It’s honestly wild looking at the YG Family roster then vs now.
Seeing those old grids full of artists—BIGBANG, 2NE1, WINNER, iKON, AKMU, Lee Hi, Epik High, Sechskies, G-Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P, CL, Dara, Mino, GD&TOP, JinuSean, ONE, and so many more, just reminds me how stacked the label used to be. It felt like an entire ecosystem of artists with different colors and sounds. There was variety, identity, and a sense that YG was a creative powerhouse.
Fast-forward to today, and the roster feels… empty. Shrunk. Hollow. You look at the current lineup and the contrast is honestly depressing. So many legacies gone, so many careers mishandled, so many groups that could’ve been bigger if the company hadn’t repeatedly sabotaged itself with delays and mismanagement. Between disbandments, contract expirations, quiet departures, and straight-up mismanagement over the years, YG has slowly gone from having one of the most diverse and talented lineups in K-pop to basically a handful of active groups.
And now with AKMU officially leaving as of today. That one hits especially hard. They were one of the last remaining acts truly carrying the “music first” spirit YG used to be known for. They were incredibly consistent, self-producing, and respected. I mean I saw it coming. But still.
What’s also interesting is how YG Actors was quietly freed last year; the entire actors division basically let go to operate independently. Coz if you watch Kdramas and Kmovies than you will be shocked with how stacked the YG Actor divison was. Instead of rebuilding, they’ve been downsizing, restructuring, and losing the very talent that used to define the brand.
On top of that, the YGX division — once promoted as the only entertainment label fully dedicated to dancers — has been dissolved as well. YGX wasn’t just a subsidiary; it was meant to be a full ecosystem for performance talent, operating both YGX Entertainment (for dancer management and production) and X ACADEMY (for dance and vocal training). It positioned itself as YG’s powerhouse choreography and performance unit, even building its own reputation through appearances on shows like Street Woman Fighter. Instead of growing into the top-tier performance brand it was envisioned to be, they let go of that division arm as well.
Altogether, the contrast between “then” and “now” is honestly sad. YG used to feel like a full creative empire — artists, actors, choreographers, producers, all under one powerful umbrella. Now it feels like a fragmented shell of what it used to be, relying on just a few active names to carry the weight of an entire legacy.
It’s disappointing, but it’s also the result of choices YG made over and over again. Even with major players like Naver holding stakes in the company, YG’s management style and internal structure remain too old-school to handle a large, modern roster.
Thoughts?