MAINSTREAM

MAINSTREAM (메인스트림) is a Seoul-based hip-hop and R&B management agency founded in 2019 by CEO Hyunsoo Lee. Operating as Mainstream Winter Inc., the company manages two of the most commercially impactful names in Korean rap: Lee Young Ji and Kik5o. Its headquarters are in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Lee Young Ji is MAINSTREAM's flagship act and one of the defining figures of the new Korean rap generation. She won High School Rapper 3 at age 17 and Show Me The Money 11 in 2022, then parlayed that visibility into a broader cultural presence -- the viral YouTube interview series No Prepare and MC appearances across major TV programs. Her 2024 album 16 Fantasy pushed her into mainstream pop territory while retaining rap credibility. Hit singles include Small Girl, Day and Night, I'm Lee Young Ji, Not Sorry, Witch, Go High, and Dejavu. Kik5o is a Seoul rapper and producer whose stripped-down delivery and introspective writing have built him a dedicated underground following. In March 2026, Warner Music Group announced a partnership with MAINSTREAM to collaborate on talent development, music production, and global marketing for the agency's roster. The first release under the deal was Lee Young Ji's new single Robot. Led by WMG's Head of A&R for APAC Oscar Scivier and Warner Music Korea, the deal positions MAINSTREAM's artists for broader international reach -- one of the few independent Korean hip-hop labels with genuine global infrastructure now backing it.