![Black-and-white promotional image for Simon Dominic’s [ONYX] LP rollout.](https://hiphopkr.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/simon-dominic-profile-photo-768x505.avif)
Simon Dominic’s [ONYX] has arrived.
The Korean hip-hop veteran released his new LP on May 14, closing the loop on a rollout that began with little more than his name, the word ONYX, and a date appearing across Seoul billboards. HiphopKR previously reported that the campaign had sparked speculation around a possible comeback, with no official confirmation at the time on whether ONYX was a single, album, or something else entirely. That ambiguity is now gone. [ONYX] is a full-length return from one of Korean hip-hop’s most unmistakable voices.
The album is listed as a 12-track rap/hip-hop LP, released through ONYX. with distribution by Warner Music Korea. Bugs lists the project at 39 minutes and 46 seconds, with “Simon Says” and “느껴 (Feat. Masta Wu)” marked as title tracks.
The Billboard mystery becomes a full-length statement
Before [ONYX] was officially confirmed, the campaign worked because it understood Simon Dominic’s current position in Korean hip-hop. He did not need a long explanation. The name was enough.
For years, Simon D has occupied a strange space in the scene: never absent from memory, but increasingly selective with his own releases. His last album-length solo project, 화기엄금 [No Open Flames], arrived in 2019, while his discography since then has been marked more by singles, features, and appearances than by a sustained solo era. Bugs lists TTFU as a 2022 single and 화기엄금 as a 2019 EP, with DARKROOM appearing as a 2018 full-length.
That gap gives [ONYX] its weight. This is not simply a new album from a familiar name. It is Simon Dominic re-entering the room after years of letting the room talk about him.
“Simon Says” reopens the flame
The rollout first sharpened with “Simon Says,” a track that turned his name into a command. Built on repetition, spelling, and self-mythology, the single framed Simon Dominic as both a legacy figure and a present-tense problem.
There is a clear awareness of time running through the track. Lines like “not old, just classic” and “Been busy, outta sight, a mystery” position his absence as part of the performance, not something to apologize for. The song does not ask whether Simon Dominic still belongs in the conversation. It speaks as if the conversation was waiting for him to interrupt it.
“Neukkyuh” brings Masta Wu into the [ONYX] world
Alongside the LP, Simon Dominic released “Neukkyuh” (느껴) featuring Masta Wu, the album’s third track and one of its two title songs. Where “Simon Says” leans into reputation and public return, “Neukkyuh” shifts into something more physical, explicit, and nocturnal.
The track is built around the repeated command to feel. In the English MV transcript, Simon Dominic opens the first verse with a brash, sexually charged performance that matches the song’s club-facing pulse. It is blunt, knowingly excessive, and delivered with the deadpan arrogance that has long made his voice so distinctive. Masta Wu takes the second verse, bringing a veteran presence that cuts through the track with a heavier, more direct attack.
That pairing matters. Masta Wu’s appearance places “Neukkyuh” in conversation with an older lineage of Korean hip-hop authority, while Simon Dominic’s performance keeps the track locked in the present. The result is not polished respectability. It is sweat, bass, ego, and instinct.
[ONYX] Tracklist
Produced by Tommy Yang, [ONYX] runs 12 tracks:
- DOM
- Simon Says
- Neukkyuh (느껴) [feat. Masta Wu]
- Gamsung
- Face Off
- PPAP
- No.1 Stunna (feat. 100KGOLD)
- 1 to 10
- R.A.P (feat. KWON KI BAEK)
- Shhh (feat. TOMMY YANG)
- Lay Low
- Play On Playa
The feature list is tight rather than overcrowded: Masta Wu, 100KGOLD, KWON KI BAEK, and TOMMY YANG. Bugs’ tracklist confirms the features on “느껴,” “No.1 Stunna,” “R.A.P,” and “Shhh.”
That restraint suits Simon Dominic. His strongest work has rarely depended on stacking guest names. It depends on tone: the grain of his voice, his phrasing, the way he can sound amused and threatening in the same bar. Across [ONYX], the title itself points toward density and polish, but the music does not feel overly decorative. It is built around presence.
Simon Dominic after AOMG
[ONYX] also arrives after a major career transition. In 2024, Simon Dominic’s departure from AOMG was reported after a decade with the label. He joined AOMG in 2014 and served as co-CEO alongside Jay Park until 2018 before continuing as an artist under the company.
That context matters because Simon Dominic’s AOMG years shaped much of his public identity. He was not only an artist on the roster; he was part of the label’s architecture during a key period for Korean hip-hop’s expansion into a broader mainstream audience.
With [ONYX], he is no longer returning under that same frame. The album comes through ONYX., with Warner Music Korea listed as distributor, giving this rollout a cleaner sense of separation from the chapter that preceded it.
From Supreme Team to [ONYX]
Simon Dominic’s career has always carried multiple histories at once. For longtime listeners, he remains tied to Supreme Team, the duo with E Sens that helped define a pivotal era of Korean hip-hop. As a soloist, he later built a catalogue that includes Simon Dominic Presents ‘SNL LEAGUE BEGINS’, DARKROOM, and No Open Flames, each project adding a different shade to his voice and persona. Bugs lists his solo full-lengths and EPs across those eras, from SNL LEAGUE BEGINS in 2011 to DARKROOM in 2018 and 화기엄금 in 2019.
That history gives [ONYX] a sharper edge. Simon Dominic is not arriving as a newcomer chasing placement in the current landscape. He is an artist whose name already carries weight, testing how that weight lands in 2026.
[ONYX] Is Out Now
With “Simon Says” and “Neukkyuh” leading the project, [ONYX] presents Simon Dominic in two modes: the public return and the late-night flex. One track spells out the name. The other asks listeners to feel the room he has stepped back into.
After years of selective output, the album makes one thing clear: Simon Dominic is not treating this as a quiet re-entry. [ONYX] is a controlled return from an artist who understands the value of timing, silence, and impact.