Maps of Music

Map of the Human Soul (2003)

Where the lyrics of Map of the Human Soul take you, and where it was really made.

Epik High's debut was a commercial miss: neither the title track nor the album reached mainstream success, and cumulative sales came to only about 21,000 copies.

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Album story

Overview

• Map of the Human Soul is the debut Korean studio album by the Korean hip hop group Epik High.
• The Korean title is 인간 영혼의 지도, meaning 'the map of the human soul'.
• The group is a trio, and this is its first regular studio album.
• Released in October 2003.

Background

• Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz met at a space built by producer J-Win and formed the group through conversation and shared musical ideas.
• Before the album, the group was active in the underground and gained name recognition through features with TBNY, CB Mass and others.
• The planned first album was halted indefinitely after the so-called VIP incident, which involved CB Mass member Kuvin.
• Because of the delay, all members took other jobs to make ends meet while the debut was postponed.
• The debut album was finally released with help from Gaeko and Choiza of Dynamic Duo, J-Win and TBNY.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in 2002 in South Korea, a hip-hop trio of rapper and producer Tablo, rapper and lyricist Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz.
• Tablo and Mithra Jin began performing together in the underground hip-hop scene with the Movement crew; DJ Tukutz joined in March 2002.
• Signed with Woollim Entertainment and released their debut album Map of the Human Soul in 2003.

Members

• Tablo: rapper, record producer, songwriter.
• Mithra Jin: rapper and lyricist.
• DJ Tukutz: DJ and beatmaker.

Career

• Swan Songs (2005) became a mainstream hit; its title track "Fly" reached number one on domestic charts.
• Remapping the Human Soul (2007) was censored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism over its lyrics and themes, yet sold well in Korea and Japan.
• Moved to YG Entertainment in 2012 and became the first South Korean act to play at Coachella (2016).
• Left YG in 2018, founded their own agency Ours Co., and released Epik High Is Here in 2021–2022.
• Their 20th-anniversary concerts sold out in December 2023, and their first mixtape Pump came out in 2024.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• The title track and the album both did not succeed in mainstream or commercial terms.
• Despite the commercial result, the album was noticed for the lineup of guest artists, which included Dynamic Duo, TBNY, Juseok and Lyn, a striking feature list for a debut act.
• The album drew strong interest and recognition from the hip hop core fan base, according to the awards reported for 2003.
• The title track, "I Remember", was the lead single and was the focus of the album's public promotion.
• The album's commercial failure was a notable part of the group's early story, since the album was released after a long delay.

Records

• At the 2003 awards held by the Korean black music site Hiphopplaya, the group placed second for Artist of the Year.
• The album placed first for Album of the Year and first for Rookie of the Year at the same awards.
• The title track, "I Remember", placed fifth for Song of the Year.
• Cumulative sales of the first album reached about 21,000 copies.
• The album was reissued in 2006 together with the second album, after the success of the third album Swan Songs.

Sources: ko.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album was reissued in 2006, paired with the second album, after the third album Swan Songs became a success.
• The debut came out later than planned because of the VIP incident, which stopped the first album's release for an indefinite period.
• Members took other jobs during the delay, which slowed the group's preparation for its debut.
• The album's guest list, featuring Dynamic Duo, TBNY, Juseok and Lyn, drew attention for a debut act.

Sources: ko.wikipedia.org

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