In big Korean Hip Hop music news, one of the most influential rappers in the game is making a return. Dok2 announced his comeback by releasing a new track, ‘Culture,’ on April 25. As soon as this happened, the comments section of his Instagram post announcing his return blew up with a lot of Korean rappers welcoming him back.

Dok2 was born in the United States in 1990 to a Korean mother and a father who is half Spanish and half Filipino. This diverse cultural background makes Dok2’s music colorful and uniquely his own. After dropping out of school after six years, Dok2 watched his parents' restaurant fail. At the age of 12, Dok2 started rapping and had dreams of making millions. As a teenager, he was invited by Korean Hip Hop’s godfather to join Movements, the largest crew in Korean Hip Hop at that time. The group includes many Korean current Hip Hop big names, such as Epik High, Dynamic Duo, and YDG.

In 2011, he formed Illionaire Records with rapper the Quiett, and signed rapper Beenzino one year later. As a truly self-made label, they held unprecedented mainstream clout by selling out shows and topping the charts. Soon, Illionaire Records was the most profitable Hip Hop label in South Korea. Their success encouraged more Korean rappers and R&B singers to thrive without major labels.

However, in 2019, due to health problems, Dok2 went to the United States to rest and basically disappeared from public view. Therefore, his sudden return was a big surprise for many people. His new song, ‘Culture,’ dips his toes in the past, but continues to showcase Dok2’s MC skills of the present, which are head and shoulders above most other Korean MCs out now.

Watch Dok2’s video for ‘Culture’ below.