Rap Monster Biography

Rap Monster is a South Korean rapper, songwriter and producer better know as the leader of K-Pop group BTS.

Early Life

Kim Namjoon was born in Ilsan, South Korea on September 12, 1994. He became interested in rapping in his teens. Soon he was an underground rapper under the name Runch Randa.

Career Beginnings

Starting out as a new rapper he was part of the hip-hop crew Daenamhyup with 9 other MCs. In 2010, however, he auditioned for a Big Hit talent audition and was a trainee for 3 years. Namjoon began preparing for a debut with 2 other rappers, Jung Ho Seok (J-Hope) and Min Yoon Gi (Suga). He made his debut with the other 6 members of Bangtan Boys in 2013 with the mini album 2 Cool 4 Skool.

BTS and Breakthrough

BTS’s popularity has been increasing since their debut, making them one of the most popular K-Pop groups in the world. Musical projects like The Most Beautiful Moment in Life and Wings have made them into international superstars. They were the first K-pop group to have an album charted at number 1 on Billboard 200, remaining there for several weeks. Their exploration of social topics like school bullying, friendship, youth, the meaning of life and happiness and the rejecting of ideals had set BTS apart from all other K-Pop groups.

Solo Career

Besides being a rapper and songwriter on BTS, Rap Monster has had numerous solo endeavors. In 2015 he released a single with American rapper Warren G, entitled P.D.D (Please Don’t Die). The same year he released his first solo project, the mixtape RM. 3 singles were released, each with a music video on YouTube: Awakening, Do You and Joke. From that point on he had numerous collaborations with other Korean rappers like Primary and Dok2. In 2017 he released a collaborative single and music video with American rapper Wale, titled Change.

Photo credit: Allkpop