Birth name | Jung Ji-Hoon |
Also known as | Bi (비), Bi Rain |
Born | June 25, 1982 (age 28) |
Origin | |
Genres | |
Occupations | |
Years active | 2002–present |
Birth name | |
정지훈 | |
Jeong Ji-hun | |
Chŏng Chihun | |
Rain, Jeong Ji-Hoon (born on 25 June 1982 in Seoul) is a male Korean R&B and pop singer. He has become well-known throughout East Asia as a leading star of the Korean wave: Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, and Thailand . He has been called the "Asian Usher" or the "Asian Justin Timberlake." In April 2006, Time magazine called him the world's second most influential entertainer.
The story of his name is rather complicated: he's known by a variety of names in different countries. Although his stage name is an English word, in Korea, he is known as Bi (pronounced like the English word be), which is the Korean word for "rain". In Japan, his name is pronounced Pi ("ピ," pronounced like pea in English). In countries outside of Korea and Japan, the English name Rain prevails.Rain discovered his passion for dancing ever since he was in the 6th grade. As a teenager, he was part of the boyband group called "fanclub" and years after the group ended, Park Jin Young (Korean producer/singer who worked with American singers Will Smith, Mase, Lil’ Kim, 3LW, Tyrese) took Rain under his wings after he auditioned for JYP Entertainment and trained him for years in dancing and singing. Rain was a back-dancer for a famous Korean singer named Park Ji Yoon and Park Jin Young himself. During those training years, Rain was not at home much and would lie to his parents telling them he was going to study in the library while in fact he went to the dance studio. He struggled financially and at times had to go without meals. Nevertheless, he continued to focus on his dance and singing even though he was anxiously waiting for his debut.
Rain also won the "Best Korean singer" award 2005 at the Mandarin Music Honors in Taiwan. Having been voted as the best Asian singer by the Taiwanese media, Rain is positioning himself as one of the most admired Asian stars this year. Wherever he goes, he generates huge public interest and becomes a hot topic of conversation. His every move is monitored by the media and draws keen attention from music fans.
In addition to Times magazine voting Rain the second most influential artist of 2006, the magazine has also noted that Rain may do a future collaboration with P.Diddy. This was after reviewing Rain's awesome performances in Madison Square Garden in February 2006. His two concerts, Rainy Day in New York, were sold out in a couple of days.
Bi's Asian Tour will include producers and stage designers (for example, Jamie King and Mark Fisher) who have done tour concerts with famous artists, such as Michael Jackson, Ricky Martin, Madonna, U2, Britney Spears, and the Rolling Stones.
Rain had apparently met Omarion through his producer, Jin-Young Park, who had written a song for Omarion's recent album. Also, after Bi's concert in February in New York - where Omarion had danced to Bi's song "Bad Guy" - Omarion and Bi became friends, says JYP Entertainment. They also noted that the two may star in a movie together one day.
JYP also announced in an interview with Yonhap News on June 4rth, that the two will record their song when Bi arrives to the U.S. the next time, and it will be released as a digital single in Korea and the U.S.
Also, Pepsi Cola has shot a TV commercial with Bi and Christina Aguilera, a well-known, American pop singer and star. There is also talk that the two will sing a duet song together.
