Get to know GOT7’s leader and all-rounder soloist, JAY B!
Lim Jaebeom—popularly known as JAY B, is a singer, dancer, producer, songwriter, and leader of the world-renowned K-pop group GOT7, the other half of duos JJ Project and JUS2, part of R&B soul crew ØFFSHORE, actor, model, and philanthropist. In other words, he’s an ALL-ROUNDER.
Let’s dive into some facts about Jay B to know him a little bit more.
He’s a Capricorn
Jaebeom was born on January 6, 1994, in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. He is an only child.
Discovered through b-boying
He started b-boying in his middle school days when he failed a school test. Later on, he started joining competitions using his stage name ‘Defsoul’, inspired by Music Soulchild’s ‘Just Friends’ music video. Through this, he was scouted in 2009 by his former agency, JYP Entertainment.
Jay B, alongside Jinyoung, landed first place at JYP Entertainment’s open audition to over 10,000 applicants. Both of them were recognized as the company’s ‘elite trainees.’ They debuted as JJ Project on May 2012 and on January 2014, with Mark Tuan, Jackson Wang, Choi Youngjae, Bambam and Kim Yugyeom, one of the most talented and globally renowned groups ‘GOT7’ was formed.
Debuted as an actor
While everyone knows him as the leader of GOT7, he debuted as an actor in January 2012 through ‘Dream High 2’. He also starred in ‘When A Man Falls In Love’ and ‘Dream Knight’.
Recognized as one of the best leaders in KPOP
When GOT7’s contract ended with their former agency, they individually signed to different labels and he solidified why he’s one of the best leaders in the industry. He studied legalities and worked with lawyers to get the trademark rights for GOT7 and brands such as recordings, merchandise, subunits, performance, etc. It was never easy as he also had solo stuff in between, but through his hard work and dedication, they acquired and owned GOT7.
Them being in different agencies, doing solo activities, and with 2 members overseas did not become a hindrance for them to stay as a group. A huge thanks to Jay B’s leadership and GOT7’s strong brotherhood, they are still one of the strongest groups after 11 years.
A top-tier artist
Incredibly insane vocals, excellent dancing abilities, powerful stage presence, a magnificent producer and songwriter—top-tier artist indeed. He’s someone who always gives his all whenever he’s on stage.
His list of achievements just keeps going on. In his almost 4 years of being a soloist, Jay B already released 1 full album ‘Archive 1: Road Runner’, 5 EPs, 3 of these are under JAY B (SOMO:Fume, Be Your Self, and Seasonal Hiatus) and 2 as Def. (Love and Abandoned Love), and few EPs as part of R&B soul crew, ØFFSHORE. There were also digital singles, collaborations with other artists, and OST for a few dramas.
In addition, he was the 1st Korean soloist to enter Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales Chart at #6 on May 25, 2021 when he released ‘Switch It Up’ featuring South Korean rapper sokodomo.
Licensed scuba diver
In his Daebak Show interview at Dive Studios with Eric Nam in 2022, he talked about his love for scuba diving. One thing that’s really admirable about him is how he puts so much passion into everything he does. He is now a certified rescue scuba diver.
Jay B also mentioned in his recent interview with Marie Claire Korea that he wants to go to Bohol, Philippines to dive.
He loves camping
Another hobby of his is going on a camping trip. It’s one of his ways to relax and enjoy nature. You can check his YouTube account as he already shared a total of 17 camping videos. These are so relaxing and healing to watch.
Check out his latest camping video here.
A cat dad
He has 5 beautiful babies namely Nora, Koonta, Odd, Bereu, and Cake. Now he’s living with 3 (Nora, Bereu, and Cake) and the other 2 (Koonta and Odd) are with his friend.
Film photography enthusiast
His love for art expands to capturing through his lens, especially with a film camera. He was able to hold his first Photo Exhibition ‘Alone’ in 2020. Some of his film photos were also included in his magazine feature for tmrw KOREA.
Here are some of his film shots from tmrw KOREA magazine.
A beautiful man with a good heart
Wonderful things keep coming ‘coz he knows how to share the blessings to others. He made a lot of donations to various foundations and became an ambassador for ChildFund Korea (Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation) in 2018. The profits for his merchandise in SOMO:Fume and Represent collection were all donated to support families in need due to Covid 19 and child abuse.
Moreover, part of the proceeds of POP-UP Store in his recent Exhibition in Bangkok will also be donated to those in need in Thailand. Jay B has a long list of good deeds and those mentioned are just a few. He’s really a gift that keeps on giving!
Ahgase’s bestie
The way he treats his fans is more than just a fan service. He considers each of them as his best friend, but of course, still sets boundaries. He always tries to communicate with everyone the best that he can by interacting through lives, space, X (Twitter) replies, and even in person when he’s doing fan sign events. Jay B’s genuine care for his fans is definitely one of his best traits.
Jay B’s definitely one of the artists you won’t regret stanning. Aside from him being a top-notch and all-rounder, he’s a beautiful person inside and out!
