Min Yoon-gi

January 01, 2021

Min Yoon-gi (born March 9, 1993), better known by his stage names Suga (stylized as SUGA) and Agust D, is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Managed by Big Hit Entertainment, he debuted as a member of the South Korean pop idol group BTS in 2013. In 2016, he released his first solo mixtape, Agust D. In 2018, he re-released the mixtape for digital purchase and streaming. The reissue reached number three on Billboard's World Albums Chart. In 2020, he released his second solo mixtape, D-2. Commercially, the mixtape peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200, number seven on the UK Albums Chart, and number two on Australia's ARIA Album Chart. The Korea Music Copyright Association attributes over 100 songs to Suga as a songwriter and producer, including Suran's "Wine" which peaked at number two on the Gaon Music Chart and won best Soul/R&B track of the year at the 2017 Melon Music Awards.

Min Yoon-gi was born on March 9, 1993 in Daegu, South Korea The younger of two sons, he attended Taejeon Elementary School, Gwaneum Middle School, and Apgujeong High School. He became interested in rap after hearing "Reggae Muffin" by Stony Skunk, stating that it was different from anything he had ever heard before. After hearing Epik High, he decided to become a rapper.

By age 13, he began to write music lyrics and learned about MIDI. He worked a part-time job at a record studio by age 17. From then on, he began composing and arranging music, rapping, and performing. Before being signed, he was active under the name Gloss as an underground rapper As part of the hiphop crew D-Town in 2010, he produced "518-062", a song commemorating the Gwangju Uprising.

The stage name Suga (슈가) is derived from the first syllables of the term shooting guard (슈팅 가드), the position he played in basketball as a student He adopted the alias Agust D in 2016 for his mixtape, which is derived from the initials DT, short for his birthplace, Daegu Town, and "Suga" spelled backwards.

Suga is responsible for writing, composing, arranging, mixing, and mastering his material. Over 70 registered songs are credited to him by the Korea Music Copyright Association. He is a pianist, and produces hiphop and R&B music. His lyrics involve themes that are "full of dreams and hope," conceived with the intent of his music becoming "many people's strength. He cites Stony Skunk and Epik High as his inspirations to pursue hiphop music. Particularly, he credits the former's reggae-hiphop hybrid album Ragga Muffin (2005) and its title track for igniting his interest in the genre.

Jeff Benjamin of Fuse said that Suga's mixtape "showcases the star's ear for hot productions, hardcore rap style, and how he can make his vulnerabilities a strength." Other critics stated that Suga's "storytelling execution in the music he creates tears down the barrier of censoring and sugarcoating".

In January 2018, Suga was promoted to a full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association.

Reception

In a survey conducted by Gallup Korea, Suga was ranked the 13th most preferred idol of the year for 2017. In the 2018 and 2019 surveys, he ranked 7th and 9th, respectively

In 2018, he purchased a US$3 million luxury apartment located in South Korea and as of 2019, he lives in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea.

Health

In December 2013, Suga, who was diagnosed with appendicitis, underwent surgery at Severance Hospital in Sinchon on the 9th and was discharged on the 17th, but was hospitalized again on the 26th due to inflammation in the surgical site. Consequently, he couldn't attend the year-end awards ceremony for the first time since his debut.

In December 2016, Suga suffered an ear injury when he tripped over a door threshold. Following doctor's recommendation, he couldn't participate in choreography or performances for about a week so the wound could heal well.

In November 2020, Suga underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum (reverse Bankart tear) in his left shoulder, announcing that he would take a subsequent break in order to fully recover.

Philanthropy

In 2014, he made a promise to buy his fans meat should he find success as a musical artist. Four years later, on his 25th birthday, he donated beef to 39 orphanages as "ARMY", the name of BTS' fanbase. For his 26th birthday in 2019, he donated KR ₩100,000,000 or US$88,000, to the Korea Pediatric Cancer Foundation alongside 329 BT21 Shooky dolls. On February 27, 2020, Suga donated KR ₩100,000,000 to Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association for preventing COVID-19 and helping the difficulties from his hometown Daegu.