Jessi

Jessi is a South-Korean based American rapper, singer, songwriter, composer, and host. She gained mainstream recognition through her appearance in the first season of Unpretty Rapstar (2021).

She’s been active on a number of Korean variety shows since then and has released hits as a solo singer such as NUNU NANA (2020), What Type of X (2021), and ZOOM (2022).

Career

Jessi had a dream of making it big in the Korean music industry. For this reason, she decided to move from her hometown in US to South Korea at fifteen years old.

She was initially going to join SM entertainment, having already passed the audition. But the aspiring artist felt that SM music didn’t match her style.

In 2005, Jessi made her debut in the music industry. She released the single album Get Up under the label Doremi Records. She followed it up with a second single album The Rebirth in 2009.

However, these two early releases were not very successful. This Rapper even had to sleep in sauna as she didn’t have enough money to rent a place.

She eventually had to take a break from music and move back to the US.

In 2014, Jessi made his return to the music industry. She signed to YMC Entertainment and became part of a hip-hop trio Lucky J. With the group, she released the single Can Your Hear Me.

This Sagittarius woman began to gain recognition when she participated in Unpretty Rapstar in 2015.

After that, she was invited to be in JYP’s single Who’s Your Mama? and the music video. The track successfully topped all nine Korean music charts.

Following her new-found fame, Jessi released her first solo rap single Ssenunni in September 2015.

She would then release several more singles including Gucci (2017) and Down (2018) under YMC Entertainment.

After her contract ended with YMC, this Rapstar joined P Nation in January 2019. With the new label, she released the single Who Dat B.

The song was a commercial success, even charting at number eight on World Digital Songs Sales chart.

Jessi also had an EP titled Nuna, released on July 2020. The lead single Nunu Nana was released alongside the album.

Nunu Nana peaked at number 2 on Gaon Digital Chart. With this song, this rapper earned her first top ten single as solo artist. Nunu Nana is also her highest charting solo single.

Profile

Real Name: Ho Hyun Joo (호현주) / Jessica Ho
Stage Name: Jessi (제시)
Nickname: Jessi
Birthday: December 17, 1988
Birthplace: Queens, New York City, New York, United States
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Chinese Zodiac Sign: Dragon
Nationality: Korean-American
Religion: Christian
Profession: Rapper, Singer, Songwriter, Composer, Host
Education: Korea Kent Foreign School
Hobbies: Shopping
Facebook: –
Twitter: –
Threads: @jessicah_o
Instagram: @jessicah_o
Tiktok: @itsjessibaby
Youtube: –

Height, Weight, & Physical Appearance

Height: 167 cm (5’6’’)
Weight: 47 kg (104 lbs)
Blood Type: O
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Dark brown
Body Measurements: –
Shoe Size: –
Dress Size: –

Family

Father: –
Mother: –
Brother: 2
Sister: –

Boyfriend & Dating History

Dumbfounded

Back on Feb. 16, 2017, the local media outlet OSEN released an exclusive report revealing that Jessi was dating rapper Dumbfoundead. It was said that the two had just started dating and were in a long-distance relationship.

The report also stated that the two artists met and became close because of their common love of hip-hop. They have since been enjoying dates with mutual friends as well as colleagues in Los Angeles, California. Moreover, they have been sharing photos of them on social media and quietly supporting one another.

Shortly after the news of Jessi dating Dumbfoundead was published, the female idol’s agency, YMC Entertainment, released an official statement to respond to the report.

“After checking with Jessi herself, she has said that she and Dumbfoundead have recently broken up on good terms and have decided to focus on their respective works,” the label said. They added that they cannot reveal further details about their breakup as is it a private matter.

Lee Sang Yeob

Variety show ‘Sixth Sense 3’ fans have a new update about their favourite pair from the show.

On June 8, the official Instagram handle of the popular tvN show put up still cuts of its two regular cast members, actor Lee Sang Yeob and singer-rapper Jessi.

They captioned the images with ‘Real couple moment’. They used the term “부부” which is usually applied to a married couple while further adding, “A variety show is just a variety show. Let’s not misunderstand.”

The post was flooded with comments from fans shipping the two while some also asked the broadcasting station to not play with their hearts as they know they are not a real couple.

Even then, Lee Sang Yeob’s agency saw to it that they clarify any rumours that arose after the post was made.

UNGBIN ENS Entertainment later released a statement making their stand about the rumours. They cleared the air by stating that Lee Sang Yeob and Jessi are in fact not dating and that the post was meant for fun.

They emphasized the last bit of the caption where it was specifically mentioned that it was done for entertainment.

Jay Park

Jessi and Jay have been working together for a long time and have even appeared on each other’s social media posts. Seeing the chemistry between the two it did not take long for rumors about them secretly dating to surface online.

However, it looks like the speculations have taken one step further as fans seemed to be convinced that Jessi might be pregnant after some TikTok videos claimed so in July 2022.

Within a few hours, some fans even took the discussion to Twitter and expressed their thoughts on the same.

These rumors are not unknown to Jessi as the singer has addressed them time and again. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, Jessi had slammed the speculations around her and Jay dating. She also made it cleear that she is not pregnant.

In an Instagrma live, Jessi asked her fans to stop making such rumors. At the same time, she asked her fans if her belly was getting fat because she was not pregnant and was tired of hearing those rumors on the internet.

Net Worth

According to multiple sources, Jessi’s net worth is estimated to be anywhere from $1 million to $5 million. She appeared to earn most of her income through working as a solo singer and variety star.

Controversies

Accused of Committing Assault with Her Friends at a Nightclub

In 2013, during her break from the music industry, a controversy about Jessi’s involvement in an alleged assault surfaced.

Jessi, who kicked off a solo career in 2005 in addition to serving as the female member of the co-ed group Uptown, has been accused of assaulting a Ms. Choi (32) alongside two of her friends, causing multiple injuries during a brawl that took place at a nightclub in Itaewon.

On May 18th, a fight occurred in the women’s bathroom in a club where Korean American and English instructor Ms. Choi allegedly became a victim of assault. Ms. Choi accused Jessica H.o. and her friends, ‘L’ and ‘G’, of assaulting her and even trying to stick her head into the toilet.

However, Jessica H.o. is insisting that she only tried to stop the fight between Ms. Choi and her friends, who were visiting Korea from the States.

According to Jessica, “Ms. Choi was drunk and she started to swear. She punched my friends’ faces and that is when the fight started. I only tried to stop my friends from fighting. I didn’t think much of it and let it pass so I am overwhelmed [about the accusations].”

The singer also added, “I am wrongly accused. I’ve never said foul words or hit [Ms. Choi]. I was only trying to stop the fight. That woman is lying because she knows that I am a singer. I don’t know why this is happening and I am really hurt.”

The professed victim soon dropped the charges against the singer, and the investigation was closed.

Facts

Despite being born in New York City, Jessi spent her childhood in New Jersey.
She went to the same school as Tiffany and Jessica of Girls’ Generation.
She had a hard time adjusting to Korean culture.
Her parents are Korean immigrants.
She has an IQ of 137.
She has several tattoos which are on her left scapula, left ear, and on the eyebrow.
This Rapper admitted to have plastic surgery and end up regreting it.
She loves going shopping.
She has a dog named Chewie with an instagram account @softandchewie.
Her surname Ho is quite unique in Korea as only 5.000 people have it.
She has been on many variety shows like Happy Together and Running Man.
She became a mentor for several episodes on Unpretty Rapstar 2 in 2015.
According to J.Y. Park, the Jessi’s featured on Who’s Your Mama? is Suzy’s idea.
In 2017, she was in Sister’s Slam Dunk Season 1 as permanent cast.
She is friends with Ailee, Hyorin, and Tiffany of Girls’ Generation.
This Sagittarius woman was in the show Yo! MTV Raps in 2018.
She’s part of project girl group Refund Sisters / Refund Expedition starting in October 2020.
Her ideal type is someone like Jungkook of BTS. She would also like to have a duet with him.

Drama Series

Somehow Family (TV Chosun | 2020), as herself

TV Shows

Street Woman Fighter (Mnet | 2021), as herself (guest)
Cap-Teen (Mnet | 2020–2021), as herself (judge)
Law of the Jungle – Tribe Chief and Granny (SBS| 2020), as herself (cast member)
Hangout with Yoo (MBC | 2020), as herself (cast member)
Sixth Sense (tvN | 2020–2022), as herself (cast member)
King of Mask Singer (MBC | 2018), as herself (contestant)
High School Rapper (Mnet | 2017), as herself (judge)
Duet Song Festival (MBC | 2016), as herself (contestant)
Sister’s Slam Dunk (KBS 2TV | 2016), as herself (cast member)
King of Mask Singer (MBC | 2015), as herself (contestant)
Real Men 3 (MBC | 2016), as herself (cast member)
Unpretty Rapstar (Mnet | 2015), as herself (contestant)
The Hairy Bikers’ Asian Adventure (BBC Two | 2014), as herself

Quotes

“I don’t have that many days off. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like taking breaks, and I get too many thoughts when I’m not working. I’m a workaholic, and I feel good when I’m working while everyone else is sleeping.”

“I believe a strong woman is someone who says what she wants to say while being able to read the room and respect the boundaries. And when she makes a mistake, she knows how to get back up. A strong person learns from their mistakes and moves on.”

“When I notice a guest being shy, scared, or having a bad day, I try to ask the right questions during the interview. Although I’m not the best host in the world, I get happy when the guest enjoys the time with me. Perhaps that’s why most guests and I become friends when we’re done with filming.”

“I naturally gravitated towards hip hop and rap as a female artist.”

“For me, it wasn’t about being an Asian or not — I wasn’t looking at color. I was looking at the artistry and the musicians I loved. I fell in love with Biggie, Lauryn Hill, JAY-Z, TLC, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Destiny’s Child, and then with bands like Nirvana and Green Day, the list goes on and on.”

“It took a lot of trial and error because female rappers didn’t really exist in Korea and it was even harder in America. I just persisted doing what I loved, and thankfully I received a lot of support with an amazing fan base.”

“Well, I take pride in being a female, and being an artist, and being Asian. It was God’s plan for me to happen to be Korean and female who loves Hip Hop.”

“I love and embrace my culture, but I don’t like to be categorized simply by race and gender when it comes to my talent. Last time I checked, the Grammys don’t give out best new Asian artist. But yes, I’d love to see more Asian females who rap in mainstream media.”

“PSY has been very supportive of my creativity and musical direction I’m headed. Because I felt that P NATION was committed to providing me my artistic freedom, it was a good direction to go.”

“I’m constantly evolving with my sound and wanted to show my fans a side of myself that’s about self-confidence and not giving a f*ck about what people think, and sharing that energy with them. I wanted my fans to feed off of my positive energy.”

“I love being on-stage and feeling the energy from the crowd.”

“I like to challenge myself as an artist and explore material from R&B to hip hop, to K-pop, and give it my best.”

“Truth is, my biggest inspiration in my life is my mother. She may be a small Korean lady, but she is mighty and holds down the fort. She is the embodiment of strength, courage, patience, love and character. In my eyes, my mom is the closest thing to perfection.”

Pics of Jessi

1. Jessi has incredible sense of style

instagram/jessicah_o

2. Looking cute, posing with her dog

instagram/jessicah_o

3. She looks extra glamorous here

instagram/jessicah_o

4. Jessi can pull off even the most outrageous outfits

instagram/jessicah_o

5. Love her simple style as well

instagram/jessicah_o

FAQs

Who is Jessi?

She is a South-Korean based American rapper, singer, songwriter, composer, and host.

Who is Jessi’s real name?

Her real name is Ho Hyun Joo (호현주) / Jessica Ho.

What makes Jessi famous?

She got famous through her appearance in the first season of Unpretty Rapstar (2021), then got more popular through being active on a number of Korean variety shows and career as a solo singer-rapper.