Bewhy

In this Korean name, the family name is Lee.
BewhY
이병윤
BewhY wearing a dark outfit, appearing to rap into a microphone onstage
BewhY performing in 2016
Background information
Birth nameLee Byung-yoon
Born (1993-06-15) June 15, 1993 (age 31)
Daejeon, South Korea
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • record producer
  • MC
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano
Years active2012–present
LabelsDejavu Group
Member of$exy $treet & Yello Music
SpouseLee Eun-hyun (m. 2020–present)
Korean name
Hangul
이병윤
Revised RomanizationI Byeongyun
McCune–ReischauerI Byŏngyun
Stage name
Hangul
비와이
Revised RomanizationBiwai
McCune–ReischauerPiwai

Lee Byung-yoon (Korean: 이병윤; born June 15, 1993),[1] better known by his stage name BewhY (비와이), is a South Korean rapper and member of the $exy $treet & Yello Music crew. He gained recognition after winning Show Me the Money 5 in 2016.[2][unreliable source?][3]

Early life and education

Lee Byung-yoon was born on June 15, 1993, in Daejeon, South Korea, and raised in Incheon. He has one older brother.[4][5] During his first year of high school, he developed an interest in becoming a rapper and making music.[5]

Influences

Lee credits South Korean hip hop group Dynamic Duo as an influence on his music,[6] as well as Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Chance the Rapper, and Daft Punk.[6]

He has also stated that his rap skills have been influenced by gospel music and funk.[7]

Personal life

Lee is known for being a devout Protestant Christian[8][9][unreliable source?] and has referenced his faith in many songs.[10]

In October 2020, Lee married his longtime partner, Lee Eun-hyun, whom he had been dating for eight years.[11] The two met at church when they were both 20 years old.[12][unreliable source?] On January 13, 2023, his wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter.[13]

Lee enlisted in the South Korean military on August 23, 2021, where he served as a Marine Corps police officer for the Korea Coast Guard.[11] He was discharged on April 22, 2023.[14]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
KOR
[15]
Time Travel
  • Released: March 10, 2015
  • Label: Sexy Street & Yello Music, Luminant Entertainment
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 — —
The Blind Star
  • Released: September 17, 2017
  • Label: Dejavu Group, LOEN Entertainment
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 13
The Movie Star
  • Released: July 25, 2019
  • Label: Dejavu Group, LOEN Entertainment
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 38
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

EPs

Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
KOR
[15]
The Blind Star 0.5
  • Released: September 3, 2017
  • Label: Dejavu Group, LOEN Entertainment
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 — —
NEO CHRISTIAN

[18] [19]

  • Released: June 15, 2020
  • Label: Dejavu Group
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 — —
032 Funk
  • Released: July 30, 2021
  • Label: Dejavu Group
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 N/A N/A
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Mixtapes

Title Album details
Be the Livest
  • Released: September 18, 2012
  • Formats: digital download

Singles

Title Year Peak chart
positions 		Sales (DL) Album
KOR
[20]
As lead artist
"Waltz" 2014 — — Non-album singles
"Swimming Bananas"
feat. Keebo 		—
"The Time Goes On" 2015 17 Time Travel
"In Trinity" — — Non-album singles
"Shalom" 2016 —
"Forever" 2 Show Me the Money 5
"Day Day"
feat. Jay Park 		2
"Fake" (자화상 part 2) 39
"Dejavu" 2017 32 The Blind Star
"Hewgeso" (휴게소) 73
"Scar" (흔적) — The Blind Star 0.5
"Red Carpet" 44
"My Star" 64 The Blind Star
"Gottasadae" (가라사대) 2019 63 — The Movie Star
Collaborations
"Freezing" (얼어)
with Bill Stax, C Jamm, Konsoul & Scary'P 		2015 — — Non-album single
"I'm Not the Person You Used to Know" (니가 알던 내가 아냐)
with Simon Dominic, One, G2 		2016 2 Show Me the Money 5
"XamBaqJa" (쌈박자)
with Simon Dominic 		29
"Puzzle"
with C Jamm 		3 Non-album single
"International Wave"
with Talib Kweli 		64
"Someday"
with Asura 		100
"Uno" (우노)
with Big K.R.I.T. 		2017 97
"Like Me"
with A$AP TyY & C Jamm 		— —
"Karma"
with Babylon, Verbal Jint, the Quiett, TakeOne, Nucksal 		2018 — — Caelo
"Side by Side" 2020 — — Sweet Home
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Filmography

Television series

Year Title Network Role Notes Ref.
2018 Suits KBS2 Himself Cameo ep. 3-4 [32]
2021 The Penthouse: War in Life 3 SBS Lee Byung-hoon Cameo ep. 14 [33]

Variety shows

Year Network Program Notes
2015 Mnet Show Me the Money 4 Contestant
2016 Show Me the Money 5 Contestant, Winner of Season 5
2018 The Call Cast
2019 Show Me the Money 8 Judge
2020 Show Me the Money 9 Judge

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2016 Melon Music Awards Top Ten Artists — Won [34][unreliable source?]
Mnet Asian Music Awards Best Rap Performance "Puzzle" (with C Jamm) Won [35]
2017 Gaon Chart Music Awards Discovery of the Year (Hip Hop) — Won [36]
Korean Music Awards Rookie of the Year — Nominated [37]
Best Hip Hop Song "Forever" Won [38]
Korean Hip-hop Awards Artist of the Year — Nominated [39]
Hip Hop Track of the Year "Forever" Won [40]
Collaboration of the Year "₩ 1,000,000" (with G-Dragon, Okasian and CL) Nominated [39]
2020 Korean Hip-hop Awards Hip Hop Track of the Year "Gottasadae" Nominated [41]
Music Video of the Year Nominated
Korean Music Awards Best Rap & Hip Hop Song Nominated [42]

References

  1. ^ 비와이 프로필 (in Korean). Naver.
  2. ^ "Watch: "Show Me the Money 5" Final Winner and Performances Revealed". Soompi. July 16, 2016.
  3. ^ Ji Young, Kim (September 27, 2017). 한국 힙합이 신세 많이 졌지! BewhY [I owe you a lot of Korean hip-hop! BewhY]. W DONG-A (in Korean). Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  4. ^ Amarca, Nico (October 25, 2017). "Meet BewhY, the Gucci-Obsessed Korean Rapper Taking Over America". Hypebeast. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Kim, Alice (June 7, 2022). "Korean rapper BewhY prays God will accept his heart on the day of glory". God Reports. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Libert, Jean (February 21, 2020). "Exclusive Interview: BeWhy the Rap Star". The Kraze Magazine. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  7. ^ Leary, Edward (April 26, 2024). "Exclusive Interview: BewhY Talks Artist Life After Miltary + Are K-Pop Idols Real Rappers?". MyMusicTaste. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  8. ^ "Korean Rapper 'BewhY': 'All of This Is Not Mine but His Story'". Christianity Daily. May 22, 2023.
  9. ^ "BewhY Opens Up About His Religious Faith and Unapologetic Confidence in His Rapping Skill". Soompi. August 19, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Roots, Brandon (March 28, 2022). "The Birth of Korean CHH Part II: BeWhy – Neo-Christian?". Rapzilla. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Kim Min-ji (July 13, 2021). [단독] 황광희, '펫 비타민' 시즌2 MC 발탁...박수홍·티파니영과 호흡 [BewhY enlists on August 23rd... Compulsory military service as maritime police [official position]]. News1 (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  12. ^ Kim, Uin (October 22, 2020). "BewhY Announces Marriage to Girlfriend of 8 Years". Soompi. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  13. ^ Oh Yun-ju (January 13, 2023). 래퍼 비와이, 군 복무 중 득녀..."나 이제 애비와이" [Rapper BewhY, gave birth to a daughter while serving in the military... "I'm now Abby Why"] (in Korean). Mydaily. Retrieved January 13, 2023 – via Naver.
  14. ^ Kim, Chae-yeon (March 17, 2023). 제이홉·송민호 가고, 태민·영케이 오고..계속되는 연예계 군복무 바통터치 [Oh!쎈 이슈] [J-Hope and Song Min-ho go, Taemin and Young-K come... Continued military service in the entertainment world [Oh!]] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Retrieved March 18, 2023 – via Naver.
  15. ^ a b "Gaon Album Chart". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on August 27, 2015.
  16. ^ 2017년 09월 Album Chart.
  17. ^ 2019년 08월 Album Chart.
  18. ^ "EP on Bugs". June 15, 2020.
  19. ^ "EP on YT Music".
  20. ^ "Gaon Digital Chart". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. "Gottasadae – Week 37 of 2019". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  21. ^ a b 2016년 Download Chart.
  22. ^ a b c 2016년 Download Chart.
  23. ^ a b 2016년 07월 Download Chart.
  24. ^ 2017년 05월 Download Chart.
  25. ^ 2017년 24주차 Download Chart.
  26. ^ 2017년 25주차 Download Chart.
  27. ^ 2017년 36주차 Download Chart.
  28. ^ 2017년 38주차 Download Chart.
  29. ^ Cumulative sales of "International Wave":
  30. ^ 2016년 40주차 Download Chart.
  31. ^ 2017년 11주차 Download Chart.
  32. ^ "BewhY tries acting for the first time in 'Suits'". Kpop Herald. May 4, 2018.
  33. ^ Park Hyo-joo (September 11, 2021). 펜하 3'에 깜짝 등장한 비와이..."곧 군대 갑니다" 시청자 폭소 [Bewhy, who made a surprise appearance in 'Penha 3'... "I'm going to the military soon" viewers laugh]. Money Today [ko] (in Korean). Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  34. ^ "The Winners of the 2016 Melon Music Awards". Soompi. November 19, 2016.
  35. ^ "'2016 MAMA' 씨잼X비와이, 'PUZZLE'로 베스트 랩 "앞으로도 꼴리는 대로"". The Kookje Daily News (in Korean). December 2, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  36. ^ "Winners at the 6th Gaon Chart Music Awards". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  37. ^ "KMA2017: Nominees for 14th Korean Music Awards". February 7, 2017.
  38. ^ "KMA2017: 14th Korean Music Awards Winners". February 28, 2017.
  39. ^ a b "Nominees List". Korean Hip Hop Awards (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  40. ^ 한국 힙합 어워즈 2017 수상자 목록. Hypebeast Korea (in Korean). February 28, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  41. ^ "Korean Hiphop Awards 2020". www.koreanhiphopawards.com. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  42. ^ Mathew, Ilin (January 23, 2020). "How and when to watch Korean Music Awards 2020". International Business Times, Singapore Edition. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
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