Korean record label AOMG is set to make its return to the U.S. with five of its artists: Coogie, DeVita, DJ Wegun, sogumm and Woo. The crew will be embarking on a U.S. tour following a performance at this year’s SXSW. Kicking off in Austin, TX at the famed festival, the five artists will make their way east to New York City, before heading back west to finish off their tour in San Francisco.
Although this won’t be the company’s first stateside tour as an ensemble, this marks the first AOMG tour since founder Jay Park stepped down from the CEO position. With a group of relatively newer names and faces, K-hip hop fans can expect to see performances unlike previous years headlined by rappers such as Simon Dominic, Loco, Gray, and Jay Park himself.
Coogie is a rapper and songwriter, and previous contestant on Show Me the Money in 2018. After his appearance on the competition show, the rapper released his debut self-titled EP and signed to ATM Seoul, where he released his first studio album “Up!” in 2020. That same year, Coogie also won Collaboration of the Year at the Korean Hip-Hop Awards with his song “Fadeaway.” At the beginning of 2022, it was announced that Coogie had signed to AOMG, and he released “Good Night” as his first song under his new label.
DeVita is a singer-songwriter and one of the youngest members of the AOMG family. Growing up in Chicago, the R&B singer captures her audience with lyrics in both Korean and English. DeVita signed to AOMG in April 2020, and released her first EP, “EVITA!” shortly afterwards. Just the day after Valentine’s Day, she released her latest album, “American Gothic,” which features six unique songs, including “Bonnie & Clyde.”
Out of the artists coming on tour, DJ Wegun has been active in the music industry the longest. Debuting independently in 2006, the producer has worked with countless artists in the K-hip hop genre, such as Paloalto, Deepflow, and, of course, his fellow AOMG labelmates. Having debuted over a decade ago, Wegun is also part of the BACKnFORTH crew, which consists of some of South Korea’s most distinguished DJs. His latest collaboration was with AOMG artists sogumm and Hoody on the song, “Imagine.”
Hip hop competition show Signhere was a big topic during its airing in 2019, featuring unsigned artists auditioning for their shot at joining AOMG. Only one was able to defeat the rest and earn their place in the company, and that spot went to AOMG’s second female artist, sogumm. Starting off on SoundCloud, sogumm’s growing popularity landed her in Balming Tiger, an alternative musical collective started in 2018. Her latest release, “Prescription,” came out at the end of 2021.
Like Coogie, Woo (formerly known by his full name, Woo Won Jae) was a contestant on Show Me the Money, where he finished in third place in Season 7. Following his appearance on the show, Woo signed with AOMG that same year. The young rapper is known for his uncensored and intimate storytelling through his music and lyrics, telling his personal tales of hardships, and even touching on sensitive topics like his own mental health. His first studio album, “Black Out,” was released in August 2020, and his most recent release “Uniform,” featuring rapper pH-1, was released in January of this year.
Ephney Tsai 
