Industry source says rapper is considering several partners for solo album slated for late 2025
T.O.P, a former member of K-pop boy band Big Bang, is said to be in discussions with CJ ENM over a potential exclusive contract to support his solo career, according to an industry source Wednesday.
The rapper spoke last month about his plans to return as a solo artist this year during a promotional interview with an international media outlet. He is currently not signed to any agency.
“T.O.P is in talks with CJ ENM for a solo contract, including plans for a new solo album scheduled for release in the second half of this year,” the source told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity. “But among global music distributors, CJ ENM is just one of several options he is considering.”
CJ ENM is a major Korean entertainment company with music subsidiaries under its wing such as WakeOne Entertainment and Stone Music Entertainment. It also operates Lapone Entertainment, a joint venture with the Japanese conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo, known for producing K-pop groups with Japanese members. It remains unclear which specific label under CJ ENM is involved in the talks.
When asked for comment, CJ ENM denied any such discussions.
“There have been no talks regarding an exclusive contract or comeback with T.O.P,” a CJ ENM official said.
T.O.P parted ways with YG Entertainment in February 2022 after his exclusive contract ended, and in May 2023, he officially withdrew from Big Bang, stating he was entering a new chapter in his life. Since then, he has been pursuing solo activities independently — mostly acting.
The rapper-turned-actor made his return to the screen last December in Netflix’s “Squid Game” Season 2, playing a former rapper named “Thanos.” It marked his first major public appearance since receiving a suspended prison sentence in 2017 for marijuana use — a case that led to a hiatus from the entertainment industry and his eventual departure from Big Bang.
In a local interview earlier this year, T.O.P publicly apologized for the controversy, signaling a desire to resume his career.
“For the past 10 years, I’ve only been going back and forth between my home and my music studio,” he said in January. “I made a lot of songs. There’s no exact release plan yet, but I do have something in mind for the near future.”
While he has yet to release any new music, fans have been anticipating a musical comeback. His most recent solo release was the single “Doom Dada,” which dropped in November 2013.
Meanwhile, Big Bang is set to mark its 20th anniversary next year. The iconic group first burst onto the K-pop scene in August 2006 and went on to become one of its most influential acts.
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