[16] Additionally, he and future fellow BigBang member Choi Seung-hyun were "neighborhood friend[s] from middle school" and would often dance and rap together before G-Dragon moved away.

[17] The now-quintet's debut was a moderate success, with their first album selling over 100,000 copies,[24] and included G-Dragon's first solo recording, a cover of the American alternative rock group Maroon 5's single "This Love".

[41] The Korean Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs later asked the government prosecutors to investigate if G-Dragon or YG Entertainment violated laws on obscene performances in his concert.

[53] While working on new solo materials, G-Dragon made an appearance in the Japanese version of Pixie Lott's album Young Foolish Happy, along with T.O.P.

[74] G-Dragon participated in the Infinite Challenge music festival again for the second time on October 17, 2013, in Imjingak, composing and performing the song "Going to Try" with comedian Jeong Hyeong-don.

He also worked on Taeyang's second album Rise, writing and producing the lead single "Ringa Linga" and "Stay With Me", and was a featured artist on the latter track.

[100] Due to bandmate T.O.P's marijuana scandal, and the single's provocative name, "Untitled, 2014" was released to radio instead to avoid further controversy for the artist's record label.

[114] G-Dragon began his two-year mandatory military service on February 27, 2018, by entering the 3rd Infantry Division's boot camp in Gangwon province as an active duty soldier, where he was set to be discharged on October 26, 2019, after completing the requirements.

G-Dragon made further appearances at the 2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon on December 25 and at Le Gala Des Pieces Jaunes in Paris on January 23, 2025, alongside Taeyang.

[129][130] G-dragon is set to feature in the musical variety show Good Day created by Infinite Challenge head director Kim Tae-Ho.

Despite primarily being a rapper, the latter also has G-Dragon only singing over a "single piano accompaniment,"[147] with Jeff Benjamin of Fuse comparing the song to Adele's "Someone like You" for its simplicity.

or "Super Star" is a slow jam fused with trap, filled with brassy drums, Middle-Eastern horns, lilting synths, and a backing chorus.

[152] Preferring to pen lyrics that "sound like an actual story,"[36] G-Dragon has said he injects throughout his songwriting process "a sense of eeriness" writing songs that resemble horror films, like "She's Gone", "Window" and "That XX".

[155] "Crooked" was created to express his natural punk attitude[140] by describing a man "full of angst and despair" that demands to be left alone as he spends the night "like a 'crooked-minded person,' because in the end, he's alone and doesn't need anyone's 'sugarcoated sympathy.

[156] Discussing "cheeky" themes such as money and fame,[139][157] "One of a Kind" from the EP of the same name is often viewed as one of his best works, with Ize magazine listing it as one of the most memorable songs written by G-Dragon, commenting that it raised his status as a hip-hop musician.

[158] "Middle Fingers Up" from Kwon Ji-Yong discusses the diminishing number of his personal relationships and his ever-decreasing social circle[158] while "Bullshit"'s lyrics are self-referential, referencing "Crayon" by name while the canine onomatopoeia recalls the title track of his last album Coup d'Etat.

[150] He takes on a more remorseful approach in "Untitled, 2014", with the rapper apologizing for "his past actions, asking for forgiveness and the chance to see his ex again even if it's just one more time or in his dreams" in what has been described as "a letter to a past lover"[148] He also explored other themes as a producer for BigBang: "If You" was inspired during a time when the artist was in love,[159] "Bae Bae" was inspired by the work of British artist Francis Bacon and the eroticism in his paintings,[160] while "Loser" was written in an attempt to humanize the group.

[172] Billboard K-Town describes his productions as large-scale, dramatic and infused with his personality,[173] often incorporating a live band alongside professional dancers, various costume changes and the use of pyrotechnics.

In a 2017 interview with Elle, he described G-Dragon as someone who is "full of self-confidence" and is "a fancier and stronger person" while Kwon Ji-yong is an "introvert[ed] guy" with "many thoughts in his mind.

[172][178] Rolling Stone India noted how during the third act of the concerts, fans were able to witness "the rather menacing G-Dragon melt away into the shy Ji Yong.

[187] Vogue Magazine stated how his androgynous or gender-bending appearance defies a "society that maintains traditional, patriarchal values and a noted adherence to manufactured beauty ideals.

[195] In 2011, G-Dragon shared that he was initially self-conscious of his role as a musician, noting how he had "changed many things including the tone of my voice because I was conscious about my job when I was in front of others.

[209] In 2016, G-Dragon started endorsing Shinsegae, the largest retailer in South Korea and his merchandises were reported to take up over 49% of sales in the YG store.

[216] After completing his military service, he has been an ambassador for brands such as Nongfu Spring,[217] TS shampoo,[218] Tiger Beer,[219] BMW,[220] and Hana Financial Bank.

[262] His involvement has shaped how new idol groups interact with their music, with The Korea Times acknowledging that his "unprecedented popularity" and recognition "has inspired many young idol-wannabes to become singer-songwriters.

Be'O,[265] Got7's BamBam,[266] BTS's Jungkook and J-Hope,[267] Zerobaseone's Ricky, Astro's Rocky,[268] Seventeen's S.Coups,[269] Jaden Smith,[270] Younha,[271] One,[272] Lee Seung-hwan,[273] Kim Eana,[274] DinDin,[275][full citation needed] and Grimes, who states that K-pop, in particular G-Dragon, has influenced her musical style "more visually than anything else.

[280] Meanwhile, Spin named "Crayon" the best K-pop single of 2012, with David Bevan commenting that the track "almost felt too big for the occasion, too brash to have come from the leader of a boy band.

"[281] In 2013, "Crooked" was voted as MTV Iggy's Song of the Year, with the website commenting that "G-Dragon made a big splash in the world of K-pop and beyond with his solo album Coup d'Etat.

[291] In 2018, 35 executives from 35 companies in the South Korean music industry chose G-Dragon as the best soloist in Korea[292] while ABS-CBN lists him as their favorite K-pop idol leader, citing his creativity, dedication, and hard-work.

[297] In June 2024, the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology named G-Dragon a visiting professor for a two-year period, whereby he would give leadership lectures to students of the university.