If you’ve spent any time in K-hip-hop discourse, Lee Young Ji’s name has probably come up and not just because of her rap skills.
Old footage, resurfaced DMs, and a TikTok creator with a long memory have brought back an uncomfortable question: did Lee Young Ji say the N-word on national television, and how did she respond when confronted about it?
The situation isn’t new, but the conversation might be? And once again, it’s forcing fans (and the industry) to reckon with how Black language is treated in Korean hip-hop spaces.
So let’s break it down.
N-Word Controversy: TikToker Brings the Receipts
The renewed attention comes courtesy of TikTok creator @kaechilah, whose video recently made the rounds after landing on a lot of people’s FYPs.
In the clip, he revisits an incident from 2023, alleging that Lee Young Ji said the N-word during an episode of Good Girl and later responded to his DM during the pandemic after he confronted her about it.
According to him, Lee Young Ji did not deny being contacted. In fact, she allegedly responded quickly, apologized repeatedly, and even gave permission for screenshots to be shared.
In his words, here’s how the interaction went:
Every single time I see Lee Young Ji,
I remember the time she said the N word on TV.And then I DM’ed her about it, and she actually responded to me over the pandemic.
There was this show on Mnet called Good Girl,
and I don’t think it was a really big show at all.
But she was, like, kind of one of the rising stars from the show,
I would say, because she was also, like, a part of one of the little rap shows on Mnet.When the show was coming out, I would watch the show and I would do recaps after,
because I understood enough Korean to know what was going on in the episode.
And I’m like, let me get ahead of the curve, right, to get some views.I wasn’t waiting for English subs,
’cause baby, I am the English hub, okay?And I watched one of the episodes and I’m like, wait—
did she just say the N word?But I didn’t think there were any other English-speaking watchers of the show.
But I decided to go on Twitter, and somebody was like,
yeah, it looks like she just said the N word.And not only that, she’s responding to people on Instagram.
So what did I do?
I hit her up in the DMs.Girl, I just re-looked at the DMs, and I don’t know—
it’s kinda like, I started laughing, because, like,
I hate how I sound when I be DM’ing people.I was like,
“Hey, I liked your rap style. Did you say the word?”And she told me how—I think she said she’s a ninja,
or I don’t even know, whatever.But she was like, “Yeah, I’m sorry.”
She, like, kept apologizing in the messages.And then I asked her if I can, like,
share the screenshots in the video that I made.She was like, “Yeah, no problem.”
But she also apologized, like, again.
Like, she kept apologizing.And I was like, I do appreciate that,
not gon’ lie, but, um, yeah.That was the time that I talked to Lee Young Ji
about her saying the N word.Um, I don’t think she said it again.
I don’t know. I don’t really keep up with her, but yeah.So let me re-explain the situation.
So on the show, I heard her say the N word, okay?
But in the messages, she said that she was trying to, like,
replace it with “ninja” or something.That’s a little bit confusing, not gonna lie.
But, girl, I promise you, I heard the N word.So I DM’ed her.
Who Is Lee Young Ji, and Why Does This Matter?
Lee Young Ji first rose to prominence in 2019 after winning High School Rapper 3, becoming the show’s first female winner. Since then, she’s built a reputation for her loud, playful delivery, strong breath control, exaggerated expressions, and punchline-heavy style.
That personality-forward approach helped her do more than win rap competitions. It launched her straight into mainstream variety television, where her chaotic, self-aware energy became especially popular with younger audiences.
She went on to appear on multiple Mnet programs, including Good Girl, where she was positioned as a young, rising star already benefiting from industry backing and public recognition.
Then in 2022, she made history again as the first female winner of Show Me the Money 11, taking home ₩100,000,000 as part of Team Jay Park x Slom.
Her aggressive delivery and high-energy performances earned her “monster rookie” praise and solidified her place in Korean hip-hop’s mainstream.
Her accomplishment as a female rapper in Korea have not unnoticed.
Relatability, Influence, and Where Things Get Complicated
Lee Young Ji has been open about growing up working-class and being raised largely by her grandmother, which adds to her relatability and appeal. She doesn’t come off manufactured, and her humor and self-deprecation have earned her fans far beyond traditional hip-hop circles.
But like many Korean rappers, her style is heavily influenced by Black American hip-hop culture, from beats and slang to delivery and performance aesthetics.
And that’s where these controversies tend to surface.
Borrowing without fully understanding the cultural weight behind certain language has been a recurring issue in K-hip-hop. And when it happens on major platforms, the fallout doesn’t just disappear.
Apologies, Intent, and Impact
Does this situation make Lee Young Ji an irredeemable villain? No.
What makes this moment notable is that, according to the creator, she did respond, did apologize, and didn’t hide behind management during a time when many idols would have.
But intention doesn’t erase impact.
And apologies don’t magically undo why people were hurt or confused in the first place, especially when the explanation itself raises more questions than it answers.
Repeat Behavior in a Viral TikTok?
And just in case anyone thought this was a one-time slip that lived and died in the Good Girl era, another moment reignited the conversation in 2023, this time on TikTok.
Lee Young Ji uploaded a short video lip-syncing to Big Sean’s “I Don’t Fck With You,”* using an audio that was trending at the time. The clip quickly went viral, pulling in hundreds of thousands of views and just as quickly, viewers started doing double takes.
Some netizens questioned whether Lee Young Ji mouthed the N-word during the lip-sync.
Cue the discourse.
Fans immediately jumped to her defense, pointing out that the lyric in question was actually “thinkin’,” not the slur, and that while Big Sean’s song does contain the N-word elsewhere, that specific line does not.
Others admitted they were confused but unsure, asking for clarification rather than making outright accusations. Adding fuel to the defense narrative, Lee Young Ji reportedly liked a fan comment correcting the misunderstanding, signaling that she was aware of the conversation and aligned with the explanation that she mouthed the correct lyric.
So, was she saying it? Technically, no…at least according to the lyrics and many viewers who replayed the clip.
But the reason this moment stuck isn’t because she definitively said the word again. It’s because people were primed to look for it.
When an artist already has a documented history of controversy around a specific word, even a lip-sync can turn into a debate.
Context doesn’t disappear just because the explanation checks out.
And that’s the bigger issue here.
Proximity Matters: When Black Creators Are in the Room
This conversation becomes even more relevant when you look at Lee Young Ji’s current platform.
Her YouTube show No Prepare thrives on candid, unscripted conversations. She regularly hosts artists, eats Korean BBQ, drinks, jokes around, and lets things get messy and unfiltered.
And notably, she’s invited and collaborated with Black artists and creators, like Tyla, in spaces built on openness and comfort.
When you’re close enough to joke about body hair, sweat through Korean BBQ together, and laugh about scammy laser hair removal, you’re also close enough to understand that some words carry real weight.
Proximity removes excuses.
Final Seoul Clout Verdict
So while some fans insist this was all a misunderstanding and others have moved on entirely, this moment still matters.
If you’re going to build a career on a genre rooted in Black culture, you don’t get to be careless with Black language. Period.
And honestly?
I respect fans who speak up.
I respect creators who bring receipts.
And I respect idols far more when they acknowledge mistakes instead of pretending they never happened.
Whether you think this situation was resolved or just quietly swept under the rug. That part’s up to you.
But one thing’s for sure: the internet never forgets, and neither do the people who (allegedly) heard it with their own ears.
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