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Samuel Seo (; born May 3, 1991) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, rapping, and record producer. Born in Seoul, he spent his youth living in his home country, as well as Japan, the United States, and Canada. An aspiring pianist, Seo's exposure to hip hop music in his teens led him to pursue the genre. He released a series of singles before enlisting and serving two years in military service.
Seo released his first studio album Frameworks (2015), which earned him the award for Best R&B & Soul Album at the Korean Music Awards in 2016. He released his second album Ego Expand (100%) in May of that year, which earned him nominations for Best R&B & Soul Album, as well as Best R&B & Soul Song for its lead single "B L U E". As a solo artist, Seo released one of his most recent albums, "My Body and My Heart", which garnered awards for Best R&B and Soul Album. This was followed by a new release of his third album, the fourth volume of his book Eros, which garnered an award for Best Book.
Upon returning to South Korea to attend high school, Seo began to focus on becoming a pianist. While exploring his university options, he entered a club and heard "Outta Control" by American rapper 50 Cent, his first experience with hip hop music. Impressed by the genre, the exposure led him to pursue it. He came across Bigdeal's "Deal with Us", his first time listening to Korean hip hop. During this time period, the Bigdeal Squads collective was holding auditions; after successfully auditioning, Seo was signed to the record label in 2008 and became part of the collective. Unsatisfied with his given birth name, Seo chose his stage name after the biblical Samuel: "His words became truths and people took them as sacred. I liked that position. I mean, not sacred, but I hope people hear my words seriously." In spite of his name, he identifies as irreligion. Encompassing ambient music, electronic music, and new-age music, Seo released his first single "Raindrop" in 2010. The following year, he released his first mixtape Now or Never before being subject to conscription in South Korea and enlisting in military service.
Seo released the digital single "Kafka" on February 17, 2016. Influenced by Franz Kafka's novel The Metamorphosis, the song is a collaboration with rapper Verbal Jint. He released his second studio album Ego Expand (100%), along with its lead single "B L U E" on May 27. After holding a showcase for the album, he embarked on his first series of concert tours in Asia. On October 28, he released the post-album single "Float" featuring C Jamm. Seo was nominated for Best R&B & Soul Album and Song, respectively, for the 14th Korean Music Awards for Ego Expand (100%) and "B L U E".
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