kim namjoon biography 2022

See pics for more RM

Korean: 아르엠

South Korea

• Introduction

RM, formerly Rap Monster (랩몬스터), is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and and music producer under Big Hit Entertainment . RM is the main rapper and leader of the worldwide sensation boy group BTS . RM was born on September 12, 1994 with the name Kim Nam-Joon (김남준). At a young age, RM has always been interested in poetry and hip hop music which paved the way for his passion in writing his own lyrics and music. RM continued to pursue his music, becoming an underground rapper and auditioning for different entertainment companies. After a referral from Sleepy , a South Korean Hip Hop artist, RM auditioned and was offered a spot in Big Hit Entertainment. Eventually, RM debuted as the leader of BTS. With hard work and unwavering passion, RM and the rest of his members went on to become one of the most sought after artists of their generation, known not just in South Korea but all over the world. RM released his first solo mixtape, " RM ," in 2015. In 2017, he announced the change of his stage name from Rap Monster to RM, and expressed that his new stage name "could mean anything you want to," like for example, Real Me.

• Discography

땡 (Ddaeng) (with SUGA & J-Hope) - FESTA 2018

• Music video views

News BTS's RM and Jimin Write Messages to ARMY

News younha prepares for her 20th debut anniversary, news bts's rm and v begin military service, feature "see you in the future" — bts rm shares message to fans before military enlistment, feature “the fact that they had to kneel…” - bts’ v and rm kneel live to beg fans not to come to their military enlistment ceremony.

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• Table of contents

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RM (BTS) Profile and Facts

Stage Name: RM (아르엠), his old stage name was Rap Monster (랩몬스터) Real Name: Kim Nam Joon (김남준) Birthday: September 12, 1994 Zodiac Sign: Virgo Height: 181 cm (5’11”) Weight:  76 kg (167 lbs) Blood Type: A MBTI Type: ENTP (his previous results were ENFP and INFP) Representative Emoji: 🐨 RM’s Spotify list: RM’s Heavy Rotations Instagram: @rkive  /  @rpwprpwprpwp

RM facts: – He was born in Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. ( Source ) – His family consists of: Dad, mom, younger sister – Education: Apgujeong High School; Global Cyber University – Electronic engineering major (bachelor) – In 2006 RM studied languages in New Zealand for 4 months. (Bon Voyage 4 – Ep 1) – He’s currently enrolled to Global Cyber University. – Pre-debut he had already been performing as an underground rapper, with several tracks released informally, including a collaboration with Zico (Block B). – He taught himself how to speak English, by watching the TV series “Friends”. – He’s really smart with an IQ of 148. He was previously ranked in the top 1% of the nation in his high school exams. – He speaks English fluently. – RM’s TOEIC (The Test of English for International Communication) score was 900. – There was a rumor among the Korean fans that at the age of 15, Namjoon had a heart surgery with a 30% chance of living (but that’s just a rumor). – Hobbies: Surfing the web, walking in a park, cycling, photography, mountain climbing. – He is good at ice-skating. – He’s a great supporter of LGBTQ+ community. – He has a younger sister the same age as Jungkook but when asked if he would introduce her to him, he said N.O. – His image before debut was a neat and quiet student. – He started to write lyrics since he was in school, on his textbook. – RM has composed/produced 100+ songs. – RM’s nicknames are “Rap Mon” (shortened), “Leader Mon” (because he is the leader) and “God of Destruction” or “the destroyer” (he destroys everything he touches: sunglasses, clothes, doorknobs, bunk bed ladders. Hence, his members gave him this nickname). – Clothes matter to him – His favorite foods are meat and Kalguksu (Korean knife noodles). – BTS has been around since 2010, but they debuted in 2013 because of the constant member change up. RM is the only member left from the original line up. – Despite his rough and tough image, he is very playful and relaxed. – His favorite colors are black, pink and purple. (BTS interview for J-14 Magazine from 170505) – Purple was his favourite colour when he was little. It reminds him of his childhood. (BTS 3rd Muster) – He nicknamed himself as Pink Mon, because he used to like pink. – His favorite number is 1. – His favorite items are clothes, computer, books. – He likes clear weather. – Namjoon had a dream of being a security guard when he was still young. – Rap Mon’s role model is Kanye West and A$AP Rocky. – RM wrote the lyrics of ‘No More Dream’ because he had no dreams when he was in school. – He, along with Jung Hunchul (ex member of Bangtan) wrote a Brave Brother/YG diss track called ‘Hook’. – He wants to be a rich Rapper in 10 years. – He has a dog, whose name is RAP MON. – He would like to make a sub-unit with Jungkook. – He was the first member to join BTS. – He likes to imitate his members. – Rap Mon said that he and GOT7 Jackson are good friends. He said Jackson is very handsome and really good at dancing. – During high school, Rap Mon and BTOB’s Ilhoon were classmates in the same club: Design Club. (Weekly Idol 140702) – On March 4, 2015, he released his 1st solo single, a collaboration with Warren G, entitled “P.D.D (Please Don’t Die)” – He released his first solo mixtape, “RM” on March 17, 2015. – On November 13 2017, Namjoon wrote a message on the group’s official fan cafe announcing he changed his stage name from Rap Monster to RM. Namjoon stated that “RM” could mean anything you wanted, like for example “Real Me”. – On October 23, 2018 he released his “Mono” mixtape. He released three MVs: “Moonchild”,”Forever Rain”, and “Seoul” off of his mixtape. – RM’s ideal date: “It’s like the ordinary college student date. We can see a movie together, eating together, walking together. I want to have love like that. It’s because i can’t at all. (Laugh)” – Some of his popular quotes are: “Jimin, you got no jams” and “Team work makes the dream work”. Other members about RM: – Suga: “On the stage, Rap Mon wears sunglasess and has a powerful image but actually he likes cute things. He keeps the ‘Pocket Monster Ball’ on his bed that he received at a fansign.” – Jin : “The Baby Dinosaur Dolly. He shakes his tail and crushes things.” – Jimin: ” In the fact, he gets hurt easily.” – In the old dorm, he used to shares a room with V. – In the new dorm he has his own room. (180327: BTS’ JHOPE & JIMIN – MORE MAGAZINE MAY ISSUE) – RM is ranked 79th on TC Candler “The 100 Most Handsome Faces of 2018”. – He made his official solo debut on December 2, 2022 with the full-length album “ Indigo “. – On December 11, 2023 RM and V quietly enlisted at the Korean Army Training Center in Nonsan. – RM’s ideal type: “sexy, even to a brain. Someone that is thoughtful and confident”

Note 1: He updated his MBTI result on May 6, 2022. (Source: BTS MBTI 2022 ver. ) He updated his MBTI to ENTP on June 9, 2022. (Source: Instagram Story)

Note 2: Please don’t copy-paste the content of this page to other sites/places on the web. If you use info from our profile, please kindly put a link to this post. Thanks a lot! 🙂 – Kprofiles.com

(Special thanks to An, Kkukiejams, Nane, Hena De la Cruz, kpop ♡, hey in, ᴋᴀᴢᴜᴛᴀ //, MinSuga143, MinCrizz, Once for Twice, Salt, Tara, Laerke MA, AnimeNeko513, Emily, lizzie loves jaehyun ¹²⁷, —–, Antoinette Hines for providing additional info.)

Note: Please don’t copy-paste the content of this page to other sites/places on the web. If you use info from our profile, please kindly put a link to this post. Thanks a lot! 🙂

Related: BTS Profile Quiz: Who’s your BTS boyfriend? RM Discography

• He's my ultimate bias
• He's my bias in BTS
• He's among my favorite members in BTS, but not my bias
• He is among my least favorite members in BTS
• He's my ultimate bias 45%, 39319 votes 39319 votes 45% 39319 votes - 45% of all votes
• He's among my favorite members in BTS, but not my bias 30%, 25934 votes 25934 votes 30% 25934 votes - 30% of all votes
• He's my bias in BTS 16%, 14443 votes 14443 votes 16% 14443 votes - 16% of all votes
• He is ok 5%, 4304 votes 4304 votes 5% 4304 votes - 5% of all votes
• He is among my least favorite members in BTS 4%, 3561 vote 3561 vote 4% 3561 vote - 4% of all votes

Latest solo release:

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RM of BTS Is Embracing the Silence

On his debut solo album, Indigo , the South Korean rapper finds meaning within the noise of global stardom.

O ne year ago today , the leader of the world’s biggest pop group stood beneath bright lights and told more than 50,000 fans about his fears. Kim Namjoon, better known by his stage name RM, had guided his fellow BTS members through the vagaries of early-pandemic life —a canceled world tour, delayed music releases and life plans, illness. In an emotional speech during a Los Angeles concert last December, the then-27-year-old South Korean rapper confessed that he’d spent that time worrying about the future. What if their fans abandoned them? What if he lost his abilities as a performer? But, RM said, those concerns had melted away. “I promise that … I’ll be even better when I’m 30, 35, or 40,” he declared, to an eruption of cheers.

Some people might find this curious—a 20-something artist agonizing over his longevity. Since BTS debuted in 2013, though, RM has been highly conscious of the mark he’s wanted to leave on the music world. In addition to writing a sizable chunk of BTS’s discography, he’s put out two solo mixtapes—2015’s RM and 2018’s Mono —that define his style: cerebral, technically complex, introspective, defiant, wordplay heavy. His lyrics grapple with the nature of art, identity, fame, and love. As the group’s leader and only fluent English speaker, he is often at the forefront of their public appearances, whether in TV interviews and award shows or at the United Nations and the White House .

So it’s fitting that his first official solo album is a record that looks backwards. Today, RM released Indigo , which he calls “the last archive of my twenties.” The 10-track project is a musically omnivorous, profoundly collaborative effort that still feels like the work of an auteur—one who’s spent years refining his own sound and thematic obsessions. At its core, Indigo is a work of hip-hop, but RM infuses it with neo-soul, folk, R&B, electronic, and rock. So instinctive is RM’s tendency to work with others that eight tracks feature other artists (including Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Kim Sawol, and Tablo). Listening to this album is like witnessing a person carve his name into the top of a mountain as a way of saying not just I was here , but also I’m glad you made it too .

W hen I spoke with RM on Zoom two weeks ago, he seemed nervous about Indigo ’s impending release: “I just hope that time flies more quickly,” he told me. Yet a calm, earth-toned aura emanated from my screen. His hair was a natural deep-brown, and he wore dark-rimmed glasses and a loose-fitting olive shirt. I was reminded that, despite being a pop star, RM is drawn to slower, more contemplative forms of art and engagement. He’s an avid reader (and literary influencer), a nature lover, and a museum goer, all of which comes through clearly on Indigo . For instance, the album opener was inspired by the Korean painter Yun Hyong-keun, and the second track playfully extends the metaphor of a “still life” to talk about stagnation and momentum. For RM, Indigo is a way of “speaking silence”—essentially, expressing himself truthfully in a way that doesn’t cause chaos or confusion.

“As a star, or as a famous boy-band member … it’s really hard to be honest and frank,” he told me. “People sometimes misunderstand you. Like, ‘You said something really insensitive’ and ‘I hate you’ … Emphasizing silence is really hard, because you have a lot of platforms, like Instagram and Facebook and YouTube; people have their own minds but can still be easily manipulated by algorithms and articles and other people.” In this environment, he said, knowing when to talk and when to remain quiet is even more valuable.

Which explains why he hesitated to say too much about the meaning behind different songs. “These days, I’m thinking that empty space is really important to the audience … to digest the music on their own,” RM said. “So I don’t want to reveal too many intentions.” Because of that, we didn’t talk about why his first words on Indigo are “Fuck the trendsetter”; nor did we dig into his exploration of intimacy on “Closer” and solitude on “Lonely.” But I did ask about the gorgeous lead single, “Wild Flower,” which features the powerhouse vocals of Cho You-jeen, of the rock band Cherry Filter. (“For me, personally, she’s a No. 1 Korean rock star. She’s a legend.”) The song isn’t quite like anything RM has released before; an epic that swirls like a hurricane, it is sincere, pleading, and full of hard-won acceptance. The lyrics set up a memorable contrast between fireworks and what he calls “flowerworks”: The former burn out brilliantly and quickly, whereas flowers can exist humbly and peacefully for much longer.

RM has spent a long time—seven years, to be exact—thinking about this particular metaphor and its intriguing contradictions. He noted that fireworks can draw millions of people who want to witness their beauty for a 30-minute show. (I immediately thought of the displays that concluded many of BTS’s concerts.) The spectacle of “flowerworks,” though, is simpler and more anonymous. “I think of a field with tons of wildflowers that you don’t even know the names of. You just hold the flowers and throw them into the sky, and they come down so suddenly, maybe after five seconds,” he said, an edge of wonder in his voice. “I want to have a life like more of a wildflower.”

In some ways, you could think of his career thus far as a never-ending series of fireworks: several Hot 100 No. 1s , sold-out stadium shows, mammoth album sales, historic firsts , and a slew of both Korean and American music awards. The day before we spoke, BTS received three Grammy nominations: two for their collaboration with Coldplay on the song “My Universe,” and a third for the music video for “Yet to Come,” which RM acknowledged is the group’s first Korean-language track to be nominated. When I asked how he felt about the news, he replied so quietly that I almost didn’t hear: “Never expected it.” He paused, then added, “I think that’s, you know, thanks to Coldplay.” Which sounds like something a wildflower might say.

L ike much of RM’s past solo work, Indigo is autobiographical without being too literal. He’s keenly aware that much of his youth has been captured online in countless videos, photos, and social-media posts. That willingness to connect is part of what BTS’s fans, known as ARMY , love about the group. But eventually, RM had an epiphany about all this self-disclosure: “My whole life was an exhibition,” he told me. “Unconsciously, or maybe consciously, I’ve been exhibiting my life for decades. So [I said], Okay, then let’s make it into a real exhibition .” He thinks the songs on Indigo unify different facets of his life over the past few years, as well as his different personas. “When you think of Piet Mondrian’s [work], all the paintings are titled Composition , right?” he said, referring to the Dutch painter’s abstract pieces. “At some point, I just realized [my identity] is a composition of my own … I want this album to be a composition of everything.”

That desire to create cohesion out of many parts is reflected in Indigo ’s collaborations. RM said that each featured artist added “frequencies of their own,” and that many were “my stars in my youth” whose music he listened to when he was having a hard time. This album will likely serve the same purpose for many of his own listeners in the coming months. In October, BTS’s label, Big Hit, announced that the members are preparing to step back from their career in order to fulfill their mandatory military service under South Korean law, before hopefully reconvening as a group in 2025. Indigo is expected to be among RM’s last full-length releases until his enlistment ends, and in many ways, it plays like a farewell-for-now . But it also sounds like an artist taking a deep breath and feeling out what new experiences and insights his career might bring in five, 10, or 15 years. He already knows how it feels to stand beneath explosions of color and light. Now it’s time for falling petals.

• Philippines

BTS' RM talks about his different personas: "Kim Namjoon is a human being, a family member, and a friend, and there's RM who makes music."

In RM's Proof of Inspiration clip, the BTS leader talks about his different personas.

#BTS #방탄소년단 Proof of Inspiration - RM #Proof_of_Inspiration #Proof_of_RM #BTS_Proof #RM pic.twitter.com/xkjN8eLBVa — BIGHIT MUSIC (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) May 20, 2022

He has chosen 'Intro: Persona' and 'Stay' to include in their anthology album, PROOF , and shares the opening line "Who am I? " from the 'Intro: Persona'. He goes on to say that the question has been running in his mind since their debut. Kim Namjoon is a human being, a family member, and a friend, and then there's RM who makes music. "I have all these different MEs... and at times I wonder who is the real ME." 

BANDWAGON TV

"I've found that all these personas that I've been shifting between are all me," RM concludes. He also adds that the BTS members and ARMY who have stayed with the different sides of Kim Namjoon throughout the years are his PROOF.

BTS are set to release their PROOF this 10 June 2022. The anthology album will feature 48 tracks including their career-spanning title tracks, unreleased songs, demo versions, and brand new music including title track, ' Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment).'

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RM, the leader of Korean band BTS: Poet, rapper, artist turns 29

Understanding Kim Namjoon, the glue that holds together the famed 'Bangtan Boys'

In an old video that is often shared ahead of RM’s (born Kim Namjoon) birthday, he reads a series of hurtful comments attacking him and his newly formed band, BTS. The comments tell him repeatedly that he can never become a K-Pop idol. With narrowed eyes, RM tells the haters, “I’ll prove it to you.”

A decade later, a journey streaked with glowing awards, pitfalls and numerous highs and tasked with leading a global sensation, it’s probably safe to say that RM had the final say. The crown gets heavier as he often says, but as he maintains, had it not been for BTS , he might not have remained in the music industry.

His path to BTS itself, is a story on its own.A child who loved his poetry, he didn’t have any musical plans before entering adolescence. The power of words always wielded a sword over him, and he could never shake it off. At the age of 11, his tryst with music began after listening to rapper Epik High’s ‘Fly’. He discovered his interest in American rapper Eminem who was sweeping the charts by the early 2000s, and this pushed him to write his own lyrics.

By 2008, RM was rapping in local amateur circles and established himself as an underground rapper with the name ‘Runch Randa’. He grew busy, releasing tracks and collections for other rappers. Much to the chagrin of his parents, his academics were sidelined and they were far from approving of his passion for music. As he once recalled, in a bid to convince his mother to allow him to be a rapper, he asked her if “…she wanted to have a son who was a first-place rapper, or a 5000th-place student?”

He began auditioning for companies, including Big Deal records, where he famously failed the audition because he forgot all the lyrics. Pushed to audition for Big Hit, he impressed CEO Bang Si-Hyuk, and was offered a spot instantly. Without consulting his parents, he accepted the offer, and the production of the hip-hop group began, which is now BTS. He began as a trainee with Min Yoongi (now known as Suga) and dancer Jung Hoseok (Now J-Hope).

And today, he stands as the leader of a band that is often said to have revolutionised K-Pop. Despite being the fourth youngest, he commands a team that had seemingly done the unthinkable for K-Pop: Broken into the West, been nominated for all the prestigious award shows, including the American Music Awards and the Grammys.

They have spoken at the United Nations several times and even visited American President Joe Biden in 2022. The flames of fame have been burning bright for years, but somewhere it burned a little too bright for RM, who has always been transparent with the fandom, called ARMY.

The smooth, concise RM that we see in interviews or even the passionate, angry one we seen on stage, slips away, and we see a vulnerable Kim Namjoon. He doesn’t appear to mince words. During the emotional BTS 2022 Festa, their 9th anniversary, a rather tearful RM told his team members that he feared that the band had lost its way, and he didn’t know what kind of message they were sending with their recent songs, which were raging on the Billboard charts. He revealed that he felt ‘trapped’ within himself. He couldn’t shed it off, because the world wouldn’t let him. “We’ve lost our direction, and I just want to take some time to think,” he had said.

As he explained to American musician Pharrell Williams later, the past decade had been too “intense and hectic” and he wanted to just step away for a while. RM isn’t exaggerating, as he was the one always translating for members abroad in interviews and stood as the representative of the team. In fact, as documented in the memoir, Beyond The Story, a rather wearied RM recalls a day where he had to translate, and navigate through 11 interviews, to the point of fatigue and exhaustion. He also has the Herculean part of steering them through controversial waters. In one particular interview in the US, the band was asked about “the next K-Pop band” that could break into the US. As the members are about to answer, RM tells them quietly to be careful in Korean, and instantly they pick up the hint, and playfully answer, “BTS.”

It's no doubt why his members rally around him and do their best to support and help him whenever they can.

While Jungkook’s profound awe and admiration for RM is well documented, the others hold him in a place of respect and listen to him, even though he might be younger than them. They don’t take his English skills lightly, as an irritated J-Hope once signalled to the translator to do their job, as RM was too tired to find the right words in an interview. “We wouldn’t be anywhere without RM,” J-Hope and Jimin had said after their United Nations visit in 2018. “RM is the starting point of the life that I lead today,” Jungkook had once said.

There’s always love and awe surrounding RM, coming from ARMY and his members. He’s thankful as he says, among other emotions, but it’s his own song-writing and art he returns to, when he needs to center himself. RM turns into Namjoon when it comes to expressing himself in his songs.

Responsible for writing most of the hits in BTS, RM also has his own solos, where he pushes his boundaries and tests his own creativity. His songs from 2015 show his growth and exhibit his sharp wordplay, dry and scathing humour. In 2015, RM, expressed his own rage at naysayers with the song Joke, a brutal stream of consciousness, hitting back at the haters who had mocked BTS. In 2018, he rapped Ddaeng with Suga and J-Hope, where he seemed to have had the most joy.

Here, he plays around with the meaning of Ddaeng, an onomotapoeic word with multiple meanings in Korean, in different contexts, from a doorbell to a buzzer in quizzes. Quiet and scathing, his verse had more than seven meanings of Ddaeng and he changed with other phonetically sounding words such as eoltang (which means ridiculous in Korean) and thang (English, for thing). Another instance of his wordplay is in his verse, Trivia: Love. The lines read, “I’m just a person, person, you erode all my sharp edges, you make me into love, love love.” Here, he plays around with the Korean letters in the two words, Person (sa-ram) and love (sa-rang). In the Korean alphabet, ‘m’ is shown by a rectangular figure, while ‘ng’ is in a circular shape. So, if the ‘sharp edges’ of a rectangle are eroded, it becomes a circle. And so, the person, becomes love.

In 2022, he released the album Indigo, which was another raw insight into himself, as Namjoon, the person and RM the artist. He took fans into his ‘real world’, a world that was untouched by success. As he says in the song Yun, “I want to be a human before I do some art.” He also refuses to be ‘locked in a frame’, as the song Still Art says. An art connoisseur who finds peace in paintings, as he keeps sharing on social media, it’s no surprise that art found its way into his songs. On the other hand, in Wild Flower, he lays himself bare as he just begs the world to let him be himself. He just wants to escape to the fields of flowers, and hopes his loved ones find him there.

Through his songs in the past decade, RM has shown the various shades of Namjoon; the loneliness, the dreams, hopes, tackling fame, and the exhaustion of holding on to his identity.

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How RM of K-pop group BTS became one of the art world’s biggest and youngest influencers

More people visit museums and galleries when he has posted about them and south korean artists are experiencing a global boost from his patronage.

RM of K-pop boy band BTS is an influential art collector who champions South Korean artists and has amassed a multimillion-dollar private collection. Reuters

As a member of one of the world’s biggest boy bands, BTS ’s RM, 28, has amassed an estimated $22 million fortune, according to reports.

But RM, whose initials stand for “Rap Monster” and whose real name is Kim Namjoon, hasn’t taken the traditional wealthy young musician’s route of spending his money on fast cars and big houses.

Instead, he has become one of the art world’s biggest and youngest influencers, putting together a personal collection that includes works by South Korean artist Yun Hyong-keun, American minimalist Joel Shapiro and most recently a $1.2 million sculpture by American multidisciplinary artist Roni Horn.

Instagramming his private collection

View this post on Instagram A post shared by RM (@rkive)

For the past few years, RM has been sharing his acquisitions both on Instagram and in videos on YouTube where he maintains a vlog about his life and travels.

“I think young people these days use their Instagram feed to represent themselves,” he told Artnews . “My Instagram account is literally ‘just an archive’ about myself. I’m sure that people are familiar with RM as a public figure on stage … This is an archive for both RM and Kim Namjoon, and I’m also doing it for myself in the future.”

Investing in his financial future has resulted in him travelling the world on art-buying trips. He shared a video in July of his trip to the Art Basel art fair in Switzerland , as well as the Vitra Design Museum, saying: “I’m here to see the chairs.”

Taking in furniture by Eames and Alexander Girard, he also admired work by Tadao Ando and Jean Prouve.

Calling Art Basel the “world’s greatest art fair”, he said: “I’ve been to art fairs in Korea a few times, but I’ve always wanted to visit Art Basel when abroad."

Championing South Korean artists

Chief among RM’s collection are pieces by South Korean artists. He has shared two pieces he owns by Yun Hyong-keun on social media and champions the work of modernist Lee Bae.

During his trip to Art Basel, he highlighted pieces by Do Ho Suh, Lee Seung Jio, Yoo Youngkuk and Nam June Paik, the latter of whom has emerged as one of the singer’s favourite artists. He also attended the Kukje Gallery in Seoul for a recent Yoo exhibition.

“I tend to choose an exhibition that is featuring my favourite artist, or a place that I’ve been curious about, such as the Guggenheim Museum and the Glenstone Museum,” he told Artnews . “In Korea, I visit museums that feature the artworks of modern and contemporary Korean artists. When I’m abroad, I choose based on the space and artists themselves.

“I like to think about how different spaces give the artwork a different energy and feeling. When seeing works of Korean artists in foreign countries, nationality doesn’t count so much. But I can definitely say that seeing Yun Hyong-keun’s works at the Palazzo Fortuny in Venice and exhibited alongside Donald Judd’s works at the Chinati Foundation left me in awe.”

Inspiring art appreciation in fans and Gen Z

RM sharing his appreciation for art has resulted in an uptick in visitors to the museums and galleries he promotes.

The effect even has a name: “Namjooning”, in which fans, known at the BTS Army, partake in RM’s hobbies and passions and post photos of themselves on social media using the hashtag.

Many establishments have experienced the effects of #namjooning. The Rothko Chapel and The Menil Collection in Houston, Texas, and contemporary art museum The Broad in Los Angeles have all reported an increase in visitors keen to replicate photos RM posted of himself during his visits.

At Washington National Gallery of Art, after the singer shared a photo of himself sat on a bench alongside a selection of his favourite works — including by Claude Monet, Amedeo Modigliani and Paul Cezanne — the gallery experienced a huge increase in Instagram followers.

As well as collecting, RM has also stepped into the role of art supporter. In 2020 he donated 100 million South Korean won (about $73,000) to Seoul's National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) so it could reissue out-of-print art books for libraries. The act resulted in RM being named as Art Sponsor of the Year by Arts Council Korea.

“We are very happy that RM, who has a high global influence, is an art lover,” said the MMCA’s director Youn Bummo in a statement about the donation.

Gaining the respect of the art world

RM told the Intersections: The Art Basel Podcast that his art collection "really gives me a standard by which to live as a better man and a better adult".

"I just want to make timeless music that I admire," he said.

Not only has he been able to introduce his legion of fans to contemporary art, he has also earned the admiration of the art world for his knowledge and enthusiasm.

Korean art dealer Park Kyung-mee, who owns the influential PKM Gallery in Seoul, said the singer has made art more accessible to younger people and the public by sharing his experiences on social media and via his vlog. “He is throwing away the kind of barrier between the art institutions — galleries and museums — and younger people."

RM told The New York Times of his art collection: “I feel like they’re watching me. I’m motivated. I want to be a better person, a better adult, because there is this aura that is coming from these artworks on display. [When I'm feeling] tired or let down, I sometimes stand there and have a conversation."

Of his future plans for his own public art space, he told the newspaper: “I want it to be really quiet and calm, but it must still look cool. I think that there’s something that I can offer as an outsider of the art industry."

• Manage Account

RM’s ‘Indigo’: Every Song Ranked

From collaborations with Anderson.Paak and Erykah Badu to new genre explorations, this is our take on the standout songs from the BTS leader's album.

By Jeff Benjamin

Jeff Benjamin

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When RM officially introduced himself to the music industry through BTS ‘ debut in 2013, the then-18-year-old Kim Namjoon was known through the stage name Rap Monster after being praised by hip-hop veterans for his spitting abilities, but he later shared a love-hate relationship with the moniker. In 2017, the star made the formal move to professionally go by RM after realizing it didn’t fully represent who he was or his love for all music. Instead, “RM” now opened his name up to represent a range of meanings, one of them thought to be the “Real Me.”

Even if rap is where RM started, his first proper solo album, Indigo , shows that it’s only one facet of the musician. With assistance from longtime musical legends in different genres, plus rising up-and-comers, the LP is a collection of songs that the star describes as an “archive” of his 20s.

Not only are RM’s artistic inspirations wide, but the 28-year-old plays with how he presents them to the world. On one track, he’s feeling feisty and confident to take on the world, and later, he’s reflective and alone in his hotel room. RM is not trying to bring what’s topping the charts today to this record, but it’s meant to showcase the ever-evolving people we are and become. Captures and snapshots of the “real” Kim Namjoon live throughout the album, but Indigo emphasizes that he is not a static piece of art.

While it’s tough to rank these songs from “worst” to “best,” Billboard is taking these flickers of RM and looking at how the global star is opening himself up in new musical form.

"Forg_tful (With Kim Sawol)"

Alongside Korean folk singer Kim Sawol, “Forg_tful” is the cleverly titled acoustic number that gives another opportunity for RM to tell a more vulnerable story. Despite the simple and stripped-back production and vocals from both singers, “Forg_tful” opens up about the hectic nature of life when the little things slip by. A satisfying folky whistle pops in and out through the track to make this one of the most enjoyable listens on the album despite some melancholy subject matters.

"No.2 (With Parkjiyoon)"

The gorgeous album closer features K-pop legend Parkjiyoon, who entered the entertainment industry as a teen to explosive attention before taking a long hiatus from music and returning as a singer-songwriter with creative control. A comforting note to end the album, “No.2” speaks to looking forward instead of to the past and acknowledging one has done their best.

Ahead of the release of Indigo , RM shared that he saw the LP as a scrapbook of his twenties. Ending the LP with a simple and comforting song like “No.2” sees the superstar at peace and ready to move to whatever comes next in his next part.

"Yun (With Erykah Badu)"

Let’s make one thing clear: Erykah Badu doesn’t collaborate with just anyone. The Grammy-winning neo-soul queen hasn’t even been on a record in over two years with “Yun” marking a special and rare music moment as the opening track for Indigo .

The chilled-out, jazz-tinged R&B track acts is a perfect introduction to Indigo , setting the scene that this is far from anything we’ve heard from RM, or BTS, so far. But thematically, it also sets up RM’s mindset about returning to his initial passion for creating art and music. “I wanna be a human/ ‘Fore I do some art,” he says on the chorus noting that one needs to get back to the person inside before they’re able to create anything of substance.

“Yun” is directly inspired by one of RM’s favorite artists, the late Korean painter Yun Hyongkeun, whose voice is first heard at the song’s start. Along with Badu, RM’s larger messages of authenticity and internal reflection have co-signs from two artists that boast timeless work and appreciation throughout the decades to make 28-year-old RM’s thesis all the more impactful.

RM performed a solo rendition of “Yun” during his Tiny Desk Concert for NPR, which you can watch above, starting at the 6:10 mark.

"Hectic (With Colde)"

In addition to sharing this album with musical legends from around the world, Indigo also shines the spotlight on rising talent including Korean rapper-singer Colde on “Hectic.” Over a thumping, city-pop beat courtesy of longtime BTS collaborator Pdogg, both RM and Colde display their range with deliveries weaving through vocal harmonies and rap bars.

Like so much of BTS’ genre-bending music that RM helped helm, “Hectic” is tough to categorize into only hip-hop, R&B, pop or any other genre for easy classification, but that’s why the two work so well on this track together detailing an emotionally draining night out.

"All Day (With Tablo)"

After years of admiration between RM and Tablo’s respective crews (including BTS’ Suga helping produce a track for Tablo and his Epik High group for a 2019 album), the two band leaders come together on this energizing, empowering anthem.

With some of the best wordplay on the album, fans will enjoy parsing through the rowdy shoutouts, clever BTS references, and bold declarations to refuse to bend to trends or the times. We’re eagerly waiting for this one to get a live festival or television performance one day.

"Still Life (With Anderson .Paak)"

No doubt the track that will most likely instantly connect with international audiences, “Still Life” once again brings two artists who have long admired one another together on a new collaboration. Anderson .Paak brings his famously funky style for this feel-good that messages encouragement and moving forward in life no matter what. RM and Anderson refuse to sit pretty like a painting and instead encourage listeners to break out of their canvases.

There are many great lines in “Still Life,” but our favorite might be “Trendsetter? I’m a friend, better” which speaks to the message RM and BTS have had since their inception of being idols that could create an intimate connection with fans and worldwide music listeners.

One of the most surprising tracks, “Lonely” lets RM gets to go full-on pop star on the second of two tracks he handles completely solo on  Indigo . While BTS’ main vocalists have always tackled the big notes, “Lonely” displays that listeners shouldn’t forget RM’s oft-underutilized vocals and they carry the explicit, catchy, relatable tune.

The star describes feeling trapped by your choices, looking for relief with a friendly phone call and going home. RM is fed up, drunk, and wasting time on “YouTube and Netflix,” his emotions building up in the fervent pre-chorus before the track flips into its relatively simple chorus where RM admits: “I’m f-cking lonely.”

"Closer (With Paul Blanco & Mahalia)"

The only track with two featured artists, “Closer” brings RM alongside two global stars to watch via Korea’s R&B-pop star Paul Blanco and British-Jamaican singer-songwriter Mahalia. With mass appeal across listeners in different genres, the trio feels entirely in sync with one another, leveling up after each section as they provide their unique spin on the complexities of doomed intimacy.

RM’s storytelling skills and relatability particularly shine on “Closer” where the superstar who seemingly has every opportunity at his fingertips still knows deep down what he can and can’t have. Mahalia’s icy delivery and Blanco’s vibrant vocal switch-up only aid the story’s growth.

"Wild Flower (With Youjeen)"

By 2022, RM has worked intimately with superstars like Coldplay, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Fall Out Boy and more. The lead single off his first proper solo project could have easily been a radio-friendly crossover cut ready to send him into a new career stratosphere. But RM decided on the four-and-a-half minute, Korean-focused track “Wild Flower” with a ’90s rock legend as the album’s centerpiece. It was a full artistic statement best representing the messages within  Indigo .

With the idea of capturing the momentary excitement and wonder of a firework, the “Wild Flower” (or “flowerworks” as called in the song) is the metaphor RM and featured vocalist Youjeen use to encourage themselves to shine in the world. From her band Cherry Filter breaking through Korea’s male-dominated rock scene in the ’90s, Youjeen is a trailblazer in Korean industry and the singer’s piercing delivery on the explosive chorus gorgeously captures the hope, pain and confusion that comes from the spotlight—made all the more difficult when there’s no roadmap for you to follow.

“Wild Flower” is personal and heartbreaking, but it’s also hopeful. RM has spoken about his fear of losing his love of music from the industry and, even in the hours before the release of  Indigo , shared how he knew “Wild Flower” wasn’t the smartest business move for today’s streaming- and playlist-focused music scene. But like BTS has done for years with RM at the helm, he stayed true to an artistic vision and felt this was the statement he needed to share with the world. These are the things RM needed to share with fans as he and his bandmates move into “Chapter Two” of their careers.

We know not everything is perfect, but we at least, once again, can count on RM to always keep it real with us.

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The Most Endearing Habits of BTS' Leader Kim Namjoon

Kim Namjoon is  BTS ' leader and 1/3 of their powerful rap line, the so-called president of ARMYs, and a proud member of one of the biggest boy groups in the world.

Aside from him being ARMYs "Best leader," the youngest most credited artist of KOMCA , and all the undeniable achievements that surround him, as much as intimidating as he seems, Joonie, is an endearing person in a six-foot-tall body!

Here are some of his most endearing characteristics and habits that ARMYs have seen through the years.

1. He often forgets how "HUGE" he is

He might be tall and strong, but he sometimes forgets he is, resulting in adorable interactions with other BTS members and even just how he acts!

namjoon forgetting how big/strong he is sominhae

The gentle giant sometimes forgets he is huge and tall, seen in the clip of him being unable to digest as to why the same jacket doesn't fit him the way J-Hope does.

The way Namjoon doesn’t understand why the jacket fits differently on Hobi than on him sominhae

2. His "eye" thing

ARMYs automatically know it when you mention something regarding Namjoon's eye thing. His beautiful eyes turn into small slits whenever he smiles and laughs...but in split seconds, he opens them widely.

a compilation of namjoon doing his eye thing when he smiles 🥺 monipersona

He may or may not realize he does it frequently, even during live performances and concerts where he is usually giving off a much-intimidating vibe!

always soft for namjoon’s eye thing 🥺😭 iSwoonforJoon

It really is one of the most endearing habits Namjoon has, and you can never blame ARMYs for loving him even more because of it!

therapy: expensive this video of namjoon doing the eye thing : free and 100% effective foreverebangtan

3. He talks to himself in the third person

Who could be your best cheerleader other than yourself? Namjoon tends to talk to himself in the third person whenever he feels excited, or whenever he wants to cheer himself up!

namjoon talking to himself in third person is the most endearing thing iIlejeons

There's even a whole compilation of Namjoon's endearing habit of talking to himself in various situations and contexts. He's really lovely and ARMYs keep on winning with their Cute Namjoonie agenda!

Namjoon's habit of talking to himself : an endearing thread - SIMP4KNJ

4. He loves to bounce.

You'd think that because of his intimidating aura while rapping and commanding stage presence, he's rather stoic even off stage. However, ARMYs have seen his habit of doing small jumps whenever he's so excited and hyped!

here’s a compilation of namjoon's cute bouncing habit because that’s the most adorable thing ever. he excited? he bounce! we love the president of the uwu nation joonieskys

5. He talks cutely to animals

Yes, and Jimin is indeed right when he mentioned in a video before that Namjoon is innocent more than he seems. The gentle giant, also frequently dubbed by ARMYs as a golden retriever himself, tends to talk to animals whenever he sees one.

TIME TO UPDATE THIS COMPILATION 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️ dailynamjoonin

One of the most famous clips of Namjoon during Bon Voyage was him cutely cooing the stingray! How could he even be more loveable and endearing?

ᵂᵉᵉᵘ ʷᵉᵉᵘ ʷᵉᵉᵘ ʷᵉᵉᵘ dailynamjoonin

6. Acting cute and covering his face afterward

Along with other BTS members, he surely loves to show his cute sides to ARMYs, especially during fan meets or concerts where they can meet eye-to-eye. However, right after acting cute, he brings his hands to cover his face and giggles cutely!

a soft and precious concept: when Namjoon is acting cute and then getting all shy afterwards covering his face with his hands, must protect sceneryfortae

Even when he was asked by the members to try the ending fairy pose for Boy With Luv, he ended up covering his face. Shy Namjoon is an endearing Namjoon!

Namjoon doing the boy with luv ending pose in the cutest way and then covering his face bc he’s shy 😭 beginkv

7. Hiding his top lip

Now, this is something probably not everyone knows and probably also a habit he unknowingly does, but Namjoon sometimes bites his top lip and eventually hides it, making way to show his cute pearly whites!

here's a compilation of namjoon doing his endearing habit of hiding his top lip so his teefies are peeking out :(( floofyjoon

8. Offering lip balm

ARMYs are convinced that maybe, offering lip balm is Namjoon's love language. He does it a lot of times, especially seen during events with other members.

namjoon’s love language is lip balm; an endearing compilation ♡ tetemystar

He has been seen carrying lip balm every time and may be worthy of the title of BTS' Official Lip Balm Supplier. He has been seen giving them to members anytime, particularly frequent with his little one, their golden maknae, Jungkook !

namjoon being jungkook's everlasting lip balm supplier 9497hr

Here are only some of the many endearing habits Kim Namjoon has! Truly, his existence alone embodies love. Which among his cute habits is your favorite?

• RM (Rap Monster)

BTS's V praised for his sensible airport fashion with the bag that he designed

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I love, admire, and respect this man so much.

I love the smart and goofy side that RM has and the aura he has when he's on stage is awesome

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• Songwriters
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Kim Nam-joon (김남준), better known by his stage name RM (short for Real Me [8] , formerly known as Rap Monster (랩몬스터) and Runch Randa (런치란다)), is a South Korean rapper-songwriter and record producer under Big Hit Music . He is a member of the boy group BTS , and has the positions of leader and rapper .

As a solo artist, he has released his first mixtape RM , on March 20, 2015 and his second mixtape Mono , on October 23, 2018. He then made his official solo debut with his first studio album Indigo on December 2, 2022.

In 2020, RM was promoted to full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association . [9]

• 1 Early life
• 3.1 2010-2013: Big Hit Entertainment and debut with BTS
• 3.2 2014-2016: First solo collaborations, RM, and Problematic Men
• 3.3 2017-2021: Second mixtape Mono and further collaborations
• 3.4 2022: Solo debut
• 4 Artistry and impact
• 5.1 Studio albums
• 5.2 Mixtapes
• 5.3 Digital singles
• 5.4 Collaborations
• 5.5 Features
• 5.7 Solo songs credited as BTS
• 5.8 Unofficial songs
• 5.9 Original songs
• 5.10 Adapted songs
• 5.11 Cover songs
• 6.2 Variety shows
• 6.3 Music shows
• 6.4 Music videos
• 7.1 Concert participation
• 8 Endorsements
• 9 Photobooks
• 10 Producing and writing credits
• 11 Awards and nominations
• 15 Video Gallery
• 16 References

Kim Nam-joon was born on September 12, 1994, in Dongjak-gu, South Korea, and grew up in Ilsan-gu, where his family moved when he was four or five. He is the elder of two siblings and has a younger sister.

As a child, RM largely learned English by watching Friends with his mother. [10] As a student, he actively wrote poetry and often received awards for his writings. He posted his work to an online poetry website for roughly one year, where he received moderate attention. Through this, RM grew interested in pursuing a literary career but decided against it. At the age of 11, RM became interested in hip-hop music after hearing Epik High 's "Fly" in fifth grade. He found that the song had provided him comfort, and, due to this, decided to look further into the genre. Following an introduction to American rapper Eminem by his schoolteacher, RM grew interested in lyricism, printing lyrics he felt were "cool" and sharing them with his friends. RM transitioned to writing lyrics then, stating that his poetry became lyrics when it combined with music. In 2007, as a first-year middle school student, RM began rapping in local amateur hip-hop circles, creating his first self-composed recording for the first time using the program Adobe Audition (then called Cool Edit). He later participated in his first concert in 2008. RM eventually became more active in the underground Korean hip-hop scene under the moniker "Runch Randa", releasing a number of tracks and collaborations with other underground rappers, such as Zico .

In school, RM scored in the top 1% of the nation in the university entrance examinations for language, math, foreign language and social studies and had an IQ of 148. [11] RM's parents were strongly opposed to his interest in a musical career due to his academic achievements, and initially, RM decided to set music aside to focus on his studies. In order to convince his mother to allow him to be a rapper, he asked her if "she wanted to have a son who was a first-place rapper, or a 5,000th-place student".

RM selected the name "Rap Monster" during his time as an idol trainee. Though commonly misunderstood that the name means that he "raps like a monster", it actually derives from the lyrics of a song he wrote, inspired by San E's "Rap Genius". The lyrics contained a segment where San E declares he should be called a "rap monster" as he "raps non-stop". He adopted the stage name because he felt it was "cool". [12] RM has described himself as having a love-hate relationship with the name, feeling that it was not selected for being of "incredible value" to him.

He formally changed his stage name to "RM" in November 2017, as he determined that "Rap Monster" was no longer representative of who he was or the music that he creates. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight RM stated that "[the name] could symbolize many things. It could have more spectrums to it. "Real Me" was provided as a possible current meaning.

2010-2013: Big Hit Entertainment and debut with BTS

RM promoting 2 Cool 4 Skool in June 2013.

In 2009, RM auditioned for Big Deal Records, passing the first round along with Samuel Seo but failing the second round as he forgot all his lyrics. However, following the audition, rapper Sleepy exchanged contact information with RM, who he later mentioned to Big Hit Entertainment producer Pdogg. In 2010, Sleepy contacted RM, encouraging him to audition for Big Hit CEO Bang Si-hyuk. Bang offered RM a spot at the record label, and, without his parent's knowledge, RM accepted the offer immediately. The interaction caused Bang and Pdogg to start production of a hip hop group, which eventually became idol group BTS. RM joined Big Hit Entertainment shortly after at age 16. [13] During his career as an idol, he enrolled at Global Cyber University.

RM trained for three years with fellow rapper Min Yoon-gi and dancer Jung Ho-Seok, who later became known as SUGA and j-hope respectively. [14] [15] During his three year trainee period, RM performed on five pre-debut tracks credited to BTS in 2010 and 2011. He also worked as a songwriter for girl group Glam and helped pen their debut single, " Party (XXO) ", an explicitly pro-LGBTQ song which was praised by Billboard as "one of the most forward-thinking songs out of a K-pop girl group in the past decade." [16] On June 13, 2013, RM made his debut with BTS, and has since produced and written lyrics for a variety of tracks on all of BTS' albums. On August 29, 2013, RM performed the intro track to BTS' first extended play O!RUL8,2? , which was released as a trailer ahead of the EP's September 11 release and marked his first solo released collectively as "BTS". [17]

2014-2016: First solo collaborations, RM, and Problematic Men

RM promoting Problematic Men in 2015.

On August 5, 2014, Big Hit Entertainment released a trailer for BTS' first studio album Dark & Wild , which was set to release on the August 20. The rap track, later released as collectively under BTS " Intro: What Am I To You ", was a solo performed by RM. Through reality television show American Hustle Life that was used to produce Dark & Wild, [18] RM formed a working relationship with Warren G, who offered to give BTS a beat. In an interview with Korean magazine Hip Hop Playa, Warren G stated that he had befriended BTS through the program and had kept in touch with the band after they returned to South Korea. On March 4, 2015, RM released a single with Warren G entitled, " P.D.D (Please Don't Die)" ahead of his first solo mixtape RM, following an offer by Warren G to collaborate. This track reflected how RM felt towards those who hated and criticized him at the time, which he used to find very upsetting.

That same March, RM collaborated with hip hop project group MFBTY along with EE and Dino J as a feature for the song " Buckubucku ". He featured in the music video for "Buckubucku," and also had a cameo in another MFBTY music video for their song, "Bang Diggy Bang Bang". RM first formed a lasting working relationship with MFBTY member Tiger JK during a TV show in 2013 when Tiger JK was promoting his song "The Cure", telling the rapper that he grew up listening to him. [19]

RM was cast as a regular on the Korean variety program Problematic Men where cast members are given a variety of puzzles and problems to solve and work through them by talking about their own thoughts and experiences. The program began airing on February 26, 2015, however RM left the show after 22 episodes due to BTS' 2015 Red Bullet world tour . [20]

RM shooting " Do You " music video in 2015.

On March 17, 2015, RM released his first solo mixtape, RM , which ranked 48th on Spin's "50 Best Hip Hop Albums of 2015". The mixtape featured a variety of topics such as RM's past on the track " Voice " and the idea that "you're you and I'm me" in the track " Do You ". When discussing his work on the track " God Rap ", RM described himself as an atheist, believing that the only thing that determines his fate was his own self. The entirety of his work on the mixtape took around four or five months, with RM working on it in between BTS' activities. The following year, RM recalled that he had largely written about the negative emotions he had been carrying, such as anger and rage, but stated that the songs are not "100% under [his] sovereignty" and that he felt many parts of the mixtape were "immature". He also added that he hoped his next mixtape to be something he worked on by himself. Following the mixtape, RM featured along with Kwon Jin-ah on Primary 's " U " that April. [21] That August, RM collaborated with Marvel for Fantastic Four's soundtrack in Korea, releasing the digital single, " Fantastic " featuring Mandy Ventrice through Melon, Genie, Naver Music, and other music sites. In August 2016, vocal duo Homme released a single titled "Dilemma" which was co-produced by RM and Bang Si-hyuk.

2017-2021: Second mixtape Mono and further collaborations

In March 2017, RM collaborated with American rapper Wale on a special socially-charged track called " Change ", released as a free digital download along with an accompanying music video filmed about two weeks prior to the track's release. [22] The pair first formed a relationship over Twitter with Wale reaching out to RM in 2016, having seen RM's cover of his track "Illest Bitch". RM decided on the topic of "Change", saying that though the two rappers were extremely different, their commonality lay in the fact that both America and Korea had their political and social situations and both of them wanted the world to change for the better. [23] That December, RM featured on a remix of Fall Out Boy 's song " Champion ". [24] The track reached number 18 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and helped RM reach number 46 on the Emerging Artists Chart for the week of January 8, 2018. On December 27, RM made history as the first K-pop artist to chart on the Rock Digital Songs chart, coming in at number two on the list. [25]

RM shooting " Persona " comeback trailer in 2019.

In 2018, RM released his second mixtape entitled Mono that October, which he referred to as a "playlist". He became the first Korean artist to rank number one on the Emerging Artists Chart in the United States with the playlist. [26] The playlist was critically well-received, with RM laying "his deep insecurities bare on songs like ' Tokyo ' and ' Seoul '". [27] The track "Seoul" was produced by British electropop duo Honne . He first discovered RM after seeing him recommend their music on Twitter and eventually met him in Seoul following one of their concerts. The interaction caused the duo to want to collaborate with RM. [28] That November, RM also collaborated with Tiger JK on his last and final album as Drunken Tiger before retiring the name, featuring on the track " Timeless ". Tiger JK originally expected RM's lyrics to contain self-praise, which was the trend of rap at the time, but RM wrote the lyrics to leave behind the historical meaning of Drunken Tiger's name.

On March 25th, 2019, Honne announced that RM had provided a feature on their remake of " Crying Over You ◐ " alongside singer BEKA, which released on March 27th. Honne had originally released "Crying Over You ◐" in 2018, with just BEKA providing a feature. The song was originally slated for a January 2019 release but was postponed due to "unforeseen circumstances". Chinese singer Bibi Zhou was added to the Chinese release, appearing with RM and replacing BEKA. The same day as release, Big Hit Entertainment released the song " Persona " as a trailer for BTS' upcoming studio album Map of the Soul: Persona , performed as a solo by RM. [29] Persona debuted at 17 on Billboard's YouTube Song Chart. [30] Three months later, on July 24, 2019, RM featured on the fourth official remix of Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," entitled " Seoul Town Road ", "infuse[ing]...his English-language verse with a surprisingly good Southern twang". On December 29, it was announced that RM would be featuring on Younha's forthcoming track, " Winter Flower ", to be released on January 6. RM also features on " Don't ", the title track of Korean singer eAeon's second solo album released on April 30th, 2021.

2022: Solo debut

During BTS' ninth anniversary celebrations in June 2022, RM announced that the band members would be devoting more attention to individual music endeavors going forward and that future projects would be released as commercial albums, complete with promotional activities, instead of as free or unpromoted mixtapes. He subsequently appeared as a featured artist on the single "Sexy Nukim" by alt-K-pop group Balming Tiger in September, and released his debut solo studio album, Indigo , led by the single "Wild Flower", on December 2. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, making him the highest-charting Korean soloist in chart history.

Artistry and impact

RM is a baritone. In 2017, American hip-hop magazine XXL released a list entitled "10 Korean Rappers You Should Know", which included RM. Writer Peter A. Berry promises that "Rap Monster rarely fails to live up to his name." He describes the young star as "one of the region’s most dexterous rappers, capable of switching flows effortlessly as he glides across an array of diverse instrumentals." Crystal Tai from South China Morning Post stated RM received a lot of praise for his natural flow and lyrics and that he's got some " My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy mixed with Earl Sweatshirt and Chance the Rapper" in him. In January 2020, he was promoted from associate to a full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association.

In a survey conducted by Gallup Korea , RM ranked as the 12th most preferred idol of the year for 2018. He ranked 11th in 2019. In 2018, RM was awarded the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit by the President of South Korea along with the other members of BTS, for his contributions to Korean culture. In December 2020, the Arts Council of Korea named him one of its ten 2020 Patrons of the Arts, in recognition of his donation of 100 million won to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art for the printing and distribution of various rare art books to schools and libraries in rural and mountainous regions.

Discography

See also: BTS Discography

Studio albums

• Indigo (2022)
• Mono (2018)

Digital singles

• " Bicycle " (2021)

Collaborations

• " Perfect Christmas " (with Jo Kwon, Lim Jeong-hee, Joohee and Jung Kook ) (2013)
• " P.D.D " (with Warren G) (2015)
• " Change " (with Wale) (2017)
• Lee Seung Gi - " 널 웃게 할 노래 (Feat. 방탄소년단, 하림) (A Song Make to You Smile (Feat. BTS and Hareem)) " (with j-hope and Hareem) (credited as BTS ) (2011)
• MFBTY - " 부끄부끄 (Buckubucku) (feat. EE, Rap Monster of BTS, Dino-J) " (2015)
• Yankie - " 튀겨 (ProMeTheUs) (Feat. Dok2, Juvie Train, Double K, Rap Monster of BTS, Topbob, Don Mills) " (2015)
• Primary - " U (Feat. Kwon Jin Ah & Rap Monster) " (2015)
• Gaeko - " 코끼리 (Gajah) (Feat. Rap Monster) " (2017)
• Fall Out Boy - " Champion (Remix) " (2017)
• Drunken Tiger - " Timeless (feat. RM of BTS) " (2018)
• Honne - " Crying Over You ◐ (feat. RM & BEKA) " (2019)
• Lil Nas X - " Old Town Road (feat. RM of BTS) (Seoul Town Road Remix) " (2019)
• Younha - " 雪中梅 (Winter Flower) (Feat. RM) " (2020)
• Agust D - " Strange (feat. RM) " (2020)
• eAeon - " 그러지 마 (Don't) (feat. RM) " (2021)
• Balming Tiger - " SEXY NUKIM (Feat. RM of BTS) " (2022)
• So!YoON! - " Smoke Sprite (feat. RM of BTS) " (2023)
• " Fantastic " (feat. Mandy Ventrice) (2015)
• " All Night " from " BTS World OST Part.3 " (with SUGA and Juice Wrld) (credited as BTS ) (2019)

Solo songs credited as BTS

See also unit songs credited under BTS: Units

• " Intro: 2 Cool 4 Skool " from 2 Cool 4 Skool (2013)
• " Intro: O!RUL8,2? " from O!RUL8,2? (2013)
• " Intro: What Am I To You " from DARK&WILD (2014)
• " Reflection " from WINGS (2016)
• " Trivia 承: Love " from LOVE YOURSELF 結 'Answer' (2018)
• " Intro: Persona " from MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA (2019)
• " Young Forever (RM Demo Ver.) " from Proof (2022)

Unofficial songs

See also: Unofficial songs

Original songs

• " Monterlude " (2014)
• " Unpack Your Bags " (with DJ Soulscape) (2014)
• " 아라요 (I Know) " (with Jung Kook ) (2016)
• " Always " (2017)
• " 네시 (4 O'CLOCK) " (with V ) (2017)
• " 땡 (DDaeng) " (with SUGA and j-hope ) (2018)

Adapted songs

• " Rap Monster " (2012)
• " 학교의눈물 (School of Tears) " (with SUGA and Jin ) (credited as BTS ) (2013)
• " 닥투 (You) " (2013)
• " Favorite Girl " (2013)
• " Like A Star " (with Jung Kook ) (2013)
• " 비싼여자 (Expensive Girl) " (2013)
• " 어른아이 (Adult Child) " (with SUGA and Jin ) (credited as BTS ) (2013)
• " Something " (2013)
• " Too Much " (2013)

Cover songs

• " Fools " (with Jung Kook ) (2015)
• " 우산 (Umbrella) " (with Yuiko) (2016)
• " Santa Claus Is Coming To Town " (with Jimin ) (2019)

Filmography

Variety shows, music shows, music videos, concert participation.

• 2015 All Force One: Hot & Cool (2015)
• SUGA | Agust D TOUR (Guest; August 6, 2023)

Endorsements

On April 3, 2023, Bottega Veneta revealed that they have selected RM as their first-ever brand ambassador. [31]

• K’hawah Coffee (2015)
• Bottega Veneta (2023–present)
• Me, Myself, and RM 'Entirety' (2022)

Producing and writing credits

◯ = Participates as writing/composer/producer , ✖ = Not participated as writing/composer/producer , W = Writing , C = Composer , P = Producer , R. = Reference

Awards and nominations

• He is the fourth oldest and the fourth youngest in the band. That make him the middle member of the band.
• He is 29 years old in the US age and 31 years old in the Korean age.
• His zodiac sign is Virgo.
• His favorite number is 1.
• His favorite items are clothes, a computer and books.
• Some of his role models include Kanye West and A$AP Rocky.
• He has composing and writing credits for more than 170 songs.
• RM used to be called "Dance Prodigy" to tease him for his lack of dancing skills. [233]
• RM wrote the lyrics of No More Dream because he had no dreams when he was in school.
• The BTS members said if RM wasn't human he'd be: a Tibetan Fox ( Jungkook ), A Lion that even if you catch it, it breaks everything and escapes again ( Jimin ), A Monster ( SUGA ), a soccer player ( V ) and a rock ( j-hope ).
• RM has a younger sister.
• RM likes fashion and in the past would tweet "Kim daily" with photos of his outfits. [234]
• His favorite foods are meat (especially Samgyeopsal) and Kalguksu (Korean knife noodles).
• He taught himself how to speak English by watching the American sitcom Friends.
• He is the only member who continues to study Japanese after debut.
• His favorite colors are black, pink and, purple.
• According to him, Jin and j-hope are the scaredy-cats of the group.
• Jimin once called him a gorilla because he's always angry.
• He is known to break everything.
• On November 13, 2017, he announced on Fancafe that he had officially changed his stage name to RM.
• His producing studio is called ' RKive ' (formerly called Mon Studio).
• He previously decorated his studio in black & white monochrome only. After the name changed, he started incorporating colors.
• His favorite dance move is swinging his arms from side to side(The floss).
• He is a great fan of the computer game ‘ MapleStory '.
• He is a great supporter of the LGBTQ+ community.
• RM's BT21 character is a Koala named Koya. Koya is always seen thinking with a sleepy expression. Koya has a purple nose because of the infamous saying V said in a concert, "I purple you”,Which shows their love and support to ARMY.
• His favorite character is Ryan from Kakao Friends/Talk.
• He has lost his passport multiple times.
• BTS was built around RM. He is the first member to have been scouted and the only member to have been with the company since 2010.
• His ideal type is someone who is tall, feminine, smart, and has a nice voice.
• RM had to quit Problematic Men because of how popular they got. However, he made a brief appearance for the 1 year anniversary of the show as the cast called him.
• RM revealed that he spent most of his life as 'RM' and barely got to be Kim Namjoon. He admitted being very occupied and busy with idol life is hard, barely being able to spend time with family, friends, and do activities as a "normal" person would be able to do. He also mentioned that he feels sad and lonely at times and a way to cope with it is to express his thoughts and emotions through music. (Burn The Stage EP. 3 & 6)
• He claims to have never been successfully able to blow a bubble with bubblegum. [235]
• As of 2020, he is the only member who doesn't have a driver's license.
• While his main goal in life is to truly love himself, RM acknowledges that loving yourself is not a final destination, but a state of mind to try to achieve consistently.
• When asked what is his favorite hair color that he's tried before, he said he likes silver the most. [236]
• RM likes to collect figures and toys of different kinds. They can be seen throughout his studio on shelves inside of glass cases or scattered about in his room.
• If he was a girl, he said he would date j-hope because he is like the mother at the dorm.
• He likes clear weather.
• Namjoon’s father calls him Jooni Mini.
• Namjoon was once a center in a basketball team.
• RM gets panicked when he can’t find his lip balm.
• Namjoon said if he didn’t live in Korea he would want to live in Australia.
• RM's favorite quote is 'Team work makes dream work'.
• Hobbies: Surfing the web, walking in a park, cycling, photography, mountain climbing.
• He did ice skating for about 4 years and is good at it. [237]
• RM’s TOEIC (The Test of English for International Communication) score was 900.
• His image before debut was a neat and quiet student.
• His Spotify playlist is called: RM’s Heavy Rotations
• Has a total of 2 ear piercings. (1 on the right, and 1 on the left)
• As a leader, he really dislikes Maknae line being disruptive during award ceremonies.
• Over time, he delegates the interview duties to Suga when he realized the questions are too insensitive.

Video Gallery

• ↑ "Before BTS, RM was originally known as Runch Randa in the Korean underground scene[...]" from Billboard
• ↑ Soompi: BTS Challenges The Cast Of JTBC’s “Ask Us Anything” To Guess Their Nicknames
• ↑ RM's Profile on Naver (deleted)
• ↑ RM's post in Weverse (October 24, 2020)
• ↑ RM's profile BTS Official Fanclub Japan
• ↑ RM's post in Daum Cafe (May 14, 2019)
• ↑ YouTube: BTS (방탄소년단) MBTI Lab 1
• ↑ BTS Answers Fans' Biggest Burning Questions – And RM Reveals Why He Changed His Name From Rap Monster!
• ↑ BTS’s RM And J-Hope, Jay Park, And More Promoted To Full Members Of The Korea Music Copyright Association
• ↑ Get To Know BTS: Rap Monster
• ↑ Rap Monster Is Proving Assumptions About Korean Idol Rappers Wrong
• ↑ BTS Answers Fans' Biggest Burning Questions -- And RM Reveals Why He Changed His Name From Rap Monster!
• ↑ K-pop star Rap Monster of BTS is breaking genre’s squeaky-clean mould, and fans can’t get enough
• ↑ How BTS is changing K-pop for the better
• ↑ Get To Know BTS: J-Hope
• ↑ 10 K-Pop Videos for LGBTQ Pride Month
• ↑ BTS to Drop 1st mini-album Next Month
• ↑ What Will Korea's Hottest New Rap Group Learn About Hip-Hop from Coolio on Their Trip to America?
• ↑ Korean rap is your new favourite thing
• ↑ The ‘Problematic Men’ Show Their Real Selves
• ↑ Wale & BTS' Rap Monster Team Up for Politically Tinged 'Change': Watch
• ↑ BTS Talk Writing Process, Choreography & Wale Collaboration w/ @RobertHerrera3 (9:43)
• ↑ RM From BTS Featured on Fall Out Boy 'Champion' Remix Out Tonight
• ↑ BTS' RM Hits the Bubbling Under Hot 100, Rock Charts & More With Fall Out Boy Remix
• ↑ RM Of BTS Rules Emerging Artists Chart, Billie Eilish Rises to No. 2
• ↑ BTS' RM Just Dropped His Solo Playlist Mono And It's Like Free Therapy
• ↑ Honne on Their New Album, 'Love Me/Love Me Not'
• ↑ BTS A.R.M.Y. Reacts to 'Map Of The Soul: Persona' Trailer: 'A Masterpiece'
• ↑ BTS Chart History
• ↑ Bottega Veneta names BTS' RM first-ever brand ambassador
• ↑ Information of the Song "Ashes" on Melon (Credited as BTS)
• ↑ "PARTY (XXO) - 100000378510" on KOMCA
• ↑ "I LIKE THAT - 100000418729" on KOMCA
• ↑ Information of the Song "We Are Bulletproof Pt.2" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "No More Dream" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Like" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Outro: Circle Room Cypher" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Intro: O!RUL8,2?" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "N.O" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "We On" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "If I Ruled the World" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Coffee" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "BTS Cypher, Pt. 1" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Attack on Bangtan" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Satoori Rap" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Intro: Skool Luv Affair" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Boy In Luv" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Where You From" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Just One Day" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Tomorrow" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "BTS Cypher, Pt. 2: Triptych" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Spine Breaker" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Jump" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Miss Right" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Like (Slow Jam Remix)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Intro: What Am I To You" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Danger" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "War of Hormone" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Hip Hop Phile" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Let Me Know" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Rain" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "BTS Cypher Pt.3: Killer" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Can You Turn Off Your Phone?" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Embarrassed" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "24/7 = Heaven" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Look Here" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "So 4 More" on Melon
• ↑ Track Info of "P.D.D" on Genius
• ↑ Information of the Song "Bucku Bucku (MFBTY feat. EE, Rap Monster & Dino-J)" on Melon
• ↑ Track Info of "Voice" on Genius
• ↑ Track Info of "Do You" on Genius
• ↑ Track Info of "Awakening" on Genius
• ↑ Track Info of "Monster" on Genius
• ↑ Track Info of "Throw Away" on Genius
• ↑ Track Info of "Joke" on Genius
• ↑ Track Info of "God Rap" on Genius
• ↑ Track Info of "Rush (feat. Krizz Kaliko)" on Genius
• ↑ Track Info of "Life" on Genius
• ↑ Track Info of "Adrift" on Genius
• ↑ Track Info of "I Believe" on Genius
• ↑ Information of the Song "ProMeTheUs (feat. Dok2, Juvie Train, Double K, Rap Monster, Topbob & Don Mills)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Fantastic (feat. Mandy Ventrice)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "U (feat. Kwon Jin-ah and RM) " on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "No More Dream (Japanese Ver.)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Boy In Luv (Japanese Ver.)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "N.O (Japanese Ver.)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Danger (Mo-Blue-Mix) (Feat. Thanh)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "I Need U" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Hold Me Tight" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Dope" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Boyz with Fun" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Converse High" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Moving On" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Run" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Butterfly" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Whalien 52" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Ma City" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Silver Spoon" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Autumn Leaves" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Fire" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Save Me" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Epilogue: Young Forever" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Love is Not Over (Full Length Edition)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "I Need U (Urban Mix)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "I Need U (Remix)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Run (Ballad Mix)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Run (Alternative Mix)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Butterfly (Alternative Mix)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Dilemma" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Intro: Boy Meets Evil" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Blood Sweat & Tears" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Begin" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Reflection" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Awake" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Lost" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "BTS Cypher 4" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "21st Century Girl" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "2! 3! " on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Interlude: Wings" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Spring Day" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Not Today" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Outro: Wings" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "A Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone" on Melon
• ↑ RM, Wale - Change on Soundcloud
• ↑ Information of the Song "" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Come Back Home" on Melon
• ↑ 네시 (4 O'CLOCK) - R&V on Soundcloud
• ↑ Information of the Song "Intro: Serendipity" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "DNA" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Best of Me" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Dimple" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Pied Piper" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "MIC Drop" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Outro: Her" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Sea" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Crystal Snow" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Intro: Singularity" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "FAKE LOVE" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "The Truth Untold" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "134340" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Paradise" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Love Maze" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Magic Shop" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Airplane pt.2" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Anpanman" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "So What" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Outro: Tear" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "FAKE LOVE (Rocking Vibe Mix)" on Melon
• ↑ 땡 - RM, SUGA, J-HOPE on Soundcloud
• ↑ Information of the Song "Euphoria" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Serendipity (Full Length Edition)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Trivia 承: Love" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "I'm Fine" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "IDOL" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Answer: Love Myself" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "DNA (Pedal 2 LA Mix)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) (Full Length Edition)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "IDOL (Feat. Nicki Minaj)" on Melon
• ↑ "Tokyo" on Soundcloud
• ↑ "Seoul (prod. HONNE)" on Soundcloud
• ↑ "Moonchild" on Soundcloud
• ↑ "Badbye (with eAeon)" on Soundcloud
• ↑ "Uhgood" on Soundcloud
• ↑ "Everythingoes (with NELL)" on Soundcloud
• ↑ "Forever Rain" on Soundcloud
• ↑ Information of the Song "Waste It On Me" on Naver
• ↑ Information of the Song "Timeless (Feat. RM of BTS)" on Melon
• ↑ Track Info of "Promise" on Genius
• ↑ Information of the Song "Intro: Persona" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Boy With Luv (feat. Halsey)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Mikrokosmos" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Make It Right" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "HOME" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Jamais Vu" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Dionysus" on Melon
• ↑ 이 밤 by JIN of BTS on Soundcloud
• ↑ Euphoria (DJ Swivel Forever Mix) by JK on Soundcloud
• ↑ Information of the Song "All Night" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Heartbeat" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Seoul Town Road (Old Town Road Remix)" on Melon
• ↑ "Winter Bear" on Bangtan Blog
• ↑ Information of the Song "Make It Right (feat. Lauv)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Make It Right (feat. Lauv) (EDM Remix)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Make It Right (feat. Lauv) (Acoustic Remix)" on Melon
• ↑ Unstable Mindset Track List Announcement
• ↑ Information of the Song "Interlude: Shadow" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Black Swan" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "My Time" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Louder than bombs" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "ON" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "UGH!" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "00:00 (Zero O'Clock)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Inner Child" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Moon" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Respect" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "We are Bulletproof: the Eternal" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Strange (feat. RM)" on SoundCloud
• ↑ Information of the Song "Boy With Luv -Japanese ver.-" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Make It Right -Japanese ver.-" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Dionysus -Japanese ver.-" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "IDOL -Japanese ver.-" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Airplane Pt.2 -Japanese ver.-" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "FAKE LOVE -Japanese ver.-" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Black Swan -Japanese ver.-" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "ON -Japanese ver.-" on Melon
• ↑ Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA). Enter "IN THE SOOP" or "100003014323" in the field "Title and/or Alternative title" and hit enter.
• ↑ Big Hit Entertaiment's Tweet (November 13, 2020)
• ↑ Information of the Song "Fly To My Room" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Blue & Grey" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Skit" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Telepathy" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Dis-ease" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Stay" on Melon
• ↑ Abyss by Jin of BTS on Soundcloud
• ↑ Christmas Love by Jimin of BTS on Soundcloud
• ↑ Information of the Song "Don't (feat. RM)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Butter" on Melon
• ↑ TXT Offical's Tweet: "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE - Tracklist"
• ↑ Information of the Song "0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) (Emocore Mix)" on Melon
• ↑ "Bicycle" on SoundCloud
• ↑ Information of the Song "0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. pH-1, Woodie Gochild, Seori" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "Butter (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. MOD SUN" on Melon
• ↑ 227.0 227.1 227.2 Description of the Song "My Universe" on YouTu
• ↑ Information of the Song "Butter (Holiday Remix)" on Melon
• ↑ Information of the Song "0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Ikuta Lilas (Japanese Ver.)" on Melon
• ↑ 230.0 230.1 on Twitter: #BTS #방탄소년단 #BTS_Proof Tracklist CD 1 (May 8, 2022)
• ↑ on Twitter: #BTS #방탄소년단 #BTS_Proof Tracklist CD 2 (May 9, 2022)
• ↑ 232.0 232.1 232.2 232.3 232.4 232.5 232.6 232.7 232.8 on Twitter: #BTS #방탄소년단 #BTS_Proof Tracklist CD 3 (May 10, 2022)
• ↑ https://bts-trans.tumblr.com/post/55777234812/interview-130718-rap-monster-suga-j-hopes
• ↑ https://twitter.com/search?lang=en&q=%22%EA%B9%80%EB%8D%B0%EC%9D%BC%EB%A6%AC%22%20(from%3Abts_twt)&src=typed_query
• ↑ https://www.vlive.tv/video/68148
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PhPYr_9zRY
• ↑ https://www.vlive.tv/video/25588
• SuperStar BTS
• Puzzle Star BT21
• LINE Hello BT21
• BTS Universe Story
• Rhythm Hive
• BTS Island: In the SEOM
• Hip Hop Monster
• 3 Most Beautiful Moment in Life Trilogy

Exploring the Journey of BTS’ RM: Talented Rapper and Inspirational Leader

Introduction to rm.

K im Namjoon, widely known as RM, is a distinguished member of the global K-pop sensation, BTS. Born on September 12, 1994, RM wears multiple hats within the group including leader, rapper, and producer.

Insight into RM’s Background

• Real Name: Kim Namjoon
• Artistic Alias: RM (formerly known as Rap Monster/Runch Randa)
• Birthdate: September 12, 1994
• Astrological Sign: Virgo
• Citizenship: South Korean
• Social Media: @rkive / @rpwprpwprpwp

Details of RM’s Early Life

Originating from Dongjak-gu, RM moved to Ilsan-gu in his youth. With strong roots in his family, including a younger sister named Kim Kyung-min, RM’s educational background spans from Apgujeong High School to majoring in Electronic engineering at Global Cyber University.

Evolving Career of RM

Pre-bts era.

In the underground hip-hop scene, RM gained initial acclaim as ‘Runch Randa’ before his association with BTS. Dabbling in rap as early as 2007 and marking his concert debut in 2008, RM refined his craft alongside artists like Zico. Despite facing setbacks such as failing to make it in Big Deal Records in 2009, RM’s determination led him to success.

His connection with Sleepy and subsequent audition for Big Hit Entertainment at 16 marked the turning point in his career, leading to significant pre-debut contributions and collaborations within Big Hit.

Rise to Fame with BTS

RM, formerly known as Rap Monster, seized the global stage with BTS’s debut on June 13, 2013. His transition to ‘RM’, symbolic of ‘Real Me’, reflects a personal and artistic transformation closely aligned with his contributions to the band’s success. Furthermore, his role as BTS’s producer earned him recognition within KOMCA.

Discover the detailed chronicle and accomplishments of RM within BTS by visiting the band’s profile.

RM’s Solo Endeavors

RM’s artistic expression transcends group boundaries with his solo releases: his mixtapes “RM” in 2015 and “Mono” in 2018, and his 2022 studio album “Indigo”. His distinguished persona also garnered the role of being Bottega Veneta’s first brand ambassador in 2023.

More About RM

RM’s fascination with language and poetry in his childhood, fueled by “Friends” and hip-hop artists like Epik High and Eminem, paved his path to lyrical greatness. Despite parental apprehension, RM pursued music, propelled by an impressive academic record and a high IQ of 148.

Navigating Controversies

Rising above challenges, RM addressed issues of lyric discrepancies in 2015 and cultural sensitivity in 2023 with introspection and respect.

Source: OSEN

FAQs About RM of BTS

What does RM’s stage name stand for?

RM originally stood for “Rap Monster,” but he later changed it to signify “Real Me.”

When did RM start his music career?

RM began his music career in underground hip-hop scenes around 2007 and joined Big Hit Entertainment in 2010.

Has RM released any solo music?

Yes, RM has released two mixtapes “RM” in 2015 and “Mono” in 2018, and a studio album “Indigo” in 2022.

Is RM involved in songwriting and production for BTS?

Yes, RM is instrumental in producing and writing lyrics for many of BTS’s tracks.

How did RM learn English?

RM taught himself English by watching the TV show “Friends” with his mother.

RM’s transformative journey from a young underground rapper to an internationally recognized artist and leader of BTS showcases his resilience, talent, and vision. As a solo artist and ambassador for global fashion brands, his evolving career remains a beacon of inspiration. His ability to constantly redefine his identity serves as a testament to his commitment to authenticity and artistic growth.

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5 Things To Know About BTS’ RM Before Listening To ‘Indigo’

The leader of the biggest band on the planet, BTS ’ RM has released his first solo studio album Indigo . The septet had announced back in June that the group will be focussing on solo projects , while still participating in group projects like the Busan concert in October and their variety show Run BTS. RM, or Kim Namjoon , is the second member to release a full album after J-hope, who had released Jack in the Box in July.

In a statement announcing the album’s name and release date, it was revealed that Indigo “recounts the stories and experiences RM has gone through, like a diary. The album will present a different charm of RM with various featured artists.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by RM (@rkive)

Later, the artist released a series of concept images which featured him in various shades of white and blue, setting the tone for the album.

The 28-year-old Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter has collaborated with a number of well-known artists for the album, including Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Tablo (from Epik High), Kim Sawol, Paul Blanco, Mahalia, Colde, Youjeen, Park Ji-yoon.

So before you stream the album and lose yourself in the intricate wordplay and soothing melodies the Korean rapper is known for, here are a few facts about Kim Namjoon that everyone should know…

He started as an underground rapper

Before he joined BigHit Entertainment and became the first member of BTS, Kim Namjoon was an underground rapper. He went by various names like Largo, The Nexist, and Runch Randa. The rapper had released several tracks and covers of popular songs before he joined the company in 2010.

He is a literal genius

Not only is he an incredible performer but the leader of BTS is one of the smartest musicians of all time. Namjoon has an IQ of 148 and comes in the top one per cent of people in Korea with IQ that high. The rapper is also fluent in multiple languages, other than Korean, like English, Chinese, and Japanese. His fluency with English led him to be the unofficial translator for the group and is also one of the reasons of the band’s immense popularity outside Korea. The young rapper is also a voracious reader and shares excerpts from his favourite books often on Instagram.

He is the world’s biggest and youngest art influencer

As one of the world’s most popular musicians, the young rapper has chosen to put his might behind making art accessible to a wider variety of people. In an episode of Intersections: The Art Basel Podcast , Namjoon revealed that he was drawn to the world of art after wandering into a museum in Chicago and encountering the works of the Greats. The experience led him to re-evaluate his own relationship with his work, fame, and his legacy.

The rapper has made it a habit now to visit galleries and museums across the world and share his experience on Instagram to introduce the art to a larger audience. He has also built an impressive private collection of his own featuring works by many prominent Korean artists. Galleries have reported a marked rise in visitors ever since RM started posting about them on Instagram.

He is the youngest artist with the most credits on KOMCA

RM has written most of the songs by BTS and has also released several songs as part of his mixtapes over the years. He has also written songs for other artists as well. The genius songwriter has over 200 credits on Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), becoming the youngest artist to have the most credits.

He is a man of multiple talents

Not only is he an award-winning rapper, songwriter, and performer, RM is also a renowned producer. He has produced songs for BTS and a number of other artists. He is also a wonderful orator, as evidenced by his speech at the UN General Assembly in 2018, which was later included in school books.

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Kim Namjoon 김남준 biography

DOB: 12th September 1994

Place: in Sangdo-dong, Dongjak District, Seoul, South Korea (grew up in Ilsan District, Goyang)

Joined:  The 1st to join in 2010 – moved into dorms 14th August 2010

Role:  He is the Main rapper   and leader of South Korean boy band BTS (Bangtan Sonyeodan – 방탄소년단  also known as the Bangtan Boys or Bullet Proof Boy Scouts.

Known as : Runch Randa (pre 2010), Rap Monster (2010 – 2017), RM (2017 – present)

Commendations : He currently has 218 writing credits ( Komca credits ), recipient of Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation (2016), Presidential Commendation (2017) Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit (5th class) (2018) Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture (2021) Game Changer Award by Asia Society (2020) James A. Van Fleet Award by The Korea society (2020)

Currently: completing mandatory military service – due to be discharged 11th June 2025

“Our tomorrow may be dark, painful and difficult. We might stumble and fall down, stars shine brightest when the night is darkest”

— Kim Namjoon – 2020 speech to UNGA

Namjoon is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer born in Sangdo-dong, Dongjak District, Seoul in South Korea. Namjoon always displayed high levels of intelligence (IQ148) and he is known for his philosophical and thoughtful lyrics. In 2007 aged 13,  Namjoon was a part of the underground rap scene in Seoul and he went by the name Runch Randa. Namjoon quickly developed a reputation for his lyricism and after his audition with BIG HIT Entertainment he was described by the founder and CEO, Bang Si-Hyuk, as being ‘reflective, sophisticated and philosophical’  Namjoon was the first of the BTS members to join Big Hit in 2010 aged 16 and he moved into the dorm on 14th August 2010. When he joined he chose the name Rap Monster in 2017 he changed it RM because he felt that Rap Monster no longer represented who he was.

“ If You are having a hard time for different causes in the future, I hope our story in 2020 will become a small comfort to you. “ Kim Namjoon – 2020 Youth Day

Namjoon trained under Big Hit for 3 years and in that time he developed his skills in dancing, writing and producing. During this time wrote several songs

“ Love U Hate U ” performed by 2AM written by Rap Monster, “Hitman” Bang, Supreme Boi, Jung Hun-Chul in their 2010 album Saint O’Clock.

“ I Like That ” performed by Glam written by  Rap Monster, “Hitman” Bang, Pdogg, Cole David Byron for a Non-album single in 2012

“ Party (XXO) “performed by Glam written by Rap Monster, “Hitman” Bang, Wonderkid, Pdogg, Nakas Georgios, Lundvik John Hassimfor a Non-album single in 2012

“Adult Child ” performed by Rap Monster, Suga, Jin written by Rap Monster, Suga for a Non-album single

“If we helped your dream and your life a bit by our existence, our music, our performance, our pictures or videos, even if it’s not big, if we could reduce your pain from 100 to 99, 98 or 97 then our existence was worth it.”

— Kim Namjoon

121217 닥투 – RAP MONSTER of 방탄소년단.

121222 Bangtan Soundcloud opens- RM uploads 1st track ‘Rap Monster’ 

121222 Let’s Introduce BANGTAN ROOM by 방탄소년.

On 130107 RM uploaded his first log log

“ Once this ends I would like it if Kim Namjoon could be Kim Namjoon and that everyone of you can be yourselves too. “ Kim Namjoon –

On 13th June 2013 RM along with other members debuted with the album ‘2Cool 4Skool’ for which Namjoon helped to write several tracks. The lyrics of the album primarily reflected on the misunderstanding and prejudice towards them, criticism of the society that diminishes their dreams, and their anxiety and determination towards their future. During the production of the album, Suga and Rap Monster rewrote the lyrics of “No More Dream” more than 20 times ( 1 )

On 11th September, 2013 the day before Namjoon’s 19th birthday (international age) the group released O!RUL8,2? (Oh! Are you late, too?) their first extended play album. Once again, Namjoon contributed (along with other members) to the writing of most of the tracks on the album.

From Debut to present, Namjoon has participated in the writing of the majority of songs and albums released by BTS.

pre debut and in the early years after debut Namjoon developed a strong social media profile and uploaded several logs every month on YouTube and posting on twitter.

As the only member who was fluent in English, he was often relied on to translate during interviews and messages the group received from international fans. This was often a difficult task and many forget that he was only 18 (international age) when the group debuted.

“If you want to love others then you should love yourself first”

Kim Namjoon Biography, Wiki, Height, Age, Girlfriend & More

Kim Namjoon aka RM (born 12 September 1994) is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, composer, and producer. He’s best known as a member of the ‘Bangtan Boys’ or (BTS) hip-hop group.

Kim Namjoon Biography

It’s also popularly known as ‘Rapmon’ by its South Korean fans. Kim is the key rapper of BTS, and he is also the chief. Two mixtapes were released in 2015 and 2018 by RM and Mono as solo artists.

He was born in Ilsan-gu, South Korea. Kim’s family settled in South Korea at the time of his birth and is a well-known and wealthy family in the region. He has a family of four members, including his father, his mother, himself, and his younger sister.

His parents’ identities have not yet been disclosed. His father is an SK Telecom employee, while his mother is a realtor. He’s got a sister named Kim Geongmin who’s very close to him.

He studied and completed high school at Apgujeong High School. He is currently enrolled in the Global Cyber University. He was a major in electrical engineering.

He also studied in New Zealand for six months but returned to his home country. In TOEIC, he scored 900 points. It has high-level intelligence with an IQ of 148.

As a reader, he wrote poetry actively and also won awards for his writings. He gained moderate attention via the online poetry website where he published his work.

Kim Namjoon Wiki

Biography of kim namjoon.

In the world of music, he began his career under the name of Runch Randa as a solo underground musician. After hearing High’s epic “Fly” at just 11 years of age, he became involved in hip hop music.

Through this song, he felt comfortable and so went deeper into the genre. After his school teacher exposed Eminem to an American rapper, RM became more interested in lyricism.

RM then went on to write lyrics saying that his poetry had become lyrics when paired with music. In 2007, RM began rapping in local amateur hip-hop circles with a self-composed song.

On June 12, 2013, he made his debut with the hip-hop boy band BTS. He was the first BTS member to join. He said that raping helped him relieve the burden of his studies.

In 2015, he was released his 1st single entitled P.D.D. together with Warren G. Some days later, he released his first solo mixtape. ‘RM’.

On October 23, 2018, he made a comeback with the “Mono” mixtape. He even released three MVs: “Moonchild”, “Forever Rain”, and “Seoul” off of his mixtape.

Besides this, RM has composed and produced more than 100 songs to date. He has worked with several artists such as Wale, Warren G, Gaeko, Krizz Kaliko, MFBTY, Fall Out Boy, Primary, and Lil Nas X. He doesn’t reveal any information regarding his dating life. So currently he is believed to be single.

You can read this about Min Yoongi (Suga).

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Kim Namjoon

Namjoon is a member of the south korean boy band bts and is a prominent rapper, songwriter, and record producer. kim nam-joon is another name for namjoon. namjoon is known by the moniker rm, which stands for rap monster..

The South Korean boy band BTS is led by Kim Nam-Joon. Namjoon was born in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on September 12, 1994. Namjoon will be 26 years old in 2021. Namjoon was born and reared by his parents in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

Kim Namjoon’s Early Life, Education, Age

Namjoon and RM are two nicknames for Kim Nam-Joon (formerly as Rap Monster). He was born in Ilsan-gu, South Korea, on September 12, 1994. He is 26 years old as of 2019. Kim Geong Min’s family consists of his mother, father, and sister.

RM acquired English with his mother from an early age by watching the American television series “Friends.” He was enthralled with uniforms in elementary school and aspired to be a security guard in the future. He had the impression of a tidy and polite student before his debut. He was a great performer on the national school test throughout his school years. He even had a TOEIC score of over 900 and a high IQ of 148.

RM was a prolific poet as a student, winning several accolades for his work. Through an internet poetry website where he shared his work, he garnered some notice. RM became interested in a writing career as a result of this, but ultimately decided against it. After hearing epic High’s “Fly” in fifth school, RM got fascinated in hip-hop music at the age of 11. He found solace in the song that he delved more into the genre.

RM developed an interest in lyricism after being exposed to Eminem, an American rapper, by his high school instructor. RM then moved on to composing songs, claiming that when his poetry was merged with music, it became lyrics. He began to print the lyrics and distribute them to his pals.

RM began rapping in local amateur hip-hop circles with his self-composed tape in 2007, while he was a first-year middle school student. He just graduated from Global Cyber University with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting and Performing Arts.

Kim Namjoon’s Height and Weight

With a height of 181 cm, Namjoon is the tallest member of BTS. He is one of the band’s largest members, weighing roughly 67 kg. His eyes and hair are also brown in tone.

Kim Namjoon’s Professional life and career

Kim Namjoon began his music career as a solo underground musician under the stage name Runch Randa long before he became RM. On June 12, 2013, he made his debut as a member of the Korean boy band BTS. He was the very first member of BTS to join. Rapping, he said, helped him cope with the stress of his academics.

His first song, ‘No More Dreams,’ was inspired by the days when he stayed up late studying for his examinations. RM has worked on every BTS album since his debut. In March 2015, RM and Warren G released their first song, P.D.D (Please Don’t Die). He released his debut solo mixtape a few days later. ‘RM’. With the release of his “Mono” mixtape on October 23, 2018, he made a return.

He even released three music videos from his mixtape: “Moonchild,” “Forever Rain,” and “Seoul.” In addition, RM has written and produced over 100 songs to date. Wale, Warren G, Gaeko, Krizz Kaliko, MFBTY, Fall Out Boy, Primary, and Lil Nas X are among the musicians with whom he has collaborated.

RM was elevated from associate to full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association in January 2020, with fellow BTS member J-Hope. They were joined by bandmate Suga, who had been recognized as a full member in 2018. On January 6, 2020, he was featured on Younha’s song “Winter Flower,” which was published.

Kim Namjoon’s Salary and Net Worth

BTS has a net worth of around $60 million. In addition, RM has an estimated personal net worth of $8 million.

Kim Namjoon’s Nominations and Awards

He has performed at a number of events and has received several honors. BTS, RM’s band, was the first K-pop act to win a Billboard award. They’ve won Billboard’s Top Social Artist Award three times in a row since 2017, knocking out US faves like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. On the BBMAs, Kim Namjoon was seen alongside BTS.

He and his band made a historic performance at the United Nations, where he delivered a statement encouraging young people to “Find Your Voice.” The President of South Korea awarded RM and his bandmates the fifth-class Hagwan Order of Cultural Merit in 2018.

Kim Namjoon’s Private life

The media has no knowledge on his dating life when it comes to his personal life. As a result, he is said to be unmarried right now. He’s the only BTS member who hasn’t been linked to any relationship rumors. He, on the other hand, admitted to having a girlfriend in high school.

Kim Namjoon’s Scandal

He was said to have undergone heart surgery at the age of 15 with a 30% chance of survival (although that’s only a hearsay).

Kim Namjoon’s Social Media

Namjoon has a large fan base and is well-known not just in South Korea, but also across the globe. He has around 5 million Instagram followers under the name @btsnamjoon.

BTS’s official Twitter account, for example, has roughly 22 million followers. Aside from Twitter, RM and his bandmates are often active on Weverse, a platform built expressly for his company Big Hit Entertainment to engage with their fans.

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When RM shared story of how his underground rapper name became 'Runch Randa' years before he joined BTS

Happy birthday rm: did you know the bts leader's underground rapper name was runch randa here's how he decided on that particular name..

BTS leader Kim Namjoon , known by his stage name RM, is celebrating his 28th birthday (international age, he's 29 according to Korean culture). RM became a part of BTS in 2010 and debuted with group members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook in 2013. But did you know that before joining BigHit Music, RM was an underground rapper under the name Runch Randa? The rapper revealed the same in 2020. (Also Read | BTS: Birthday boy Kim Namjoon changed his stage name from Rap Monster to RM for this reason )

Speaking on an episode one of BTS ’ collaboration, The MapleStory Originals, Once Upon a Time, RM had said, “MapleStory was a game that influenced me the most. Many of you don't know this but I changed my name to RM. I'm not Rap Monster anymore, I'm RM. Anyways, my name was Runch Randa before. Now, where did I get the name Runch Randa from?"

He continued, “I was looking to come up with a rapper name back in 2007. And I had a friend back then who taught me about rap, about Garion, Eminem, and Outsider. I shared a MapleStory account with that friend and the character’s name was Runch Randa. I was thinking of a name and just went with that.”

As RM finished his story, Jimin joked that BTS exists because of MapleStory. While the other members came up with their own reason on why RM chose that name, Jin told him, "You must have created that character during lunch."

Under the name Runch Randa, RM released tracks with other underground rappers. RM met Untouchable’s Sleepy at the audition, who connected him to producer Bang Si-Hyuk and was asked to audition for BigHit Entertainment (now called BigHit Music). RM was the first one to be recruited into the seven-member group and has led BTS ever since. He was launched with the stage name Rap Monster, which he changed to RM in 2017. BTS has released several albums and won many awards worldwide.

On his birthday, the official Twitter account of BTS shared his picture and wrote a note wishing him a 'happy birthday'. Earlier on Sunday, RM took to Instagram Stories and posted several pictures featuring the rapper and wrote, "(My) friend sent. Thank you."

Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail

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From Tragedy to Triumph: Uncovering the Untold Story of BTS RM’s Inspirational Journey 

Anchal Ojha

Rap Monster  

RM is from BTS, also known as Rap Monster. He is a famous K-Pop rapper, songwriter, and producer. He is most famous as an individual from the hip-hop group, ‘Bangtan Sonyeondan’ (BTS). Likewise, he is prominently known as ‘Rapmonster’ by his South Korean fans.  

RM is known for his exceptional talent as a rapper. And his ability to speak multiple languages fluently including English, Japanese, and Korean. He is also recognized for his intellectual curiosity. And has spoken about his love for books and his interest in philosophy. 

Early Life and Childhood  

Kim Nam-joon, also known as RM, is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was born on September 12, 1994, in Ilsan-gu, Goyang, South Korea. RM is best known as the leader and main rapper of the global K-pop sensation, BTS.  

He went to Global Cyber University and majored in Broadcasting and Performing Art. RM was among the top rankers in the national school exam. And had a TOEIC score of more than 900, which is honourable. He additionally had an exceptionally high IQ. 

He learned his local language and Japanese in school. Furthermore, He got familiar with English by watching famous American sitcoms like ‘Friends’. He also studied in New Zealand and self-educated himself in English, which he considered essential. 

Considering his academic performance, his parents expected him to require everyday work. He was making songs that were very remarkable in school. Despite his reverence for music and organization, he kept winning, and he convinced his parents to allow him to become a full-time rapper. 

As per him, rapping helped him move past the pressure of his studies, and the lyrics of his music ‘Not More Dreams’ were roused constantly when he worked hard into the night for his exams. 

When did RM start rapping?  

In any case, he took to rapping at a young age and chose to make it his profession. He began as an independent artist and sang with a couple of local groups before joining the ‘BTS.’ After joining the ‘ BTS ,’ he turned into the head of the gathering and the main rapper and lyricist. He has teamed up with well-known Korean and global rappers to deliver music that has turned into a web sensation on the web.  

His endorsements include ‘K’hawah’ coffee and various South Korean items. He is a natural face on South Korean TV with his television show, ‘Hot Brain: Problematic Men,’ and has been highlighted in various magazines as one of South Korea’s most encouraging rappers. He is dynamic via online media and has an immense fan following. 

RM started his music career as an underground rapper under the stage name “Runch Randa.” He gained recognition in the Korean hip-hop scene as a member of the group “Daenamhyup” and released several solo tracks before joining BTS. 

Career  

Kim Nam-Joon started his career in music as an independent artist under the stage name of ‘Runch Randa.’ In 2008, he sang with the group ‘Zico,’ which was one of the rising stars in the hip-hop community of South Korea around then. Likewise, he was essential for a Korean hip-hop group called ‘Daenamhyup’ for quite a while. 

Later in 2013, he joined the famous K-pop gathering, ‘BTS’ also called the Bangtan Sonyeondan and became known as ‘Rap Monster’ among his fans. He introduced a single collection with BTS named ‘2Cool 4 Skool’ with the hit track ‘No More Dream’ in June 2013. From there on, he composed the lyrics for various tracks of BTS and turned into the head of the group and the main rapper. 

Other than BTS, he has teamed up with various Korean and unfamiliar specialists to deliver the absolute most famous singles and recordings of rap music that turned into a web sensation somewhere in between 2014 and 2016. These include ‘Please Don’t Die’ with Warren G, ‘Bucku’ with the hip-hop group MFBTY’s, and the soundtrack of ‘Fantastic Four’ with Marvel. 

Debut and Solos of RM  

In 2013, RM debuted as the leader of BTS under Big Hit Entertainment. With his impressive rap skills and leadership, he played a significant role in the group’s success. RM’s thoughtful and introspective lyrics on topics such as self-love, mental health, and societal issues resonated with fans worldwide, earning him critical acclaim and praise. 

In addition to his work with BTS, RM has also released solo music, including his mixtape “RM” in 2015 and his first solo album “mono.” in 2018. He has collaborated with other artists, including Lil Nas X, HONNE, and Younha, among others. 

Personal Life  

Rap monster is not known to date anybody specifically, and his present status is single. He once said at an interview that if he at any point had a girlfriend not engaged with the business, he would need to continually apologize to her on account of his bustling timetable that gives him no time for things like dating. 

Awards & Achievements  

In 2013, Rap Monster was honored at the Golden Disk Awards and Melon Music Awards. Again, in the same year, he acquired acknowledgment at the Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards and Seoul Music Awards. 

Throughout his career, RM has received numerous awards and accolades, including the 2020 Korean Popular Culture and Arts Award for his contribution to the advancement of Korean culture and arts. He continues to inspire and connect with fans through his music and messages of self-love. 

Conclusion  

BTS RM’s journey from tragedy to triumph is a true testament to the power of perseverance, determination, and self-belief. Through his inspiring story, we have seen the incredible strength that can emerge from even the darkest of circumstances, and the transformative impact that can come from never giving up on your dreams.  

By uncovering the untold tale of BTS RM’s inspirational journey, we have gained a newfound appreciation for his leadership, his resilience, and his unwavering commitment to his craft. Let his story serve as a reminder to us all that no matter how hard things may seem, with the right attitude and mindset, we can all overcome adversity and achieve our own triumphs. 

Written By:

Anchal Ojha, a wordsmith at GrooveNexus, is a professional content writer with a passion for storytelling. Armed with a post-graduate degree in English literature from Banaras Hindu University. She shows a deep interest in language and literature. Fueled by her profound love for music and the entertainment industry, aspires to create a world, where words and melodies dance in harmony.

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BTS RM aka Kim Namjoon biography; Age, Net worth, siblings & more

Kim namjoon, known as the leader of the 7 members boy band bts is known by his stage name rm(rap monster), rm, who was born on september 12, 1994, is 27 years old as of april 2022. he was born and raised in dongjak-gu, seoul, south korea. he was 19 when debuted with bts, rm family and siblings, mr. joon, rm's father, works for sk telecom, and mrs. joon, rm's mother, works as a realtor. his younger sister's name is kim geongmin., rm educational qualification, he studied in new zealand for four months at the age of 12, later he proceeded to hanyang cyber university in south korea. his educational background includes an mba in advertising- media., rm best solo rap song, do you, trivia love, forever rain, awakening, reflection, moonchild, change, winter flower, seoul town road & more., rm net worth 2022, his net worth is estimated in between $ 22-25 million, he is also one of the richest members of bts., rm girlfriend, he was in a relationship with a girl in high school, but she dumped him, and there have been no rumours of him seeing anyone since then., physical appearance, he stands 5 feet 11 inches tall and, quick facts, he is the tallest member of the group & before joining bts he was an underground rapper known by the name runch randa., lgbtq supporter, ‘i want to hear your voice, your conviction. no matter where you’re from, skin color, gender identity, just speak for yourself’ he voiced his support in the un., bts taehyung biography; age, net worth, career, girlfriend.

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Kim Namjoon

Quick Facts About Kim Namjoon

• Full Name: Kim Namjoon
• Born on: 12th September 1994
• Place of Birth: Sangdo-dong, Seoul
• Nationality: South Korean
• Occupation: rapper, producer, and songwriter
• Net worth: $24 Million
• Spouse: Unknown

Kim Namjoon leads BTS, the most revered boy squad in the world of KPOP music. He writes and produces most of the songs, where his incredible creations have made an idolized star with an army of KPOP stans (a corruption of the words stalker and fans).

His record stands at 160 songs written so far (as of January 2021), and one of them was third on the Hot 100 Songwriters in December 2020.

His Life Before Fame

Kim Namjoon’s interest in writing lyrics started when he heard Eminem. However, he became fond of hip-hop earlier, at 11 years, when he listened to Epik High. At the time, he was a poet, writing and sharing some poems online.

He did this for about a year, and his pieces got the attention of lovers of poetry. When he transitioned from writing poetry to lyrics, he would print them for his friends.

His first rap sessions were in amateur groups in 2007, and they led to his performance in a concert a year later. As his career grew, he was still performing well in class, and he was one of the top students in the country in the university entry exam. His family preferred that he stuck to his studies and forgot about rap, but he continued regardless.

Korean Pop Fame

Kim auditioned for Big Deal Records but unfortunately forgot some of the lyrics. Luckily, that was to his advantage as, Sleepy, one of the rappers, noticed him, and they exchanged phone numbers. Later, Sleepy introduced him to a producer at Big Hit Entertainment.

He also advised Kim to audition for the same record label, and the audition got him a recording deal. Elated, he agreed to it before discussing it with his parents. He joined that record label at 16 years and later joined BTS, which was started by the same record label.

In BTS, also called the Bangtan Boys, he raps alongside J-Hope and Suga , where the group’s vocalists are Jin, Jungkook , Jimin , and V. The group’s albums often reach the top of the charts globally and win the Billboard Music Awards in 2017.

Wings, one of their albums, took position 1 in Korea and the US World Chart, and their 2018 album Love Yourself: Tear led in Korea, the US, Canada, and Japan.

Unlike his current stage name, RM, which is simple for his fans to pronounce, he began as Runch Randa before changing to Rap Monster.

Asked about the origin of the name Rap Monster, he said the name came from one of his lyrics, and it alluded that he can rap for hours uninterrupted. However, as his career grew, Rap Monster did not, so he changed it to Real Me. However, fans just call him RM.

Solo Career

He creates mixtapes too, and he has two mixtapes so far. He also earns from songwriting, and he has written for the Korean girl group Glam. On television, he has appeared on the quiz show Hot Brain: Problematic Men and on the reality show Gura-Chacha: Time Slip New Boy. His role as a show host includes his appearance on Mnet’s KCON New York and M Countdown.

Personal Life

His private life and relationship status is unknown, as is the case for all Korean pop groups’ members, which seems to be a policy to maintain their image as idols for all fans.

In conclusion, Korean Pop is taking over the music charts globally, and RM is leading the takeover with one of the top boy squads in the genre.

Although it is quite difficult to get information about BTS’s net worth, we may make the best assumptions based on their salaries, endorsement contracts, and other ventures. Each BTS member receives an annual basic pay of $8 million, that much is certain.

Each BTS member also owns 68,000 shares of the HYBE stock, which debuted on the market in October 2020. Each member’s share of those equities is worth an extra $16 million. Therefore, it is reasonable to estimate that each member’s basic net worth is $24 million.

Written by Husein Gradasevic

Devon Carlson

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