Huang Zitao (Chinese: 黄子韬; pinyin: Huáng Zǐtāo; born May 2, 1993), also known as Tao, is a Chinese rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, model, and businessman. Huang is a former member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo and its Chinese sub-unit, Exo-M. After leaving Exo, he made his solo debut in China in 2015 with the mini-album TAO, under the new stage name Z.Tao. Huang made his acting debut in the romantic movie You Are My Sunshine and later received recognition for his leading roles in Negotiator and The Brightest Star in the Sky.
Huang ranked 25th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2017, 35th in 2019, and 37th in 2020.
On December 27, 2011, Huang was formally introduced as the third member of Exo (with the stage name Tao).
In late 2013, Huang took part in filming for MBC's celebrity diving program Splash!, but withdrew due to injuries, and the show was cancelled due to injuries to multiple other contestants.
He featured in two songs from Zhou Mi's album Rewind, which he penned the rap lyrics to; and appeared as a cast member of the Solomon Islands edition of the SBS reality television program Laws of the Jungle in 2014. He left the show early due to a foot injury on a coral reef during filming and other scheduled commitments.
In June 2015, Huang set up a Chinese agency, 黄子韬Z.TAO Studio. On August 24, he filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment to terminate his contract. Huang claimed the 10-year contract had unjust terms and said he lacks freedom due to the long contract period.[14] However, the Supreme Court dismissed Huang's appeal on March 15, 2018. The exclusive contract between SM Entertainment and Huang is still valid.
In China, SM Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Huang regarding his solo activities. Chinese courts ruled that Huang was entitled to use his name and image for solo activities in China, and dismissed the lawsuit.
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