The Producer Behind E Sens' Award-Winning Albums Just Signed With Universal Music Korea

Hukky Shibaseki just landed the kind of deal that moves a career from cult-respected to globally distributed. Universal Music Korea's A&L division announced on the 7th that the producer, born Lee Seung-hyuk, has signed an exclusive management contract with the label.

The A&L roster already carries some of the more interesting names in Korean alternative and hip-hop: DEAN, Lim Kim, Okasian, Bryan Chase, Hyeyoon, and 1300. Adding Shibaseki fits the pattern, artists with credibility in underground spaces that the label is trying to route into international markets.

On paper, his credits justify the attention. Shibaseki handled full production duties on E Sens' album Piggy Bank and rapper Baetsagong's LIFE LOVER, and has collaborated with B-Free, Sik-K, Jaytong, and Jjangyoo across hip-hop, electronic, and rock. That kind of range across genres is rare, and it's been noticed: he took home the Best Rap/Hip-Hop Song award at the 21st Korean Music Awards for E Sens' "What the Hell," then followed that with Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album at the 22nd Korean Music Awards and Hip-Hop Album of the Year at the Korean Hip-Hop Awards for a collaborative album with B-Free. Two consecutive years, four trophies.

He's not only a studio figure. Shibaseki has played drums in the band Hyodo & Bass and joined Mnet's Show Me the Money 12 as a producer, where he guided contestant NOWIMYOUNG to a runner-up finish. The SMTM stint in particular pushed his name into a wider public conversation than most underground producers ever get.

Right now, Shibaseki is expanding into live performance direction, brand collaborations, and music supervision for film and video. Universal Music Korea A&L is presumably the infrastructure to scale all of that.