Choi Hyun-suk
Choi Hyun-suk (Korean: 최현석; born April 21, 1999) is a South Korean rapper and one of two leaders of Treasure alongside Jihoon under YG Entertainment. The band debuted on August 7, 2020 with the single album entitled "". He is also known for his television appearance as a contestant on "Mix Nine" (2017). Life and career. 1999–2016: Early life. Choi Hyun-suk was born on April 21, 1999 in South Korea. He is the eldest in his family and has a younger sister. In his childhood, his mother often travelled for business trips while he remained home . While he studied at , 8-year-old Choi (Korean age) grew an interest for rap and hip hop after he watched Big Bang's documentary, "The Beginning" (2006). This resulted him to solely fixate his eyes on the hip hop label, YG Entertainment. He formally encountered hip hop and began to dance at ages 11–12 and 13–14 (Korean ages) respectively, and soon realized his urge to become an artist. Alternatively he wished to become a soccor player which stemmed from his interest in the sport and his stance as an avid fan of Real Madrid CF. In his adolescence, he  enrolled himself at an academy called "V-Spec" for lessons and through it, he attended a private audition held by YG Entertainment and was recruited in its trainee program in 2015. Choi dropped out of Chungdam High School the day after his recruitment at his own will and completed his secondary education through a High School Proficiency Assessment. 2017–present: Career beginnings and debut with Treasure. Choi first appeared on television through "Mix Nine" (2017–2018) with his band-mate, Kim Jun-kyu, and Lee Byoung-gon of CIX. He participated as a contestant representing YG Entertainment in the midst of  his trainee period and finished in fifth place. The winning contestants' agencies, however, were unable to reach an agreement in regards to the tenure of the project band, and so, lead to its debut's abolishment. That same year, Choi was given a cameo role and was incorporated in the third episode of "YG Future Strategy Office" (2018) as himself while filmed alongside other trainees from the agency. 20-year-old Choi (Korean age) competed in "YG Treasure Box" (2018–2019) — composed of twenty nine trainees — as one seventh of "Team A". The broadcast documented the formation of YG Entertainment's  next boy band, Treasure. He became the seventh and last member to join the septet, however, with the announcement of a second line-up and soon a permanent merge, the initial septet became the eventual 12-piece band. Choi was notified of his addition to the band by his parents subsequently after its revelation by the news reporters. In the midst of its preparation for debut, Choi featured on the B-side single, "1, 2" (한두번; "handubeon") by label-mate Lee Hi from her extended play titled "24°C" and participated as its lyricist. He also served as an  unofficial leader with Jihoon in their respective teams when they were divided into two for training due to the number of members. His training period came to an end after five years, followed his debut in Treasure on August 7, 2020, with the single album entitled "". The band adopted the two-tier leadership with Choi and Jihoon in the frontlines after seeing positive aspects from the once temporary system. Artistry. Influences. Choi cited G-Dragon and Taeyang of Big Bang alongside American artists Kendrick Lamar, Asap Mob and XXXTentacion as influences towards rap and hip hop. Other ventures. Endorsements. In  January 2018, Choi modeled for Japanese sports clothing and accessories brand, Descente, for their new semester menswear range. Discography. Production credits. All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database, unless otherwise noted.