Kwon began his career at the age of eight as part of the group Little Roora. After releasing a Christmas album, the group’s contract was terminated by their record company. Although he vowed to his mother that he “wouldn’t do it again,” Kwon was scouted by SM Entertainment while on a ski trip with his family. He was a trainee under the record label for five years, specializing in dance before he left as he was unclear about what he wanted to do.
In third grade, Kwon was introduced to the American rap group Wu-Tang Clan by a friend. Inspired by their music, he developed an interest in rapping and began taking classes at the age of 12. Kwon caught the interest of Sean of the hip-hop duo Jinusean from YG Entertainment when he was 14, who later recommended him to CEO Yang Hyun Suk. After signing a contract with the record label, Kwon spent the first year cleaning the studio for the other artists in the record label and fetching them water bottles during dance practice. He later met Dong Youngbae, another trainee at YG Entertainment. Together, the two were coined as GDYB, with Kwon choosing the stage name of G-Dragon. After six years as a trainee at YG, G-Dragon made his official debut as the leader of the group Big Bang in 2006 with Dong Youngbae (Taeyang) and three other members. G-Dragon released his debut solo album Heartbreaker in August 2009.