Choi Jin, known professionally as Mithra, is a South Korean rapper, lyricist, and member of EPIK HIGH (에픽하이). He graduated from Gwangmyeong High School.

He was not interested in the music industry at first, as his family suffered economic hardships during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. He started listening to hip-hop music in high school and was scouted at a performance by producer J-Win. He also liked poetry, so he began to write lyrics for potential songs.

He joined the hip-hop crew K-RYDERS (케이 라이더즈) in early 2001 and was later introduced to Tablo. Later that year, he joined EPIK HIGH with Tukutz and Tablo, and the trio began performing in underground hip-hop clubs under the tutelage of a crew called MOVEMENT. Unfortunately, CB MASS member Curbin embezzled money from his own group mates, from them and from others in the crew, causing the trio to look for part-time jobs to have some funds to produce their first album.

Finally, he made his debut in October 2003 with EPIK HIGH's first album, "Map of the Human Soul". They were originally managed by Woollim Entertainment (울림엔터테인먼트), but their first two albums were both commercial failures due to hip-hop's lack of popularity.

In October 2005, they released their third album, "Swan Songs", which was supposed to be their last. However, the album proved to be a huge hit, making them one of the most popular hip-hop groups in the country. Despite having a lot of their songs censored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism due to the lyrical and thematic content, they remain a household name domestically and became the first South Korean act to play at Coachella.

He enlisted for his mandatory military service on August 3, 2010, and was discharged on May 14, 2012.

They spent six years at YG Entertainment (2012-2018) before creating their own label, Ours Co. (아워즈), and also signed with William Morris Endeavor to manage their overseas promotions.

He married actress Kwon Da Hyun in 2015, and the couple has one child.

(Source: MyDramaList) Edit Biography