Lee Tae-min (Korean: 이태민; born June 20, 1994), known professionally as Mushvenom (Korean: 머쉬베놈; stylized in all caps), is a South Korean rapper. He is known for his humorous lyrics and using the Chungcheong dialect in his rap.
Lee Tae-min was born on June 20, 1994, in Daedeok, Daejeon.[1] He began rapping as a hobby when he was in the second year of high school.[2] He graduated from Kukje University of Arts with an associate degree in applied music.[3]
He adopted the stage name "Mushvenom" as it sounds similar to "cool guy" (Korean: 멋이 밴 놈; RR: meosi baen nom) in Korean.[4]
In July 2019, Mushvenom appeared on Show Me the Money 8 where he first garnered attention. He was eliminated in round six (producer crew battle).[5] In September 2019, he released his debut single "Why Are You So Noisy?", which was nominated for Best Rap Song at the Korean Music Awards and Hip-hop Track of the Year at the Korean Hip-hop Awards.[6][7] In November 2019, he released the single "Let Me Know", which was ranked in sixth place in Music Y's 2019 Single of the Year list.[8] In December 2019, he released the single "Nice Head", which was nominated for Best Rap Song at the Korean Music Awards.[9]
In October 2020, Mushvenom appeared on Show Me the Money 9 where he released "VVS" with Mirani, Munchman, and Khundi Panda. It became his most successful single, charting at number 1 on the Gaon Digital Chart for seven consecutive weeks and winning Hip-Hop Track of the Year at the Korean Hip-hop Awards.[10][11] He also released singles "Tricker", "Godok", "Go", and "The Beauty of Void" on the show and finished in second place.[12] He was ranked in second place in Music Y's 2020 Rookie of the Year list.[13]
Mushvenom is known for his "humorous lyrics, witty rhymes, and ear-catching Chungcheong accent".[14] In an interview with Inven, he cited his family as his biggest influence.[15] He also gets inspiration from dramas such as Taejo Wang Geon, movies, and comedy shows.[16]
^Han, Yuyeong (June 30, 2021). "YO! 허태정 대전시장, 래퍼되다!" [YO! Heo Taejeong Mayor of Daejeon, becomes a rapper!]. Chungcheong Today (in Korean).
^Yang, Gwang-mo (January 17, 2021). "'컬투쇼' 머쉬베놈, "고교2학년 때 취미로 음악 시작…조부모 영향받아"" ["Cultwo Show" Mushvenom, "I started music as a hobby in the second year of high school... My grandparents influenced me"]. Sports World (in Korean).
^Kong, Mina (January 14, 2021). "'VVS' 7주연속 가온차트2관왕..NCT 앨범차트1위" ["VVS" tops two categories on the Gaon Chart for 7 consecutive weeks... NCT number 1 on the Album Chart]. Star News (in Korean).
^ ab"한국 힙합 어워즈 2021 수상" [Korean Hip-hop Awards 2021 Winners]. Korean Hip-hop Awards (in Korean).
^ abSeo, Byeong-gi (December 19, 2020). "'쇼미9' 최종 우승자는 릴보이…준우승은 머쉬베놈" ["Show Me 9" Final winner is Lil Boi... Runner-up is Mushvenom]. Herald Business (in Korean).
^Ahn, Sang-wook (December 30, 2020). "올해의 신인2위" [Rookie of the Year 2nd place]. Music Y (in Korean).
