On March 28th, 2014, Starship Entertainment announced on their Twitter account that Sistar’s Hyolyn would feature in Mad Clown’s comeback track, “Without You.” The music video for “Without You” was released on April 3rd, 2014. On December 12th, 2014, Mad Clown featured in “Anxious” by Melody Day. Mad Clown released his third extended play Piece of Mine in January 2015. Mad Clown is known for his sharp, high tone rapping. He was a judge and producer of the fifth season of Show Me the Money. In this article, Channel-Korea will provide you with a rundown of everything you want to know about Mad Clown, the handsome South Korean rapper. Starting from his profile, through his facts, his marriage and family, to the collaborations, and more. So, don’t skip this article!
Mad Clown’s Full Profile and Facts
Mad Clown (매드클라운) is a rapper under Starship Entertainment. He debuted in 2008 with the single “Luv Sickness.”
Mad Clown’s Full Profile
Stage Name: Mad Clown (매드클라운) Birth Name: Jo Dong-rim (조동림) Date of Birth: March 25th, 1985 Zodiac Sign: Aries Nationality: Korean-American Height: 173 cm (5’8″)
Facts About Mad Clown
He has a brother named Jo Hyun-chul, who is a Korean actor. He is a songwriter and a record producer. He was born in the United States of America. He has gone on tour with San E. He has worked with many artists, such as San E, Soyou (SISTAR), and Melody Day. He is known for his sharp, high-toned rapping. He was a judge and producer of the fifth season of Show Me the Money. He got married in May 2015. K.Will and Jung In sang at his wedding. He has a child.
Mad Clown’s Marriage and Family
Mad Clown got married in May 2015. Mad Clown married his lover who he had been dating for the past few years. His wife does not come from the South Korean entertainment industry like him, but is a “common person.” After 2 months of marriage, Mad Clown’s wife got pregnant with their first child. Mad Clown’s brother is film and television actor Jo Hyeon-cheol. Jo Hyeon-cheol appeared in the 2016 films The Tunnel and Master, and on the 2017 TV show Argon.
Mad Clown x San E
Some of the biggest names in the Korean hip-hop are heading stateside next month. Beginning on April 6th, San E & Mad Clown will be hitting up several U.S. cities in their first American tour. As two of the most prominent rappers in Korea today, expectations are high for their tour, which will follow the release of their new song “Butterfly” featuring Bumkey on Thursday, March 29th. “The song is pretty much about spring, because it’s springtime here,” San E tells Billboard over a video call from Seoul. “Lots of colors, yellow, pink… It’s a danceable song.” The pair’s last collaboration, 2015’s “Sour Grapes” was a similarly colorful track, with a playful music video showing the duo’s humorous nature. But not everything out of the two artists is brightly hued. Both artists have used their music to address issues they see in the world around them, touching on mental health issues, societal concerns, and politics, though it could potentially end their careers. When San E released his song “Bad Year” in November 2016, he stayed inside his home for five days. “Everybody was [messaging] me, ‘Don’t come out.’ I just wanted to be safe,” he recalls. “It was a joke, and then overall for safety issues,” explains Mad Clown. A homophone in Korean for “bitch,” the tongue-in-cheek “Bad Year” was released amid political upheaval in the country, which led to the ousting and eventual arrest of former president Park Geun-hye, who had a blacklist for artists. “It didn’t really threaten my career, because lots of people supported it, but it’s true that there are a lot of artists who try to avoid it because it could be really risky.” According to San E, Eminem’s recent take on President Trump is the opposite of reality in Korea, resulting in the pair laughing at the mere idea of being able to be so straightforward in political criticism: “I dunno what would happen. Next day, somebody’s going to knock on my door maybe.” For Mad Clown, making and listening to music is curative. “I have been through some hard times when I was young and I couldn’t get sleep without music,” says the artist. “I always played music when I was sleeping, and also when I went to school, after school… I have always been listening to music all the time in my ear, and it really helped me to stay strong and stay alive. And that’s why lyrics are one of the most important things for me when I’m making songs. So yea, as a listener when I hear some lyrics that are telling me my life story… It makes me feel good and alive, and less alone.” Both Mad Clown and San E speak English but predominantly rap in Korean. To San E, who grew up in the States, that used to mean that he’d never be able to consider breaking into the stateside market — but recent shifts in the American music market have given him hope. “‘Gangnam Style’ was in Korean, and BTS is in Korean, and ‘Despacito’ is in Spanish, right? People just like a good vibe. They like to feel it. Lyrics are important, too, but if it has the vibe… I think we still have a chance, as long as it’s good music.” Existing in the Korean hip-hop space as prominent artists for several years now — San E signed with JYP Entertainment, known for K-Pop acts like TWICE and GOT7, in 2010 after gaining success as an underground artist, and Mad Clown rose to fame in 2013 with the release of “Stupid In Love,” a collaboration with SISTAR’s SoYou — the pair have seen how things have changed ever since the genre became mainstream in the country, largely in part due to the rap competition series Show Me the Money. In its sixth season now, each of the two has appeared in different seasons of the show as judges and producers, and credit it for hip-hop’s mainstream popularity in the country. But it has also resulted in less of an underground scene in Korea, leading to fewer opportunities for unknown talent. “The local scene of Korean hip-hop has almost disappeared,” says Mad Clown. “There were many small shows in Seoul before Show Me the Money, but now there are no shows. People go to see hip-hop shows only if the line-up has artists who have appeared on Show Me the Money.” The commercialization of hip-hop has also benefited K-Pop, shirking off generation-old industry stereotypes according to the two. “Back in the day, if you were an idol rapper you were just ignored,” he comments. “You didn’t really rap well. But these days, they’re almost on the same [level], or better-skilled than the underground rappers.” “They write lyrics, they make music, they sing well, they rap well, they dance well,” adds San E. “We can do nothing. We can’t dance, we can’t sing. All we can do is rap. I don’t think people have those stereotypes no more these days. If you’re good, you’re good.” Along with “Butterfly,” 2018 is set to see not only touring but new music from each of the pair. “I don’t have to make a hit,” says San E. “I just want to write a lot of songs and write down what I’m feeling about different stuff. My different perspectives.” According to Mad Clown, being relative seniors in the field enables them to explore their artistry more earnestly, “There’s no pressure of doing well on charts. I wasn’t happy when I released my music [in the past]. I was always looking at my phone, checking my charts. These days I feel more comfortable by not doing that so I can concentrate more on my music. And be happier. I’m happier now.”
Appearing on Mnet’s Show Me The Money
Rapper Mad Clown has joined the Mnet program Show Me the Money 5 as a producer and mentor. A source from Mad Clown’s management, Starship Entertainment, told Star News on March 4th, “Mad Clown has been confirmed to appear on Mnet‘ Show Me the Money 5. You can see his activities as a producer on the show.” Mad Clown is no stranger to Show Me the Money. The rapper first appeared as a contestant in the second season of Show Me the Money, and it was through a long way he received at the event where he was able to find a ‘house’ at Starship Entertainment and begin his career. Meanwhile, rapper Dok2 and The Quiett have also been confirmed to return to the fifth season of Show Me the Money as producers. Auditions for contestants are ongoing.
Pink Masked Rapper is not Mad Clown?
A popular rapper auditioned for Mnet’s Show Me The Money 777. On the September 14th episode, a contestant with the name Mommy Son came on stage with a pink mask. Even before the evaluation stage, the judges and other contestants were able to immediately realize that Mommy Son is actually the famous rapper Mad Clown based on his voice.
