Uptown (Korean: 업타운) was a pioneering South Korean hip hop group that formed in 1997. The group's four original members were Chris Jung, Carlos Galvan, Steve Kim and Tasha Reid.[1][2]

Uptown
업타운
OriginSouth Korea
GenresKorean hip hop
Years active1997–2000, 2006–2010
MembersChris Jung (1996-present)
Carlos Galvan (1997-2006)
Steve Kim (1997-2006)
Tasha Reid (1997-2000)
Jessica H.O (2006)
Maniac (2009-2010)
Snacky Chan (2009-2010)
Swings (2009)

The group underwent several line-up changes during the 90s and disbanded in 2000 following drug charges against Jung, Galvan, and Kim.[3] When Reid left Uptown to pursue a solo career, the group made a comeback without her in 2006 with the album Testimony.[1][4] Teenage rapper Jessica H. O. joined the group for the album.[5] Jung was the only remaining original member on the group's 2009 album, New Era, which featured new members Maniac, Snacky Chan, and Swings.[6] Uptown has been inactive since its 2010 album Surprise! [7]

Original members

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  • Chris Jung
  • Carlos Ricardo Galvan
  • Steve Kim
  • Tasha Reid

Other members

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Discography

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  • 1997: Represent
  • 1997: Represented...Now Believe
  • 1998: Mutual Best
  • 1998: Chapter 3 in History
  • 1998: Absolute Power
  • 1998: Verbal Medication
  • 2000: History
  • 2006: Testimony
  • 2009: New Era
  • 2010: Surprise!

Uptown 3000

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Uptown members Carlos Galvan and Steve Kim formed a duo called Uptown 3000 in 2002. The duo was signed to a label in Atlanta, Georgia and was meant to break into the U.S. hip hop market. However, they released only one album, 2003's Same Book Different Chapter, before disbanding.[2]

Awards

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Year Award-Giving Body Category Work Result
2006 Mnet Asian Music Awards Best Hip-Hop Performance "Go To Hong Kong"[8] Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b "Uptown (업타운)". KBS World Radio. Archived from the original on 2013-07-31. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  2. ^ a b "Interview with Carlos Galvan". HalfKorean. 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  3. ^ "Hip-Hop Group Arrested on Drug Charges". The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). 2000-04-30. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  4. ^ "T(Yoon Mi-rae) (티(윤미래))". KBS World Radio. Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  5. ^ "The 10 Year Journey from Jessica H.O to Lucky J's Jessi". Koreaboo. 2015-02-07. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  6. ^ "Uptown is Back with new faces". All Kpop. 2009-03-12. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  7. ^ "업타운, 7번째 정규 앨범 [Surprise!] 발표" [Uptown's 7th Album, Surprise!]. HipHop Playa (in Korean). 2010-08-25. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  8. ^ "2006 MKMF Part 1 : I Love Punk - Haerang + Lee SungWoo/ Break Through-SS501/ The Queen Is Back! - Cocoboys and Dodogirls + Um JungHwa". MAMA. Retrieved 2014-10-26.