Tablo's Unexpected Audition Offer from JYP... "Triggered by Underground Activities During Stanford Days"

Epik High leader Tablo revealed an unusual anecdote about receiving an idol audition offer from JYP Entertainment in the past. The story contains how he, who had no intention of making music his profession while attending Stanford University, became connected to the center of the Korean music industry.

Hip-hop group '4N Objectz' formed at Stanford

Tablo revealed that while attending Stanford University, he formed and performed in an underground hip-hop group with his roommate. The group's name at the time was '4N Objectz', which was characterized by using 'Z' instead of 'S' to reflect the popular style of that time. This group was a unique combination consisting of Tablo, a vocalist from an a cappella group, and b-boy friends who majored in computer engineering. The vocalist later became a prominent lawyer in Korea, and the friends who played the role of dancers were students studying in STEM fields.

Tablo recalled that at the time, he used a laptop and a computer microphone to record and mix songs himself, producing and distributing demo CDs. Although the quality was low, they continued their activities enough to perform at a club in San Francisco. The San Francisco club performance at that time was conducted for a performance fee of about 400 dollars, and at the time, Tablo did not consider music as a professional career path, but was dreaming of becoming a novelist, screenwriter, or working in film-related fields.

"A call came from JYP"... An unexpected audition offer

While continuing his musical activities as a hobby, an unexpected phone call came to Tablo. The caller was an official from JYP Entertainment. He conveyed a request to visit for an audition after listening to the demo CD that Tablo had produced and distributed. At the time, Tablo was somewhat aware of the Korean music industry, having worked as a famous lyricist during his high school years and releasing a song called 'Rainy Christmas', but he never expected to receive a direct contact from JYP.

Heading to the audition venue following his friends' suggestions and the expectations of those around him, Tablo could not hide his bewilderment at the atmosphere of the Cheongdam-dong area and the appearance of the audition office at the time. He recalled that the appearance of the office he visited was dark and shabby, like the hallway in the movie Resident Evil, and the scenery inside the office was very poor. Due to the historical background where indoor smoking was common at the time, the inside of the office was filled with smoke, and even furniture was not properly equipped. Tablo added that because of this environment, it was so poor that he even doubted whether the place he visited was a scam.

Historical background and the start of musical steps

Explaining the situation at the time, Tablo mentioned that the atmosphere of the Korean music industry from the late 90s to the early 2000s was quite different from now. He added that because the scenery and atmosphere inside the office were far from the systematic systems of today, the anxiety and doubt he felt on the way to the audition were great. This accidental opportunity eventually became part of the process that led him to the path of music.

Afterward, Tablo formed Epik High and jumped into full-scale musical activities, which became the starting point for him to establish a unique position in the Korean popular music scene.

Source: TABLO (YouTube)