Urban Zakapa
South Korean R&B trio known for self-produced hits.
Urban Zakapa (어반자카파) is a South Korean R&B singer-songwriter group that debuted in 2009 under Fluxus Music. The name is a blend of the words Urban, Zappy, Kaleidoscopic, and Passionate. What started as a nine-member ensemble later shrank to a trio in 2012, with the lineup settling on Park Yong-in, Jo Hyunah, and Kwon Soon-il.
The group’s roots go back to 2004, when Park Yong-in met Jo Hyunah at a practical music academy and asked her to form a singing duo. Her parents initially opposed the idea, but after she won the MBC competition "별밤뽐내기" and showed strong dedication to music, they came around. Kwon Soon-il, who had long dreamed of being a musician, was brought in by his schoolmate Park Yong-in to complete the trio. Before joining Urban Zakapa, Kwon had placed first in the singer category at SM Entertainment’s first SM Youth Best contest and trained alongside future members of Super Junior and TVXQ. Park had been part of the R&B/Soul group Bluewind Soul, which included Han Won-jong and SG Wannabe’s Lee Suk-hoon. Jo, the only woman in the group, had sung for the hip-hop crew Overclass.
The group debuted in 2009 as a nine-piece—four vocalists and five instrumentalists—with the song "Café Latte (커피를 마시고)". Artistic differences later reduced the lineup to just the three vocalists, who now write, compose, and produce all their own material. Their first two EPs, *Coffee* and *Sweety You*, came out in 2009, followed by their debut studio album *01* in 2011. That same year, the single "Just A Feeling" entered the Gaon Digital Chart at number 59, and "Snowing" debuted at number 32 on December 6.
In 2012, the trio released *Beautiful Day* on April 3—their first album as a three-member group—and it charted at number 41. Their second studio album, *02*, dropped on October 30. The lead single "I Hate You (니가 싫어)" had been released on September 5 and debuted at number 9 on the Gaon Digital Chart; it was later included on the album. Two other pre-released tracks, "River" and "All the Same (똑같은 사랑 똑같은 이별)", also charted. *02* topped the Gaon Album Chart in its first week and was nominated for Best R&B and Soul Album at the 10th Korean Music Awards in January 2013. "I Hate You" earned two nominations at the 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards: Song of the Year and Best Vocal Performance by a Group.
Quick Facts
- Landscape
- yes
- Origin
- Seoul, South Korea
- Genre
- R&B · ballad · K-pop
- Years Active
- 2009–present
- Label
- Fluxus Music · Abyss Company
- Current Members
- Park Yong-in / Jo Hyun-ah / Kwon Sun-il
- Past Members
- Choi Jae-man / Yoon Ji-min / Choi Yoon-jeong / Lee Ji-ho / Baek Ha Hyeong Ki / Han Tae-young
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In 2004, Park Yong-in met Jo Hyun-a at a practical music academy and asked her to form a singing duo. Jo Hyun-a's parents initially opposed, but after she won 'MBC 별밤뽐내기', they supported her. Kwon Sun-il, a former SM Entertainment trainee who won first place at SM's first Youth Best contest, joined at the suggestion of his alumnus Yong-in, forming the trio. Park had been part of the Korean R&B/Soul group Bluewind Soul, and Jo was the vocalist of the hip-hop crew Overclass.
The group debuted in 2009 as a nine-piece with four vocalists and five instrumentalists with the song 'Café Latte (커피를 마시고)'. Due to artistic differences, they reduced to three vocalists. After releasing two EPs in 2009, their first studio album 01 came out in 2011. Their third EP Beautiful Day (2012) was their first as a trio. Their second studio album 02 topped the Gaon Album Chart and was nominated for Best R&B and Soul album at the 10th Korean Music Awards. The single 'I Hate You (니가 싫어)' earned two Mnet Asian Music Award nominations.
In 2016, Urban Zakapa signed with Makeus Entertainment and released the mini album Still with the title track 'I Don't Love You (널 사랑하지 않아)', which achieved a perfect all-kill on all eight Korean music charts. They held guerrilla concerts in Myeongdong, Han River Yeouido, and Dong-A University in Busan, with the Han River event drawing an estimated 4,000 attendees. In 2017, they were recruited by Seo Taiji for his Time:Traveler project and released a cover of his song 'Moai'.
Reader's Guide
Urban Zakapa's significance lies in their evolution from a nine-member group to a self-producing trio that achieved commercial and critical success in South Korean R&B. Their ability to write, compose, and produce their own music set them apart in an industry often dominated by external producers. The perfect all-kill of 'I Don't Love You' in 2016 demonstrated their broad public appeal. Their album 02 topped the Gaon Album Chart and received a Korean Music Award nomination, while 'I Hate You' earned Mnet Asian Music Award nominations. Their collaborations, such as with rapper Beenzino and SISTAR's Soyou, and participation in Seo Taiji's anniversary project, show their versatility and industry connections. The group's legacy includes a dedicated fanbase, chart-topping singles, and a reputation for emotional, self-crafted R&B ballads.
Did You Know?
- The group's name is an abbreviation for Urban, Zappy, Kaleidoscopic, and Passionate.
- Kwon Sun-il was a former SM Entertainment trainee with Super Junior and TVXQ.
More in South Korean co-ed groups 1-24
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