Bobby Kim is a prominent figure in the Korean hip-hop and R&B scene. He was born Kim Do-kyun on January 12, 1973, in Seoul. His musical journey was heavily influenced by his father, a trumpet player, and his exposure to various music genres during his youth in San Francisco. He began his career performing as a rapper in nightclubs and became deeply involved in the city's underground hip-hop scene. In 1994, Bobby Kim moved to South Korea and debuted with the group Dr. Reggae, introducing reggae music to Korean audiences. After the group disbanded, he continued his career as a vocal trainer and songwriter, earning the nickname "Reggae Hip-Hop's Godfather" for his contributions to the genre. He wrote songs for notable artists like Drunken Tiger, Leessang, and Dynamic Duo. Bobby Kim released his debut solo album, Beats Within My Soul, in 2004. He followed this with several albums, including Follow Your Soul (2006), Love Chapter 1 (2009), and notably Heart & Soul (2010), which peaked at number 2 on the Korean charts. In 2011, Bobby Kim gained wider recognition through his participation in the popular television show I Am a Singer. He has continued releasing work such as the album Mirror (2014) and the EP Scarlette (2019). Over the following years, he remained active through a string of singles that included "The Sun" (2021), "Night" (2022), and "Intoxicated" (2022).
