Before he was the prodigy rapper who made Show Me The Money history, Jo Woo-chan was a baby in a diaper commercial. In a 2025 appearance on KBS's The Seasons—10cm's Gentle Touch, Woochan revealed that his "real" entertainment debut happened when he was just 100 days old, modeling for Huggies Korea—a revelation that sent fans scrambling through archived Korean advertisements for evidence of the future idol.1

This was no one-time appearance. As a child, Woochan was active as a model and actor, reportedly working in the entertainment industry since age six. He appeared on EBS1's children's reality program and filmed commercials for various brands, with his mother serving as his manager during these early years. By the time he reached elementary school, the camera was already a familiar presence—but it was music, not modeling, that would define his path.2

The turning point came in third grade when Woochan received an unexpected opportunity: an offer to perform at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. He spent ten days in Russia, where he met the lead choreographer of the event—an encounter that sparked his interest in dance and performance. Upon returning to Korea, he immediately joined the academy where the choreographer worked, beginning his formal training in the performing arts. Dance came first; rap would follow.3

In 2016, at just 11 years old and in fifth grade, Woochan joined Cube Entertainment as a trainee. The following year, he did something no one his age had attempted: he auditioned for Mnet's notoriously cutthroat rap competition, Show Me The Money 6. The catalyst was a classmate who had also auditioned and received a pass necklace from producer Choiza—if a kid from his school could do it, Woochan reasoned, why couldn't he?4

At 12 years old (Korean age: 13), Woochan became the youngest contestant in the show's history, earning the nickname "Lil Dok2" for his precocious rap abilities. He joined Team Dynamic Duo, led by producers Choiza and Gaeko, and released three collaboration tracks during the competition: "1/N" with Dynamic Duo, "What You Call Is The Price" featuring Nucksal, and "VVIP" featuring Sik-K. The tracks showcased lyrical maturity and technical precision that seemed impossible for someone still in elementary school.5

Dynamic Duo praised the young rapper's professional attitude, noting he possessed "a broad spectrum of talent and mentality beyond his age." The show's cameras visited his family home, where Woochan admitted the difficulties of competing against adults: "I had to keep up with the physical staminas of the adults on the program, and after that, I was worried when controversies arose or online comments came up." His parents added: "We are worried for him. If he hadn't gone on the show, there wouldn't be such hate comments. We wanted to reply to each of the comments. We also feel that Woo Chan doesn't want to show his weak side."6

Woochan was eliminated in the semi-finals against Woo Won-jae, who would go on to sign with AOMG and become one of Korea's most prominent hip-hop artists. But the loss came with an unexpected legacy: during their battle, Woo Won-jae rapped the now-iconic line, "Woo-chan, don't worry, you can cry, actually there is no Santa"—a lyric that would haunt Woochan every Christmas. His ALLDAY PROJECT members later sang the line to him, and his 20th birthday cake was shaped like a Santa hat.7

The buzz from Show Me The Money 6 led to Woochan's first formal music release. In January 2018, he joined OG SCHOOL PROJECT—a collaboration between Cube Entertainment and Starship Entertainment featuring three 13-year-old rapper trainees: Woochan, Park Hyun-jin (winner of K-pop Star 6), and Achillo. All three were in their final year of elementary school. The single "OGZ," produced by hit-making duo GroovyRoom, marked their official debut as a project group.8

"I saw Hyun Jin a lot on 'K-Pop Star,' so I had high expectations," Woochan said at their debut showcase. "I wondered what he would be like because he had won, and I had only seen him on TV. I worried a lot because we are all different styles, but it was fun and I looked forward to it." Park Hyun-jin added: "In the beginning, I was looking forward to and excited for it because it's the first time kids our age are rapping together."9

During his Cube years, Woochan also collaborated with PENTAGON's Hui on "Wake Me Up" for KBS's pilot music variety show Hyena on the Keyboard, which aired in October 2017. He made cameo appearances in PENTAGON's pre-debut music video "Young" (2016) and Soyeon's solo debut track "Jelly"—a connection that would lead to lasting friendships with (G)I-dle's leader. In July 2019, Woochan departed from Cube Entertainment to focus on his education while continuing to work on music independently.10

Without a label, Woochan embarked on a solo career that reflected his transition from child prodigy to adolescent artist. On July 13, 2019, he released his first digital single album, ID Schoolboy Pt.1, featuring the tracks "Viking" and "Reality Check." The songs took an autobiographical stance, exploring themes of growing up, identity, and feeling lost amid change—raw reflections from a teenager who had already experienced industry fame and its downsides.11

The ID Schoolboy series continued with Pt.2 in August 2019 and the EP ID Schoolboy Pt.3 in May 2020, produced by Palo Alto and Stally. The projects showcased Woochan's growing involvement in production and songwriting, with tracks like "Honey Dance" (which included a choreography video) and collaborations with artists like Dok2 and Kid Milli. Yet for a rapper who had competed alongside adults at age 12, the path to a traditional debut remained uncertain.

In early 2021, Woochan joined Big Hit Music (now part of HYBE) and was later revealed as a member of Trainee A—a pre-debut boy group that had been generating significant buzz online. On January 8, 2022, the company confirmed what fans had speculated: Woochan had been a "hidden member" for months. The group, which also included future TWS member Jihoon, future ALPHA DRIVE ONE members Sangwon and Rio, and others, had amassed an impressive 1.34 million YouTube subscribers before ever officially debuting.12

But the debut never came. After member Leo departed in August 2022 following a controversy, the project faltered. All Trainee A social media accounts went silent in September. On December 23, 2022, former member Yorch posted a statement confirming what fans had feared: "I'm so sorry to say that the project has ended." After years of training and months of public exposure, the group that had promised to be HYBE's next big thing was officially cancelled.13

Woochan left Big Hit Music around April 2023. The experience could have been devastating—another failed debut to add to a career already marked by near-misses. Instead, it became the prologue to his final chapter. Former Trainee A members Rio and Sangwon attended Woochan's high school graduation ceremony in February 2024, congratulating him on his upcoming new beginning. In October 2025, after CORTIS (James's new group) won their first music show trophy, eyewitnesses spotted Woochan and James embracing backstage—proof that the bonds formed during Trainee A had endured.14

Around mid-2023, The Black Label—the agency founded by legendary producer Teddy Park—reached out to Woochan. The offer came with a detail that mattered to a serious artist: they could provide a private practice room. He joined immediately and spent the next two years as a trainee, simultaneously preparing his solo mixtape BLANK (released April 2024, featuring Kid Milli), studying for college entrance exams, and living as a university student at Hongik University.15

In April 2024, everything accelerated. "Immediately after releasing his solo mixtape, I heard from the company that the ALLDAY PROJECT debut group was formed and immediately met the members," Woochan later explained. "It is said that everything happened in an instant." After nine years as a trainee across three major agencies—Cube, Big Hit, and The Black Label—the moment had finally arrived.16

On June 9, 2025, The Black Label officially announced ALLDAY PROJECT with Woochan as one of five members, alongside Annie (the Shinsegae heiress), Bailey (the renowned choreographer), Tarzzan (the model-dancer), and Youngseo (the former ILLIT candidate). The group debuted on June 23, 2025, with the single album Famous, featuring the tracks "Famous" and "Wicked"—both of which included songwriting credits from all five members.17

ALLDAY PROJECT's debut shattered expectations. Within four days, "Famous" topped Melon's Top 100 chart—the fastest debut song from a fifth-generation act to achieve this milestone. Just ten days after debut, on July 3, 2025, the group won their first music show trophy on Mnet's M Countdown, an unusually rapid achievement for any rookie act. Internationally, "Famous" entered the Billboard Global 200 at No. 94, making ALLDAY PROJECT the first co-ed group to chart on the index.18

Within the group, Woochan serves as the main rapper—a role that draws on over a decade of experience. His verses on "Wicked" display the precision and introspection that first caught attention on Show Me The Money 6, now refined by years of training and solo releases. As one of the most experienced members, he plays a vital role in shaping the group's musical direction, bringing hip-hop credibility to a co-ed format that had rarely been attempted in K-pop's modern era.19

When asked about the path that led him here, Woochan's motto provides insight: "Nothing happens if you do nothing." It's a phrase he's repeated since elementary school, when he wrote it in his graduation yearbook. For the rapper who debuted at 100 days old, competed on national television at 12, survived two cancelled debuts, and finally made it to the stage at 20, those words have proven prophetic. Nine years of training ended not with a whimper, but with chart-topping success—and the fans who remembered "Lil Dok2" from 2017 were there to celebrate every moment.20