Jay Park revealed thathe was once blacklisted from the industry as he opened up about his career in a latest interview.
Talking to AFP, the American rapper talked about how his life changed after being caught in a scandal that led him to flee Seoul for his native Seattle.
"I faced a lot of backlash," he said.
According to AFP, despite Park's struggles, the 36-year-old is now one of South Korea´s most recognisable entertainers: he´s founded two of South Korea's largest hip-hop labels, released a string of hits, has his own soju liquor brand and was the first Asian-American to sign with Jay-Z´s Roc Nation.
The problem started with a few throwaway comments posted online by Park back in his late teens, criticising the intense idol training regime, the K-pop industry and South Korea itself.
A Korean media frenzy ensued, with the fallout forcing Park to quit 2PM, a seven-member boy band under major label JYP Entertainment.
He moved back to Seattle and worked at a used tyre shop, but he kept his musical dreams alive, eventually posting a cover of Bruno Mars'Nothin´ on Youon his YouTube channel.
"I just wanted to show my fans that I´m doing well, and also I wanted to show people what type of music I´m into, what type of artist I am. So I just put up a cover and it just kind of blew up," he said.
Racking up more than two million views in a day, the song catapulted him back into the music industry and marked "a new start" for Park.
It also allowed him to recalibrate his musical style and shift from pop to rap -- a move that would eventually help transform South Korea´s nascent hip-hop scene.
"If I say I´m a rapper, then I can only rap. But I like to rap, I like to dance, I like to sing," he said, adding that he would be "always grateful to the hip-hop culture" for helping him relaunch his career.
Park went on to share how his successful comeback didn't happen 'overnight' for him. "Obviously it took a lot of work," Park told AFP.
After Park quit 2PM, he was left to navigate the industry on his own, but he has no qualms anymore.
"I´m not bitter over anything. I don´t hate anybody. I don´t dislike anybody. I don´t have time for that. I don´t have time for thinking about stuff in the past," he said.
"I can´t change the past, so what I can change is the future, so that´s what I work on."