with his conscription. On April 1, having already received his service date, the label published official notice of J-Hope’s impending enlistment; the date was not disclosed to the public. He enlisted as an active duty soldier on April 18 at the Army A Division Recruit Training Center in Gangwon Province. Following the completion of his basic training in May 2023, J-Hope was appointed as an assistant training instructor with the 36th Infantry Division in Wonju.

J-Hope Discography:

Studio albums

• Jack in the Box (2022)
• Hope on the Street Vol. 1 (2024)

Mixtapes

• Hope World (2018)

Singles

• “Daydream” (백일몽)
• “Airplane”
• “Chicken Noodle Soup” (featuring Becky G)
• “More”
• “Arson” (방화)
• “On the Street” (with J. Cole)
• “Neuron” (with Gaeko and Yoon Mi-rae)

J-Hope Filmography:

J-Hope TV Series / Web Series: