Based in Seoul, the trio first met in 2001 before signing with Woollim Entertainment and released their first two studio albums, Map of the Human Soul (2003) and High Society (2004), to minor success.

Although the majority of these albums were censored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism due to strong language and themes of crimes, war, religion, and education, Epik High established themselves as one of the leading hip-hop artists in the country, gaining a cult following and critical acclaim.

Supported by the successful singles "It's Cold", "Up", "Born Hater", "Spoiler", "Happen Ending", "Love Story" and "Home Is Far Away", Epik High garnered international recognition, becoming the first South Korean act to play at Coachella.

[3][4][5][6] Epik High left YG Entertainment in 2018, after which they started their own in-house label, Ours Co., and signed with William Morris Endeavor to manage their overseas promotions.

[12] Preparations for their first album were delayed due to them and their producer being defrauded and the lack of financial backing from a major label, forcing the members to work part-time jobs to raise the necessary funds.

[8][13] Swan Songs was intended to be Epik High's final album, following the poor commercial performance of their previous two releases; however, it became a mainstream hit and made them one of the most popular hip-hop groups in Korea.

In early 2009, Epik High parted ways with Woollim Entertainment and founded their own independent label, Map The Soul, which also managed MYK, Planet Shiver, and Dok2.

[22] They released their seventh work, a "book album" entitled 魂: Map the Soul, on March 27 and distributed it exclusively on Epik High's website.

Epik High's sixth album, [e], was released on September 16 with the title single "Wannabe" (따라해) featuring Mellow, an electronic pop track critiquing K-pop trends.

[26] During the two-year hiatus that followed, Tablo (who is a Canadian citizen and therefore was not required to carry out military service) signed a four-year contract with YG Entertainment and released a solo album titled Fever's End on November 1, 2011.

[30] In July, it was confirmed that he and DJ Tukutz had joined Tablo in signing with YG Entertainment and that Epik High would be making a comeback after a three-year hiatus.

On May 18, 2014, they released the single "With You" in collaborating with Chinese Singer Bibi Zhou, as a re-recording of "Fool" (originally featuring Bumkey) from their previous album Epilogue.

[40] Epik High's eighth studio album, Shoebox, was physically released on October 22 and met with critical praise for the emotion and complex lyrical content of lead singles "Happen Ending" and "Spoiler" as well as other tracks including "Burj Khalifa" and "Amor Fati.

[58][full citation needed] On January 12, 2022, it was revealed that Epik High would be performing at Coachella 2022, making them the first Korean act to be re-invited to the festival.

[68] The content of Epik High's discography is largely social commentary, often utilizing direct or thinly-veiled references to current events or personal experiences.

For example, "난 사람이 제일 무서워 (People Scare Me)", the first track from the 2017 album We've Done Something Wonderful, referred to the then-ongoing 2017–2018 North Korea crisis while "K-Drama" from the 2024 mixtape Pump satirized the cliched "happily-ever-after" endings frequently seen in Korean dramas.

[69] Other songs such as "FAQ" from the critically-acclaimed Remapping the Human Soul and "Born Hater", the lead single of Shoebox, addressed the criticism and hateful online comments written about them by directly quoting the statements.

—Tablo[71]Epik High's hip hop sound has been described as being rooted in "old school" boom bap and the members have cited Dilated Peoples, Rakim and Nas as influences.

[72] However, they have since become known for being more experimental and disregarded the traditional confines of Korean hip hop by incorporating elements or collaborating with artists from other genres such as R&B, trot, soul and Latin music.

[73][74][30] They were among the earliest hip hop acts to collaborate with singers rather than other rappers; having a "featured artist", especially one of a different genre, was uncommon in the Korean music industry before the 2010s.

[6][79][80] Their success on music programs and various charts was considered groundbreaking for a hip hop act, particularly in a landscape largely dominated by idol groups and pop singers.

[88] Despite changing labels several times throughout their career, the trio continued to retain their creative independence, with all three members directly involved in the songwriting process from conception to release.

Rappers Tablo and Mithra Jin mainly contribute to the lyrics and composition while DJ Tukutz oversees the musical direction and post production.

[92][93][21] Unusual for top-selling veteran artists, they personally run the day-to-day operations of their own agency and oversee nearly all aspects of their careers, from group branding to scheduling performances.

[94][22] They adopted several marketing strategies mainly associated with K-pop singers and idol groups rather than hip hop artists, such as appearing on television programs and producing a light stick for their fandom;[75] their light stick was designed in the shape of the finger and named "Park Kyu Bong", a pun of the phrase "fuck you", with various media outlets describing the design and wordplay as befitting of the group's trademark "irreverent", "rebellious spirit".