Zico (rapper)

Zico 지코
Zico performing with Block B at the 2011 Cyworld Dream Music Festival
Background information
Native name	우지호
Birth name	Woo Ji-ho
Born	(1992-09-14) September 14, 1992 (age 24) Seoul, South Korea
Genres	Hip hop, K-pop
Occupation(s)	Rapper, record producer, MC
Instruments	Piano, keyboards, drum machine
Years active	2011–present
Labels	Seven Seasons
Associated acts	Block B, Bastarz, Park Kyung, P.O, Verbal Jint, D-Unit, Buckwilds (), Song Min-ho

Woo Ji-ho (Korean: 우지호; born September 14, 1992), widely known by his stage name, Zico (Korean: ), is a South Korean rapper, producer, singer-songwriter and leader of the boy group Block B, signed under the label Seven Seasons. He has released one solo album, Gallery (2015).

Zico is notable for his successful crossover skills in the Korean hip hop scene, maintaining an underground reputation along with mainstream appeal as a Korean idol. He is also a producer of both K-pop and Korean hip hop music. In 2015 he appeared as a producer with Paloalto of Hi-Lite Records in rap competition television show Show Me the Money 4.

Zico was born in Mapo, Seoul on September 14, 1992. He was a Vocal Performance major at Seoul Music High School. In the lyrics of his song "Release," he mentions that he spent a year studying abroad in both Canada and China, as well as three years in Japan.

He began his musical career as an underground rapper, going by the name "Nacseo" (Hangul: 낙서), meaning 'doodle' or 'scribble' in Korean. He was part of a hip hop crew with Rap Monster, and also promoted as Nacseo in the Japanese underground hip hop scene alongside the crews "Dope Squad" and "Undisputed." He auditioned for S.M. Entertainment as a teenager.

In 2009, he officially debuted in a duo with Park Kyung named 'Harmonics' in Korea with the digital single "The Letter." He joined Stardom Entertainment in 2009. He featured in IU's song "Marshmallow" as well as Cho PD’s “Expectations for K-Hip Hop” and Jung Seul-gi’s “Outsiders.”