] On February 7, 2022, YG Entertainment announced that BigBang would make their comeback with a new song on April 5. On June 29, at his first trial for the marijuana usage charges at the Seoul Central District Court, T.O.P pleaded guilty, admitting that he did smoke marijuana in four instances in early October 2016 and received two years of probation. ] A few days after the announcement, T.O.P was found unconscious in police barracks due to a suspected anti-anxiety medicine overdose of prescribed benzodiazepine,unreliable source? T.O.P was subsequently transferred to a different police division to await notice of prosecution, and was suspended from police duty pending verdict mcw on his case.unreliable source? After news broke in June that he would be prosecuted without detention for use of marijuana,unreliable source?
2010: Solo career development, move into acting, and GD & TOP
Later that year, he starred in CJ E&M’s web drama The Secret Message alongside Japanese actress Juri Ueno. After debuting as a furniture designer in 2015 in collaboration with Vitra, he was awarded the Visual Culture Award at the Prudential Eye Awards.unreliable source? For his role, he won the Rookie Award at the Asia Star Awards, held during the Busan International Film Festival.unreliable source? While filming a combat scene for the movie, he injured the back of his hand on a glass fragment and was later admitted to the hospital for surgery. T.O.P first became attached to the role because he “felt sympathy for the main character, Lee Myung Hoon.”unreliable source? Released as a digital single, it peaked at number two, and sold over 1.3 million downloads by the end of 2010.
During BigBang’s Big Show Concert in January 2010, T.O.P. performed his new single “Turn It Up”. Following Iris, T.O.P. starred in the suspense film 19-Nineteen along with fellow member Seungri. The following year, T.O.P. portrayed the assassin Vick in the critically acclaimed Korean television drama Iris (2009). Despite wanting to use his stage name when acting, believing it reflects his professional side more, he is often billed with his real name, with his stage name included in parentheses.
2006: Career beginnings and debut with BigBang
The singles, “Last Farewell” (마지막 인사; Majimak Insa) from Hot Issue (2008) and “Day by Day” (하루하루; Haru Haru) from Stand Up (2008), became chart-toppers as well. Given the stage name of T.O.P. (탑) by senior YG artist Seven, he became one of two rappers alongside G-Dragon (Kwon’s stage name) in BigBang. By then, Choi had already performed on many underground stages at hip hop clubs and established a reputation as an underground rapper with the stage name Tempo. In 2024, T.O.P portrayed Thanos in the second season of the Netflix dystopian survival thriller series Squid Game. The group became one of the best-selling groups of all time in Asia and one of the best-selling boy bands in the world. He performed as an underground rapper before joining the record label YG Entertainment and debuted as the lead rapper of the boy band BigBang in 2006.
- Prior to the release of the album, the duo held a worldwide premiere showcase for their album at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo of Seoul, South Korea, which was also broadcast live on YouTube.
- } Later that year, he starred in CJ E&M’s web drama The Secret Message alongside Japanese actress Juri Ueno.
- On March 20, 2026, he announced his comeback through his social media and his agency, TOPSPOT PICTURES, released his first full-length album, Another Dimension on various online music sites on April 3.
- Both his solo releases – “Turn It Up” and “Doom Dada” – are hip hop influenced, with the latter drawing critical acclaim for its “lyrical rhythms that are both inviting and alienating” from Dazed magazine, that declared T.O.P was leading the evolution of K-Pop.
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- He also believed that his character may prove popular with younger viewers in Korea.
- On June 29, at his first trial for the marijuana usage charges at the Seoul Central District Court, T.O.P pleaded guilty, admitting that he did smoke marijuana in four instances in early October 2016 and received two years of probation.
- Following Iris, T.O.P. starred in the suspense film 19-Nineteen along with fellow member Seungri.
- The following year, T.O.P. portrayed the assassin Vick in the critically acclaimed Korean television drama Iris (2009).
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- The group achieved mainstream success with the release of the song “Lies” (거짓말; Geojitmal) from the extended play Always (2007), which topped several charts upon its release.
- On December 4, 2024, T.O.P was revealed as a cast member for the second season of the Netflix series Squid Game.
- After group activities wrapped up, he focused his attention back to acting, starring in the film Commitment (2013), playing the son of a North Korean spy who is falsely accused.