Solid (Korean: 솔리드) is a South Korean R&B/Hip-Hop trio. They were formed in Orange County, California, in 1992, and made their debut in Seoul, South Korea, in 1993. The group consists of Johan Kim (김조한: George Kim), Jaeyoon Chong (정재윤: Jae Chong), and Joon Lee (이준: John Lee).
The trio is dubbed as the "Kings of R&B" in South Korea for their contribution to establishing and popularizing the genre in Korea. They are considered to be one of the biggest influences in developing the current sound of K-pop – incorporating American styles and sounds, like R&B, rap, hip-hop, a cappella, beatboxing, and turntablism, into Korean music – with commercial hits in the mid-1990s. With Johan Kim's soulful vocal – often referred to as "R&B daddy," Jaeyoon Chong's song craftsmanship and producing ability, and Joon Lee's unique voice, rapping style and DJing skills, the trio have set themselves apart as pioneers in a country where the predominant soundtrack was residing in ballad and dance music. For their complementary set of skills, Solid has become one of the most beloved musical groups by Korean music critics, artists, and fans.
As Joon Lee was inseparable from his eight-ball cane during the performances of Solid, it has quickly become the emblem of the group.
Solid released four full-length studio albums and one live album during their four-year run in the '90s from 1993 to 1997 and sold over 4 million records in Korea. Their breakout hit, "Holding the End of the Night" (Korean: 이밤의 끝을 잡고), from the sophomore album, The Magic of 8 Ball (1995), sold over million copies reaching the number one position on major Korean music charts solidifying them as one of the biggest musical acts in the 1990s K-Pop history. Success followed with a string of hits, "My only friend" (Korean: 나만의 친구), "You are my first and last" (Korean: 처음이자 마지막이야), "Meant to be" (Korean: 천생연분), which allowed them to become a household name in a rotation of K-pop classic catalogue still to this day.
Three members are also notable for being the first Korean Americans to have a success in the Korean music industry paving the way for more Koreans from abroad to enter into the Korean entertainment industry. Incidentally, this worked both ways: the industry began seeking talents from abroad proactively thereafter.
The trio began an extensive break from the group in July 1997 and went on to pursue individual careers while continuing their friendship. Kim remained in Korea as a distinguished solo musician. Chong established himself as a renowned music producer abroad – Taiwan, Hong Kong, Asian music scene and the U.S. Lee became a successful business entrepreneur running a real estate development company with thirty or so employees in the U.S.
After a twenty-one-year hiatus, the trio reunited and released the fifth studio album, Into the Light (2018), on March 22, 2018.
May 18 through 20th 2018, Solid held the second concert tours of their career, Into the Light, in Seoul, Korea with packed audiences.
History
Beginnings
Joon Lee and Jaeyoon Chong were childhood friends growing up in Orange County, California, whose families attended the same church. Johan Kim and Lee met at a public library in Fountain Valley, CA, Lee spotting Kim dancing by himself, and quickly formed a friendship thereafter. Lee invited Kim to their church where Kim met Chong and three teenage boys bonded through their common interests in b-boying and music, immersed in the 1980s and 1990s West-coast hip-hop culture. They had been friends with members of L.A. Boyz, whom the trio collaborated during the early days of L.A. Boyz album production. Chong had written songs, Lee took part as a turntable scratch DJ, and Kim was part of their chorus team. During their visit to L.A. Boyz recording studio, three started an impromptu singing session, which caught the attention of L.A. Boyz's manager. Subsequently, they were pursued by a Taiwanese management company to debut as a Taiwanese group adding an extra Taiwanese member. Members of Solid realizing that they had a potential to debut as a group, they also sent their demo tape to South Korea. The day before they signed onto a Taiwanese management company, Korean management company, IM Communications, got in contact with the group and the trio got to make their debut in their mother country. The group officially formed in late 1992.