A prominent player in South Korea's hip-hop scene, Owen rose to popularity in the latter half of the 2010s as a member of the MKIT RAIN label alongside peers like Young West, Nafla, and Loopy. A nimble rapper with a bold, outspoken personality to match, he already had several independent projects to his credit when he teamed up with the MKIT RAIN crew and gained more widespread success with releases like 2018's Changes and its 2019 follow-up, Smile. A prolific artist, Owen has kept up a steady pace of releases heading into the next decade including the 2020 album B.O.Y. (Because of You). He is also known for his many collaborations, particularly with fellow rapper Ph-1 as part of the duo Sous-Chefs.

Born Kim Hyun-Woo in Seoul, he spent part of his adolescence living in New Jersey, where he was turned on to American rap artists like Tupac, Big L, and P-Type. His family returned to South Korea when Kim was a teenager, and after completing his military service, he began to pursue his dream of becoming a rapper. His first bit of exposure came as a contestant on the Korean hip-hop competition Show Me the Money, where he gained valuable experience and some connections in the music world. Using the stage name Owen Ovadoz, he recorded a pair of independent 2014 EPs, Part 1: Owen and Part 2: Ovadoz. A mix of Korean rap styles with American East and West Coast influences, his career started to pick up steam with 2016's P.O.E.M. EP, and he began collaborating with future labelmates like Nafla and Young West.

He soon relocated to Los Angeles, where he, Nafla, Bloo, and several other Korean rappers became the flagship artists of the influential MKIT RAIN label. Over subsequent releases like Changes (2017), Smile (2018), and P.O.E.M. II (2019), he shortened his name simply to Owen and established himself as one of the better-known rappers to emerge from South Korea, producing popular tracks like "City" and "Glendale." His outspoken nature on social media occasionally landed him in hot water, and he also endured a minor drug scandal that had him removed from a later season of Show Me the Money. Still, Owen's work ethic remained strong, and in 2020 alone he issued both a full-length album, B.O.Y. (Because of You), and a mixtape, Strictly Business. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi