Lee Hi and Dok2 Confirm Relationship, Launch 808 HI Recordings

Lee Hi (이하이) and Dok2 (도끼) have confirmed their relationship and launched a joint independent label, 808 HI RECORDINGS, releasing their debut duet single "You & Me" on March 28, 2026 at 6 PM KST, as confirmed by HIP KR magazine and multiple Korean media outlets including Biz.Chosun. The R&B/hip-hop track tells the story of their romance, which industry sources suggest has been ongoing since late 2022. Lee Hi, 29, is the former runner-up of SBS's K-Pop Star Season 1 and debuted as a solo artist in 2012 with "1, 2, 3, 4." Dok2, 36, is one of Korean hip-hop's most recognizable figures, co-founder of the now-defunct Illionaire Records, who debuted in 2005. The relationship had long been an open secret in the Korean hip-hop scene, according to multiple industry insiders, before the couple's official confirmation came alongside the label announcement and simultaneous single release on Dok2's birthday.

This is the kind of story K-pop and K-hip-hop fans have been quietly waiting for. An open secret becomes a public statement, a business partnership becomes a love letter, and a duet title track functions as both a debut release and a relationship confirmation. The timing, on Dok2's 36th birthday, was clearly deliberate.

The Name That Says Everything

808 HI RECORDINGS takes its name from two very specific sources. The number 808 is Dok2's signature, a numerical identity embedded into every label and brand he has built, starting with 808 Studio before co-founding Illionaire Records in 2011 with The Quiett. As confirmed by Biz.Chosun, the HI in the label name refers to Lee Hi's real name, Ha-yi, making 808 HI RECORDINGS a literal fusion of both of their identities. The label will operate across music production, concert production, and music video production, with a core focus on R&B and hip-hop, per the official announcement. Lee Hi's path to 808 HI RECORDINGS ran through YG Entertainment (2012-2019), AOMG (2020-2024), and most recently duover, a company co-founded by her former AOMG colleagues Gray, CODE KUNST, and Woo Won Jae. Her duover contract ended in early 2026, clearing the way for the joint venture.

A Decade of Collaboration First

Lee Hi and Dok2 first crossed paths in 2016 through the track "Like," a Yoo Jae-suk and Dok2 collaboration on which Lee Hi appeared as a featured vocalist, produced for MBC's Infinite Challenge variety show. The two also appeared together on Dok2's 2017 birthday album "Re Born," on the track "On & On." The romance reportedly did not begin until late 2022, according to multiple Korean entertainment industry sources, meaning their years-long music partnership ran well before becoming personal. Fellow rapper Sleepy commented "Let's get married" on the relationship news, which captures the Korean hip-hop community's general reaction: warm, unsurprised, and fully supportive. That six-year professional history before the relationship began partly explains why the hip-hop community took the news in stride. When two artists have already shared studios, stages, and record credits over that span, the transition from collaborators to partners is not a surprise to those who have watched both careers up close. The reaction was not shock. It was recognition.

The launch of 808 HI RECORDINGS also positions them within a broader shift in Korea's hip-hop and R&B scene, where artist-led independent labels have been gaining ground. Outlets like Korean Indie have tracked how established acts increasingly pursue full creative control outside of major label structures, and 808 HI RECORDINGS fits squarely within that pattern.

"You & Me": A Birthday Debut

"You & Me" dropped on March 28, 2026 at 6 PM KST, timed to Dok2's 36th birthday. The official visualizer was directed by Yogi (@yogiffer) and shot by Shemar (@filmshemar), per the YouTube video credits. The track is an R&B/hip-hop piece that documents their relationship story. Both Lee Hi and Dok2 appear in the video. A representative for Dok2 told Dispatch that Dok2 is currently in the United States, with the time difference delaying full confirmation at press time, but the release itself confirmed the relationship. The single also marks Lee Hi's first officially released track under a new label since departing duover in early 2026. For Dok2, it represents his first music release since settling his outstanding tax liability in mid-2025, a public controversy that had kept him largely off the release schedule for nearly three years. The birthday timing is consistent with Dok2's longstanding practice of marking personal milestones through music.

Dok2, the Record, and What Comes Next

Dok2 appeared on a South Korean government list of high-value, habitual tax delinquents in 2022, an event that drew significant attention at the time. He subsequently settled the outstanding balance, paying approximately 672 million KRW (roughly $520,000 USD) in unpaid income tax, local taxes, and health insurance, as originally reported by News1 Korea and confirmed by JoongAng Ilbo. A separate lawsuit with a Los Angeles jewelry company resulted in a court ruling requiring him to pay 45 million KRW (approximately $35,000 USD). Neither issue appears to have stalled 808 HI RECORDINGS. The fact that the label launch, relationship confirmation, and debut single arrived simultaneously signals a level of planning that makes the project feel more substantial than a spontaneous personal announcement. With a confirmed relationship, a named label, and a debut single already out, Lee Hi and Dok2 have made a clear statement of intent. The Korean hip-hop scene will be watching closely to see what 808 HI RECORDINGS builds from here.