MC Sniper (MC 스나이퍼)

Basic info

MC Sniper is a rapper called 'the troubadour of hip-hop' for lyrics dealing with social issues. His signature songs include 〈BK Love〉 and 〈솔아 솔아 푸르른 솔아〉.

Debut: 2002-05 · Debut song 솔아 솔아 푸르른 솔아
Debut agency: Sniper Sound
Birthday: February 8, 1979
Years active: 2002–
Genre: Hip-hop
Real name: 김정유
Debut reference: Listed by debut year rather than idol generation.

걸어온 길

He was born in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, and fell for hip-hop in middle school. From around 1998 he performed on the underground scene around Hongdae in Seoul.

He released his first album 《So Sniper...》 in May 2002. It drew attention for tracks sampling minjung gayo (protest songs) and songs dealing with prostitution and labor issues, and 〈BK Love〉, which passed broadcast review, was greatly loved.

After his third album in 2004, he served his public service duty and founded the label Sniper Sound. He released his fourth album in 2007, his fifth album 《Museum》 in 2009 and his sixth album 《Full Time》 in 2012, and in May 2021 he released 《Chronicles》, re-recording his older songs.

In July 2013 Outsider's side filed a lawsuit over unpaid settlements, and Sniper Sound applied for an injunction to suspend his activities. In October 2022, when Tak of Baechigi alleged in a song that he had been assaulted, MC Sniper admitted to slapping him and said he would apologize, but denied the other claims.

Signature songs

솔아 솔아 푸르른 솔아 2002 YouTube Spotify
BK Love 2002 YouTube Spotify
봄이여 오라 2007 YouTube Spotify
마법의 성 2009 YouTube Spotify
할 수 있어 2012 YouTube Spotify

Links go to each service's search results. Lyrics are not included for copyright reasons.

Key releases

2002.05 So Sniper...1st studio album
2003.05 초행(初行)2nd studio album
2004.03 Be in Deep Grief3rd studio album
2007.03 How Bad Do U Want It?4th studio albumTitle track 〈봄이여 오라〉
2009.11 Museum5th studio albumTitle track 〈마법의 성〉
2012.04 Full Time6th studio album
2019.04 마이너스 1집 (부제: 40)Full-length album
2021.05 ChroniclesRemake album

Find Birthday Cafes

Fans rent a café to celebrate a birthday. These events are usually held for a few days around the birthday. Organizers post notices as posters on X (Twitter), so find them right below. Birthday February 8, 1979

Register this birthday cafe for free All birthday cafe map

Find more on social media

Birthday cafes (saengka) are unofficial events organized by fans. Always check the organizer's notice for dates, locations, and perks. Searching X or Instagram may require logging in.

Key records and stories

He is from Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, and began performing on Seoul's underground scene around 1998.
He stepped onto the mainstream stage in 2002 with his first album 《So Sniper...》.
He founded the label Sniper Sound and supported the records of artists such as Baechigi and Outsider.
He appeared as a contestant on season 1 of Mnet's 〈Show Me the Money〉 in 2012.
〈BK Love〉 was the only track on his first album that passed broadcast review.
In 2014 he released the mini album 《B-Kite 1》 on his new label B-Kite.
Davichi's Lee Hae-ri took part in the 2021 remake of 〈BK Love〉.