Formed in 1994 by Kim Chang-yeol, Lee Ha-neul, Park Jung-hwan, and Jung Jae-yong, DJ DOC is one of the first hip-hop acts to enjoy commercial success in South Korea, as well as one of the country's first idol groups. The group debuted with 1994's Sorrow of Superman, which was the only album to feature Jung-hwan. Following Jung-hwan's departure, DJ DOC rebranded itself as a trio with albums like Murphy's Law (1995), DJ2DOC (1996), and 4th Album (1997). The band's music was controversial, thanks to a mix of heavy profanity and lyrics that critical social injustice. Nonetheless, DJ DOC found a wide audience of South Korean teenagers, with DJ2DOC selling nearly two million copies. The band's success on the underground circuit transformed into genuine commercial acclaim with 2000's The Life... DOC Blues, which reached number 3 on the South Korean charts and went gold. The album's title track, "DOC Blues," was named "Best Hip Hop Performance" at the 2000 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Sex and Love, Happiness followed in 2004 and was similarly successful, hitting number 2 on the Gaon Album Chart and earning an Mnet Asian Music Award nomination for "Best Male Group Video" with the song "One Night." Featuring songs like "I Am Who I Am" and "I'm Like This," Pungnyu appeared in 2010 and, like its predecessor, reached number 2 in South Korea. "I'm Like This" won "Best Rap Performance" at the Mnet Asian Music Awards that same year. Although the group continued to perform live shows, DJ DOC refrained from releasing another album after Pungnyu, and the group eventually split in 2018.
