# Mark (rapper)

Mark Lee (born August 2, 1999), known mononymously as Mark, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and dancer based in South Korea. He is a member of the South Korean boy band NCT and its fixed sub-units NCT 127 and NCT Dream, as well as the South Korean supergroup SuperM.

## Career
### 2012–2016: Pre-debut

In 2012, Mark joined SM Entertainment as a trainee after passing the SM Global Audition in Vancouver, Canada. On December 16, 2013, he was introduced as a member of SM Rookies, a pre-debut team of trainees under SM Entertainment. As a part of the SM Rookies program, in October 2014, he and several of his co-members appeared on the Mnet-produced Exo 90:2014, a show starring labelmates Exo – where they perform dances to K-pop songs from the 1990s.
In 2015, Mark and other SM Rookies members starred as Mouseketeers in a Korean revival of The Mickey Mouse Club, which aired on Disney Channel Korea. The show included musical performances, games, and skits, similar to the original American show. It aired from July 23 to December 17, 2015, hosted by Leeteuk of Super Junior.

### 2016–2018: NCT and solo endeavors

In April 2016, SM Entertainment confirmed that Mark and four other members of SM Rookies—Taeyong, Doyoung, Ten and Jaehyun—would debut as members of NCT's first sub-unit, NCT U. They released their first digital single on April 9, titled "The 7th Sense", in which he and Taeyong participated in songwriting. Three months later, SM Entertainment announced that Mark would become a member of NCT's second sub-unit, NCT 127, along with Taeyong, Taeil, Yuta, Jaehyun, Winwin and Haechan. NCT 127 made their official debut with the extended play NCT #127 and title track "Fire Truck" on July 10, 2016.
Mark joined NCT's third sub-unit, NCT Dream, which consisted of members Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung. The group officially debuted on August 24, 2016, with the single "Chewing Gum". The following month, Mark featured on Henry Lau's "Going Through Your Heart", an original soundtrack for the KBS drama, Sweet Stranger and Me. This marked his first solo endeavour since his debut in NCT.
In January 2017, Mark joined High School Rapper, a survival hip hop reality TV show that aired on Mnet. He advanced to the finals and performed an original song, "Drop" featuring labelmate Seulgi of Red Velvet, and placed seventh overall. In July 2017, Mark collaborated with Exo's Xiumin on single "Young & Free". It was released through Season 2 of SM Entertainment's digital music project SM Station. The same month, Mark appeared in the first season of the music variety show Snowball Project. He teamed up with Parc Jae-jung to release "Lemonade Love" on July 21, also through SM Station, which was produced by former labelmate Henry Lau and Yoon Jong-shin.
Beginning in February 2018, Mark served as one of the main hosts of the music program Show! Music Core, leaving in January 2019 to focus on his activities with NCT 127. In May 2018, he became a regular cast member on the MBC reality TV show It's Dangerous Beyond The Blankets. In October 2018, Mark released the song "Dream Me" with Red Velvet's Joy for the soundtrack of the KBS drama The Ghost Detective. Mark was the first member to officially graduate from NCT Dream on December 31, 2018.

### 2019–present: SuperM and rejoining NCT Dream

On August 7, 2019, Mark was confirmed as a member of SuperM – a supergroup created by SM Entertainment in collaboration with Capitol Records. The group began promoting in October of that year in the American music market. SuperM's self-titled debut EP was released on October 4, 2019, led by the single "Jopping". Mark continued to promote with SuperM throughout 2020, through the release the group's first studio album, Super One. On April 14, SM Entertainment announced through an official statement that Mark would be rejoining NCT Dream, thus abolishing their original age-based graduation system. His return was affirmed through his participation in the NCT Dream song "Déjà Vu" on the group-wide studio album NCT 2020 Resonance.
On January 28, 2022, it was announced that Mark would release his first single, "Child". Specifically, it was set to be released on February 4, as part of NCT Lab. "Child", described as an emotional hip-hop track, was commended for its lyrics.
On March 30, 2023, it was announced that Mark would release his new solo song and second single, "Golden Hour", on April 7, as part of NCT Lab."Golden Hour" described as a hip-hop genre song that combines impactful guitar and drum sounds and flashy rapping and also a self-produced song that based of his bad review from chef Gordon Ramsay for the fried eggs he made in the past.
On May 16, 2024, Mark announced the start of his solo album, set to be released in February 2025, with a digital single titled "200." The new song "200" is a drum & bass track based on rock sounds, featuring a captivating blend of early 2000s electric guitar sounds and lyrical melodies. The lyrics convey the meaning of love, describing how two people make each other shine brighter and how their relationship becomes more perfect when they are together.
On December 11, 2024, it was confirmed that Mark would release his new single, "Fraktsiya", featuring Lee Young-ji, along with a music video. The single "Fraktsiya" is a hip-hop track defined by its powerful 808 bass and highly repetitive synthesizer sounds over a house-style chord progression. 'Fraktsiya,' which means 'spy' in Russian, is referenced in the lyrics to describe Mark and Lee Young-ji's experiences navigating between K-pop and hip-hop. The comparison highlights their ability to move between the two genres like 'spies,' showcasing their confidence and skill in delivering impressive performances across both fields. Subsequently, the release of his solo album, originally scheduled for February 2025, was postponed to April 2025, with SM Entertainment stating that the delay was to 'ensure better quality'.
Mark's debut studio album, The Firstfruit, will be released on April 7, 2025.

## Other ventures
### Endorsements

In 2022, Polo Ralph Lauren selected Mark as the Korean ambassador of the brand.
In 2025, Mark was selected as ambassador of cosmetics brand Espoir.

### Philanthropy

In February 2023, Mark donated ₩150 million to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association to help victims of the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake and ₩10 million to the Community Chest of Korea along with Genie Music.

## Discography
### Singles
#### As lead artist

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album |
| Title | Year | KOR | KOR Songs | IDN Songs | MLY | SGP Reg. | THL Songs | US World | VIE | WW Excl. US | Sales | Album |
| "Drop" (두고가) (featuring Seulgi) | 2017 | 93 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | KOR: 46,443 | School Rapper FINAL |
| "Child" | 2022 | 23 | 48 | 9 | 17 | 16 | 25 | 8 | 50 | 132 | — | SM Station: NCT Lab |
| "Golden Hour" | 2023 | 112 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | SM Station: NCT Lab |
| "200" | 2024 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "Fraktsiya" (with Lee Young-ji) | 2024 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |||||||||||||

#### As featured artist

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | KOR | Album |
| "How We Do" (Xiumin featuring Mark) | 2022 | — | Brand New |
| "HO" (Yesung featuring Mark) | 2023 | — | Sensory Flows |
| "Time Machine" (Doyoung featuring Mark and Taeyeon) | 2024 | 119 | Youth |
| "Sunkissed" (Big Naughty featuring Mark of NCT) | 2024 | 124 | Non-album single |

#### Collaborations

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album |
| Title | Year | KOR | US World | Sales | Album |
| "Young & Free" (with Xiumin) | 2017 | 31 | — | KOR: 72,133 | SM Station Season 2 |
| "Lemonade Love" (with Parc Jae-jung) | 2017 | 197 | 17 | — | SM Station Season 2 |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. ||||||

### Soundtrack appearances

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | KOR | Album |
| "What to Do" (니 맘에 들어갈래) (Henry featuring Mark) | 2016 | — | Sweet Stranger and Me OST |
| "Dream Me" (나라는 꿈) (with Joy) | 2018 | — | The Ghost Detective OST |
| "Lit (prod. Czaer)" (with Taeyong) | 2022 | — | Street Man Fighter Original Vol. 4 (Crew Songs) |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. ||||

### Songwriting credits

All credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association, unless cited otherwise.
| Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album | Credits |
| 2016 | "The 7th Sense" | NCT U | NCT 2018 Empathy | Co-writer |
| 2016 | "Firetruck" | NCT 127 | NCT 127 | Co-writer |
| 2016 | "Mad City" | Taeyong, Jaehyun, Mark | NCT 127 | Co-writer |
| 2016 | "Chewing Gum" | NCT Dream | The First | Co-writer |
| 2016 | "My First and Last" | NCT Dream | The First | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Drop" | Mark, Seulgi | School Rapper FINAL | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Baby Don't Like It" | Taeil, Taeyong, Doyoung, Mark, Haechan | Limitless | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2017 | "Angel" | NCT 127 | Limitless | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Good Thing" | NCT 127 | Limitless | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Cherry Bomb" | NCT 127 | Cherry Bomb | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Running 2 U" | NCT 127 | Cherry Bomb | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "0 Mile" | NCT 127 | Cherry Bomb | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Whiplash" | Jaehyun, Mark, Taeyong, Doyoung, Taeil | Cherry Bomb | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Summer 127" | NCT 127 | Cherry Bomb | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Young & Free" | Xiumin, Mark | SM Station Season 2 | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Lemonade Love" | Parc Jae-jung, Mark | SM Station Season 2 | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "La La Love" | NCT Dream | We Young | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Walk You Home" | NCT Dream | We Young | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Trigger The Fever" | NCT Dream | We Young | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "My Page" | NCT Dream | We Young | Co-writer |
| 2017 | "Joy" | NCT Dream | SM Station Season 2 | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Boss" | NCT U | NCT 2018 Empathy | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Yestoday" | NCT U | NCT 2018 Empathy | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Black on Black" | NCT 2018 | NCT 2018 Empathy | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Go" | NCT Dream | NCT 2018 Empathy | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "We Go Up" (Korean & Chinese ver.) | NCT Dream | We Go Up | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Beautiful Time" | NCT Dream | We Go Up | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Drippin" | NCT Dream | We Go Up | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Dear Dream" | NCT Dream | We Go Up | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "City 127" | NCT 127 | Regular-Irregular | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Regular"(Korean & English ver.) | NCT 127 | Regular-Irregular | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "My Van" | Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark | Regular-Irregular | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Come Back" | NCT 127 | Regular-Irregular | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Welcome to My Playground" | NCT 127 | Regular-Irregular | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "What We Talkin' Bout" | NCT 127, Marteen | Up Next Session: NCT 127 | Co-writer |
| 2018 | "Candle Light" | NCT Dream | SM Station Season 3 | Co-writer |
| 2019 | "Regular" | WayV | The Vision | Co-writer |
| 2019 | "Come Back" | WayV | The Vision | Co-writer |
| 2019 | "Lips" | NCT 127 | Awaken | Co-writer |
| 2019 | "Jet Lag" | NCT 127 | We Are Superhuman | Co-writer |
| 2020 | "Pandora's Box" | NCT 127 | Neo Zone | Co-writer |
| 2020 | "Mad Dog" | Taeil, Doyoung, Taeyong, Mark | Neo Zone | Co-writer |
| 2020 | "Love Song" | NCT 127 | Neo Zone | Co-writer |
| 2020 | "QTAH" | Mark | Non-album release | Writer |
| 2020 | "100" | SuperM | Super One | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2020 | "Together At Home" | SuperM | Super One | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2020 | "The Himalayas" | Mark, Taeyong | Non-album release | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2020 | "Bad Smell" | Mark | Non-album release | Writer, co-producer |
| 2021 | "Rainbow" | NCT Dream | Hot Sauce | Co-writer |
| 2021 | "Sticker" | NCT 127 | Sticker | Co-writer |
| 2021 | "Love On The Floor" | NCT 127 | Sticker | Co-writer |
| 2021 | "New Axis" | Mark, Taeyong, Yangyang | Universe | Co-writer |
| 2021 | "Universe (Let's Play Ball)" | NCT U | Universe | Co-writer |
| 2021 | "Know Now" | NCT U | Universe | Co-writer |
| 2021 | "Beautiful" | NCT 2021 | Universe | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "Child" | Mark | SM Station: NCT Lab | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "Conextion (Age of Light)" | NCT U | SM Station: NCT Lab | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "Glitch Mode" | NCT Dream | Glitch Mode | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "It's Yours" | NCT Dream | Glitch Mode | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "Teddy Bear" | NCT Dream | Glitch Mode | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "Replay" | NCT Dream | Glitch Mode | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "Never Goodbye" | NCT Dream | Glitch Mode | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "Time Lapse" | NCT 127 | 2 Baddies | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "Designer" | NCT 127 | 2 Baddies | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "Lit (Prod. Czaer)" | Taeyong, Mark | Street Man Fighter Vol.4 (Crew Song) | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "How We Do" | Xiumin, Mark | Brand New | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "Take My Breath" | NCT Dream | Candy | Co-writer |
| 2022 | "The Cure" | Kangta, BoA, U-Know, Leeteuk, Taeyeon, Onew, Suho, Irene, Taeyong, Mark, Kun, Karina | 2022 Winter SM Town: SMCU Palace | Co-writer |
| 2023 | "HO" | Yesung | Sensory Flows | Co-writer |
| 2023 | "DJ" | NCT 127 | Ay-Yo | Writer, co-producer |
| 2023 | "Skyscraper" | NCT 127 | Ay-Yo | Writer, co-producer |
| 2023 | "Best Friend Ever" | NCT Dream | Best Friend Ever | Co-writer |
| 2023 | "Golden Hour" | Mark | SM Station: NCT Lab | Co-writer |
| 2023 | "Like We Just Met" | NCT Dream | ISTJ | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2023 | "Angel Eyes" | NCT 127 | Fact Check | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2023 | "Love Is A Beauty" | NCT 127 | Fact Check | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2023 | "Misty" | NCT 127 | Fact Check | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2023 | "Marine Turtle" (Korean ver.) | Kun, Xiaojun, Renjun, Chenle | SM Station: NCT Lab | Co-writer |
| 2023 | "White Lie" | NCT 127 | Be There For Me | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2024 | "Box" | NCT Dream | DreamScape | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2024 | "Unknown" | NCT Dream | DreamScape | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2024 | "Breathing" | NCT Dream | DreamScape | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2024 | "Time Machine" | Doyoung, Taeyeon, Mark | Youth | Co-writer |
| 2024 | "200" | Mark | Non-album release | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2024 | "Sunkissed" | Big Naughty, Mark | Non-album release | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2024 | "Rains in Heaven" | NCT Dream | Dreamscape | Co-writer |
| 2024 | "When I'm with You" | NCT Dream | Dreamscape | Co-writer, co-producer |
| 2024 | "I Hate Fruits" | NCT Dream | Dreamscape | Co-writer |
| 2024 | "Fraktsiya" | Mark, Lee Young Ji | Non-album release | Co-writer, co-producer |

## Filmography
### Television shows

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2017 | High School Rapper | Contestant | |
| 2017 | Snowball Project | Cast member | |
| 2018–2019 | Show! Music Core | Co-host | |
| 2018 | It's Dangerous Beyond The Blankets | Cast member | Ep. 8–10 (Season 2) |

### Music videos

| Title | Year |
| "Young & Free" (with Xiumin) | 2017 |
| "Lemonade Love" (with Parc Jae-jung) | 2017 |
| "Child" | 2022 |
| "Golden Hour" | 2023 |
| "200" | 2024 |

## Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, award category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination :
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
| Asian Pop Music Awards | 2022 | Top 20 Song of the Year (Overseas) | "Child" | Won | |
| MBC Entertainment Awards | 2018 | Rookie Award in Music / Talk Show – Male | Show! Music Core | Nominated | |