[A home screen on Netflix. Photo Credits to Pixabay]

Former BigBang rapper T.O.P. has made his surprising return to entertainment through Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2, which premiered worldwide on December 26, 2024.

The highly anticipated sequel to the global phenomenon features T.O.P. as Player 230, which is his first major role since being blacklisted from the industry following a marijuana scandal in 2017.

Choi Seung-hyun, better known by his stage name T.O.P., debuted in 2006 under YG Entertainment as the lead rapper in BigBang, one of the most influential groups in K-pop history. 

His career took a dramatic turn when he entered his military service on February 9, 2017, as a conscripted police officer.

However, his service was cut short in July, 2017 when he was found guilty for marijuana use, which is illegal in South Korea. 

Following his conviction, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison and received a two-year suspension from his mandatory military service.

The scandal ruined his reputation, effectively blacklisting his name in the industry.

Despite several apologies and a 4-year hiatus, his incarceration made it nearly impossible for him to participate in any major production or musical product for nearly 9 years. 

His removal from the public eye eventually led to his resignation from BigBang in May of 2023. 

His appearance in Squid Game Season 2 surprised many fans and marks his reentrance in the K-entertainment industry. 

In a striking parallel to his real-life experiences, T.O.P. portrays Player 230, a character whose life mimics his own struggles. 

He acts as a rapper named Thanos who lost his money betting on cryptocurrency and uses drugs to cope with the horrors of the games. 

Squid Games’ director Hwang Dong-hyuk praised T.O.P. 's performance in an exclusive interview with People magazine, saying it takes “a lot of guts” to reenter the industry and to play a character that is so similar to his own life story. 

The series’ second season builds upon the success of its predecessor, released in 2021. 

The original season followed the journey of Seong Gi-hun, better known as Player 456, a man hounded by loan sharks who entered a competition for 45.6 billion won (approximately 30 million USD) alongside 455 other desperate contestants in a series of deadly games. 

After winning the cash prize at the cost of his humanity and morals, he becomes depressed and lonely, ultimately vowing to put an end to the games and save future participants.

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk drew from his personal experiences and wrote the show as a commentary on South Korea’s classism and socio-economic struggles, issues often concealed to maintain a facade of prosperity. 

Despite - or perhaps because of - the show’s gore and social messaging, it became an instant hit, captivating a global audience. 

The new season sees Player 456 returning to the game with Thanos and 454 other players, determined to put an end to the gory, inhumane competition.

T.O.P. and the rest of the cast’s efforts have resonated strongly with audiences around the world, as evidenced by Squid Game Season 2 achieving the #1 spot in 93 countries upon its debut.