WEEK 44 | A Storm is Coming.
November 5-11, 2024
Conviction.
The beginning of 2013 brought a renewed sense of purpose to 18 year-old Kim Namjoon.
They say life is what you make of it, but I will not live it recklessly. I'll make that promise.
Namjoon recording VLOGS at Big Hit
He’d been a trainee at Big Hit Entertainment for three years, by that point, and as another new year was getting started, it felt like a make or break moment for him. In a series of VLOGs he filmed that January, he expressed both confidence and confusion… not unusual for someone his age. However, rather than ruminating on typical teenage worries like grades and relationships, he was dealing with warring narratives in his head over his budding music career.
In one corner—the underground rap community he’d been part of before becoming a trainee—whispering in his ears that he was losing his edge and on his way to selling out. In the other corner—the higher ups at Big Hit—telling him he needed to forget his former peers and live up to his potential as a rapper. And at the center—a young man who was determined to share his talent with the world.
Kim Namjoon was born on September 12, 1994 in Seoul, but grew up just outside of the city in Ilsan District, Goyang with his parents and his younger sister. At an early age he discovered an affinity for language and words. He learned English through repeated viewings of the American sitcom Friends, then solidified that and became fluent in the language while studying abroad for four months in New Zealand. In school he excelled in creative writing, focusing on poetry. He won several awards for his writing, and posted some of it on an online poetry website for a year or so. Briefly, he considered pursuing a literary career, but eventually decided against it… around the same time he discovered a new interest: hip-hop music.
When he was in 5th grade, Namjoon heard the song “Fly” by Korean hip-hop trio, Epik High. He found himself relating to the music and the words, both bringing him a feeling of comfort and understanding. Being a curious learner, he decided to find out more about hip-hop, which led to him discovering other inspiring artists. In particular, when a teacher introduced him to the music of American rapper Eminem, he was struck by rap’s unique method of storytelling. Essentially, it was another form of poetry. And thus Namjoon’s lifelong love affair with lyricism was born. It didn’t take long for him to begin songwriting, and from there, it was just a short jump to performing. Which he started doing in 2007, competing in local amateur hip-hop circles with his first self-composed tracks.
At first, his parents did not approve of Namjoon’s desire to pursue music. They wanted him to focus on his academics as he’d scored in the top one percent in several categories on the university entrance examinations. He appeased them for awhile, but when music kept calling, eventually he convinced his mother to let him give it a real try, asking her “Do you want a son who’s a first place rapper, or a 5,000th place student?”
Years later, just a few months before his Debut, as he was struggling with the expectations being placed on his young shoulders, he would remember those words to his mother. Now he wasn’t just in charge of his own future, but that of six other boys as well. Despite all the exhaustion and uncertainty, the desire to prove their worth was a keen motivator. He knew, no matter what, a place at the top was his for the taking. All he had to do was cultivate an image as powerful as his words…
Playlists & Lyrics
DAY ONE:
When Namjoon began rapping, he knew he had something. The buzz he felt during his first few concerts—the encouragement he got from the crowds and his peers—he knew he was good. It was during this time he discovered, while performing alongside his fellow rappers—like future Block B member, Zico—that his lyrics really had an effect on people. In his daily life he was sweet, smart, and a bit clumsy and accident-prone; he loved how the stage gave him an outlet to discover new parts of himself—he could be bold, cheeky, and (a favorite of teenagers) shock-inducing. He developed a persona and found a name to rap under. “Runch Randa”, sounded strange, but was really just a character from a video game… a true Namjoon decision.
The REAL Runch Randa
Just two years after dipping his toe into the underground scene, he tried auditioning. He had a rough start which included completely forgetting his lyrics and bombing a tryout at Big Deal Records. However, a contact he made during that failed audition put him on the radar of a producer from another company—pdogg from Big Hit Entertainment. And in 2010, Namjoon was encouraged to audition for Big Hit, for their CEO in particular—Bang Shi-hyuk (also known as Bang PD). This audition went much better than previous ones, and he was offered a contract on the spot, which he accepted. The 16 year-old didn’t even phone his parents first.
Runch Randa was signed on to Big Hit as the first member of an expected hip-hop group. Bang PD hoped to assemble a team of rappers/writers/producers who could really help Big Hit to make a name for themselves and earn a spot at the big kid’s table in the Korean music industry. During his time as a trainee, he wrote songs for himself, his nebulous future group, and for other artists on the label, including Bit Hit’s girl group, Glam. He helped pen their Debut track “Party (XXO)”, which was praised by Billboard for being pro-LGBTQ and one of “the most forward-thinking songs out of a K-pop girl group in the past decade.”
He continued his exploration of hip-hop, sharing the music he found inspiring and educational with his fellow trainees (whether they wanted it or not). And he was always writing, writing, writing. Despite his moves up from the underground scene to being part of a legitimate record label, Namjoon was still… well, Namjoon. He wrote a track inspired by Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now” and San E’s “Rap Genius”, including the line “the rap monster” as an homage. However, while recording it… something went wrong, and most of the lines were lost, except him saying “Rap Monster!” very forcefully. So everyone at Big Hit started calling him Rap Monster to tease him about the mistake. Eventually, it stuck, and he decided to adopt it as his new stage name, leaving Runch Randa back in his underground days.
The roster for what would eventually become BTS shifted here and there between 2010 and 2013, but Rap Monster remained the North Star throughout. As he shaped the identity of the artist he wanted to be, other trainees found him and began pushing the trajectory of the group forward, bringing their own unique personalities and talents to the table, and BTS itself more into focus.
NAKSEO (ZICO) & RUNCH RANDA (RAP MONSTER) - "FUCK COCKROACHEZ" | COLOR CODED LYRICS (1:52)
"WICKED MAN" (RESLUG FEAT. RUNCH RANDA) | COLOR CODED LYRICS (2:36)
RM REVEALS THE ORIGINS OF THE RUNCH RANDA UNDERGROUND STAGE NAME | MAPLE STORY (0:47)
"SEVENTEEN" | LYRICS (3:10)
"DREAMIN'" | LYRICS (2:27)
"A COMMON TRAINEE'S CHRISTMAS" VIDEO EDIT BY BTS (1:27 - as shown above)
"WHERE U AT" (2013) | LYRICS (2:50)
130107 RAP MONSTER’S LOG (1:45 - as shown below)
130108 RAP MONSTER’S LOG (2:11)
130113 RAP MONSTER’S LOG (2:13)
"DAKTU" M/V (1:41)
"DAKTU (VOTE)" | LYRICS (1:41)
"SCHOOL OF TEARS" BY BTS (RM, JIN, & SUGA) | COLOR CODED LYRICS (3:18)
130212 RAP MONSTER’S LOG (1:24)
BONUS: "LIKE A STAR" (RM AND JUNG KOOK) | COLOR CODED LYRICS (1:50)
BONUS: "LIKE A STAR" (RM AND JUNG KOOK) | BTS BEGINS FAN CAM (1:43)
Fun Fact:
Rap Monster, Jung Kook, and others celebrate a very Big Hit Christmas.
Listen, can you think of a better way to end the year and celebrate the holidays than with tiny Namjoon and Jung Kook singing Christmas songs with a few other artists/Ghosts of Big Hit Past?
Maybe? Fair. But this is still pretty cute. At the end of their Debut year, the leader and the maknae of BTS got together with Jo Kwon from 2AM, soloist Lim Jung Hee, and Joo Hee from 8Eight to spread some holiday cheer.
Please enjoy the lovely vocals, the sweet comradery, and adorable Baby Namjoon and Kookie.
DAY TWO:
From the moment he entered the spotlight, Rap Monster seemed a natural at knowing how to portray himself, and his group. The members of Bangtan Sonyeondan, of course, had media training before and after they debuted—they were coached on how to handle interviews and conduct themselves during music shows. But their leader seemed poised beyond his years, despite the obvious flash of his sunglasses and chunky hip-hop jewelry.
2013 Debut Namjoon
Though he wasn’t the oldest, he confidently led the group in their greetings, and silently encouraged them whenever they looked to him during interviews or press conferences. His warm smile and steady voice was a guiding light for the other members of BTS, particularly during the frenzied promotions in the summer after their Debut.
Off stage was a different story. Rap Monster was chaotic, and bursting with ideas. He never stopped writing, finding inspiration in every part of his life. His lyrics during this time were all over the place—societal expectations, girls, shit-talking to the haters, finding your dream—topics he still sometimes covers to this day, but the execution in 2013 was definitely more rough around the edges.
During the first couple years of BTS’ career, Rap Monster learned which of those edges he could soften, and which needed to be kept sharp. In front of the cameras he was always authentic, but also aware of everything happening around them. He performed with conviction and intensity, never giving less than 100%, even in the choreography he struggled with. Behind the scenes, he took his and the team’s ideas to the heads at Big Hit. He encouraged his fellow members to be as authentic in their writing as he was in his, and continued to deliver hard-hitting lyrics for their upcoming albums even in the midst of ongoing promotions.
During all this, he realized he didn’t have to maintain such a carefully-crafted image. He could still rap and be a part of hip-hop without wearing sunglasses 24/7, having a flat-top, or wearing heavy chains all the time. Though he often had to deal with a lot of negative remarks about his looks not fitting the “beauty standard” for Korean Idols, once he took off the sunglasses, he became more relatable. Not giving a fuck what people thought about how he looked drew admiration from those who struggled with image issues and made his lyrics more accessible to a wider audience.
130621 RAP MONSTER'S LOG (2:23)
130702 RAP MONSTER'S LOG (3:18)
"SOMETHING" | LYRICS (2:54)
130825 RAP MONSTER'S LOG (2:38 - as shown above)
131017 RAP MONSTER'S LOG (4:34)
"ADULT CHILD" (RM, JIN, SUGA) MV 2013 + DANCE PRACTICE (6:32)
140715 RAP MONSTER'S LOG (3:55)
"MONTERLUDE" | LYRICS (1:14)
"I'M NOT GOOD (STUPID IN LOVE)" (SOYOU, RM) | 2014 KBS SONG FESTIVAL (2:13)
"I'M NOT GOOD (STUPID IN LOVE)" (SOYOU, RM) | COLOR CODED LYRICS (2:14)
BONUS: BANGTAN BOMB: "LALALALALALALALA OK!" PERFORMED BY JIN & MON (1:39)
BONUS: AFTER SCHOOL CLUB EP56 AFTER SHOW WITH ERIC NAM, KEVIN - GUESTS RM AND JIMIN (50:37)
Bangtan Bubble: Have you ever put on a persona in order to fit in somewhere?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
“Do You” M/V
In March of 2015, Rap Monster released his first mixtape, titled RM on SoundCloud. Two years past BTS’ Debut, he had a lot to say. RM is both aggressive and introspective, a perfect storm of Rap Monster and Namjoon.
Never shying away from utilizing a long string of curse words in one breath, and then musing about the painful loneliness of being an Idol in the next, the songs on RM are an intense and slightly haphazard trip through Rap Monster’s thoughts and emotions leading up to his Debut and the time just after. It’s a response to all that early criticism he and BTS received, and it’s raw. It feels, at times, like the exposed nerve uncovered during a root canal.
“Do You”, for example, is an unapologetic, in your face, critique of a society that is obsessed with image and caring about what others think. The first verse begins (to my utter delight) by telling us that self-help books are useless, and that sets the tone for the rest of the song perfectly. The lyrics encourage us to think for ourselves while simultaneously telling everyone to fuck right off with their expectations.
The visuals in the video are simple. It’s shot in black and white, which, along with the persistent beat from a metronome, brings the simplicity of the song’s message into sharp focus. We see a pretty girl acting like she’s going to take her clothes off, pills all over the place, and Rap Monster delivering his rap while staring at us seemingly in vague disappointment. It’s to the point, and utterly captivating.
150331 RAP MONSTER'S LOG (7:33)
"VOICE" | LYRICS (2:48)
RAP MONSTER "DO YOU" M/V (3:09 - as shown above)
RAP MONSTER "AWAKENING" MV (2:41 - as shown below)
"AWAKENING" | LYRICS (2:41)
"MONSTER" | LYRICS (3:46)
"MONSTER" | ALL FORCE ONE FANCAM (3:04 - as shown below)
"THROW AWAY" | LYRICS (3:18)
"THROW AWAY" (RM, SUGA, J-HOPE) | ALL FORCE ONE FANCAM (2:41)
BONUS: MNET 4 THINGS SHOW EP 3 - RAP MONSTER (47:31 - as shown below)
Fun Fact
Rap Monster collabs with Warren G.
I have a lot of… feelings about “American Hustle Life” and most of them are not positive. In the summer of 2014 Big Hit flew the members of BTS out to Los Angeles and told them they’d be working on writing their next album DARK & WILD.
This was true. But what they didn’t tell them was that they’d also be filming a reality show at the same time, putting them through a sort of “hip-hop boot camp” with some well-known names in American hip-hop as their mentors.
The show began with the members being “kidnapped” and startled into the adventure, and it all sort of went downhill from there. There were some good moments, but most of it was unnecessarily cringe and it exhausted the members who had to shoot challenges and missions for the show on top of learning choreography and writing songs for their album.
One of the good things that came out of AHL was Warren G’s genuine desire to help BTS and his appreciation for their talent. He said he wanted to collaborate with Namjoon in the future, and lo and behold, it happened the very next year.
DAY FOUR:
One thing Namjoon has done from the very beginning, under every single one of his stage names, is successfully channel his reactions to hate he’s received into his music.
“Joke” M/V
He’s been given several opportunities over the years to respond to haters during interviews. He’s always had access to social media and/or various platforms that allow him to go LIVE and address his fans or talk to those who have criticized him. But he’s never taken advantage of any of these options.
Rather, he’s always put it in his music. The entirety of his first mixtape, RM is a testament to this. Most of the tracks are blatant responses to commentary from haters. After leaving the underground rap scene and signing with Big Hit, Rap Monster had to face that not every one of his former peers was happy for him or supportive of his move. He was accused on more than one occasion of “selling out”, compromising the integrity of rap and hip-hop, and trying to cover up a lack of real talent by becoming an Idol.
Tracks like “God Rap” (a remix of J. Cole’s “God’s Gift”) and “Joke” fire back at those accusations. “Joke”, in particular, is mandatory listening for anyone who might dare to think that an Idol rapper is not capable of being a “real” rapper. It’s a non-stop rebuttal. If the speed of his rap doesn’t floor you, the continual flow switches will. And then there are the lyrics. For three minutes and twenty seconds Rap Monster reads his haters for filth while letting them know he is now the greatest on the scene and he is unequivocally coming for their audiences. By the end of the song, you’re left wondering if anyone who’d ever said a bad word about him before was able to look him in the eye again.
I open and close the door here
The rap pain that you say you feel everyday
In an instant, I conquer the beat
When the beat sees you, it says, "Beat him"
You must feel envious of my pay
Sweden, Germany, Brazil to Japan
My pen is stronger than your tongue
On the flipside, “Life” slows it down, and talks about that loneliness it seems like Namjoon has always dealt with since becoming a musician. He’s still writing songs about it to this day. While RM is very much a freshman album from someone still finding his voice, it’s clear it is authentic to who Rap Monster/Namjoon is as an artist, and a person.
RAP MONSTER "JOKE" | LYRICS (3:19)
RAP MONSTER "JOKE" M/V (3:20 - as shown above)
"JOKE" - IS RM A LYRICAL GENIUS??? - LYRICS EXPLAINED BY A KOREAN (7:32)
"LIFE" | LYRICS (4:21)
"LIFE" | ALL FORCE ONE FANCAM (3:29 - as shown below)
"ADRIFT/DRIFTING" | LYRICS (3:11)
"I BELIEVE" | ENGLISH LYRICS (3:43)
BONUS: HELLO COUNSELOR - EP. 223/1 (JESSI, RAP MONSTER, V, KIM KAYEON & LIM YOHWAN) PT 1 (34:50)
BONUS: HELLO COUNSELOR - EP. 223/1 (JESSI, RAP MONSTER, V, KIM KAYEON & LIM YOHWAN) PT 2 (35:01)
BONUS: AFTER SCHOOL CLUB EP 68 AFTER SHOW - GUESTS RM, JIMIN, AND JUNG KOOK (52:58)
BONUS: AFTER SCHOOL CLUB EP 70 AFTER SHOW - GUESTS RM, JIMIN, AND JUNG KOOK (53:04)
Fun Fact:
Buckle up for Rap Monster’s debut solo performance…
In September of 2015 Rap Monster was invited to take part in a Korean hip-hop festival called “All Force One” as a headlining solo performer.
He was also allowed to bring anyone he wanted to perform with him, and many speculated that he might bring one of his recent collaborators from MFBTY, like Tiger JK, but NOPE! Namjoon said “Let’s go, boys” and brought the rest of his rap line—SUGA and j-hope, plus their friend and co-producer at Big Hit, Supreme Boi.
Rap Monster played a full set, featuring songs from his mixtape RM, and blew the crowd away with his stage presence. It was an early glimpse of what an RM solo tour might look like in the future, but we know it would only be better now.
150920 RAP MONSTER'S LOG (3:36)
DAY FIVE:
Rap Monster & Warren G
Even early on in his career, Rap Monster showed himself to be an artist that wants to share himself. Not just with his audience, but with other artists as well. He actually enjoys collaborating creatively with other musicians. In fact, he was the first member of BTS to do so.
Before signing with Big Hit, he’d collaborated with other rappers in the underground scene, and even recorded some tracks with them, but once BTS debuted and started gaining traction and connections, their main songwriter started getting noticed by other artists in the industry—some of them ones Namjoon himself had admired and/or been influenced by.
MFBTY “Buckubucku” with Rap Monster
2015 brought on a slew of collaborations for him, as well as his first foray into creating music for an OST (original soundtrack), with “Fantastic (Feat. Mandy Ventrice)” for the Korean run of the Marvel film “Fantastic Four”. To celebrate the achievement, BTS actually rented out a theater and invited some ARMYs to come and watch the movie with them!
The same year also saw Rap Monster working with some other amazing rappers—like MFBTY (who he also got to perform onstage with) on the song “Buckubucku”, and Warren G (who had mentored him during BTS’ time in Los Angeles filming “American Hustle Life” in 2014). Warren G saw the talent and drive in Namjoon and suggested during the show that he wanted to work with him in the future, and it wasn’t even a full year later before it actually happened.
RAP MONSTER - "FANTASTIC (FEAT. MANDY VENTRICE)" M/V (3:57 - as shown)
RAP MONSTER - "FANTASTIC (FT. MANDY VENTRICE)" | COLOR CODED LYRICS (3:37)
"BUCKUBUCKU" OFFICIAL VIDEO (4:20)
"BUCKUBUCKU" LIVE | 25TH SMA (6:25)
BANGTAN BOMB: RAP MONSTER ON THE SPECIAL STAGE "BUCKUBUCKU" FEAT. BTS (3:12 - as shown)
MFBTY FT. LE (EXID) + SUGA + RAP MONSTER (BTS) + BARO (B1A4) - "MONSTER" | SBS 2015 DREAM CONCERT (3:56)
BTS' RAP MONSTER X AOA'S JIMIN X IRON - "K'HAWAH" | COLOR CODED LYRICS (2:08)
K'HAWAH COFFEE COMMERCIAL - IRON X JIMIN (AOA) X RAP MONSTER (BTS) (1:02)
BANGTAN BOMB: BTS INGIGAYO 1ST "FIRE" WIN AND JIN & RM SPECIAL MC (5:21 - as shown)
"FOOLS" COVER BY RAP MONSTER AND JUNG KOOK | LYRICS (3:54 - as shown)
Bangtan Bubble: Who would you LOVE to see RM collab with next?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Through discovering his passion for music, honing his skills in the underground rap scene, to signing with Big Hit and training to become the leader of an Idol hip-hop group, it’s clear that Namjoon had a singular goal. He wanted to share himself with the world. While he may have had doubts about who it was he was sharing along the way, he’s never wavered in being honest about it.
Next week week we’ll continue along down his discography with his second mixtape mono. and explore the next few years for him in BTS as well.
Side Quest
Namjoon has a Sexy Brain. Let’s watch it at work.
In 2015, Rap Monster was invited to star on the first season of a new Korean variety show called “Problematic Men”. I know what you’re thinking, here in the west, that phrase means something different, but hear me out! This show was literally about a panel of men who use their “hot” brains to solve problems. Eh? EH? EHHHHHH!
Each show would have a guest, who the panelists would try to guess. Once the guest was revealed and had joined them, the panel would then be given a series of problems (usually based on a common theme) to solve throughout the rest of the show.
Rap Monster starred in the first 21 episodes and it makes for some very GOOD television. Watching him use that 148 IQ and think his way through question after question… well, let’s just say you’re likely to come out of watching these with a new addition to your bias line. Or severely wrecked at the very least.
I mean… THE GLASSES?! Come on!!!
BTS'S RM X EXO'S SUHO SOLVE A REAL LIFE JOB INTERVIEW QUESTION! | PROBLEMATIC MEN (4:35)
RM, THE HIGHEST IDOL IQ? 3 BRAINIACS ARE IN THE TOP 1% OF KOREA?! | PROBLEMATIC MEN (8:20)
RM'S BOWL CUT AND EMBARRASSING MOMENTS OF THE INTELLECTUALS | PROBLEMATIC MEN (6:36)
RM'S GIFTING A RAP TO A FEMALE 'TO YOU' | PROBLEMATIC MEN (6:07)
RM CONFUSED BY HIS OWN ANSWER | PROBLEMATIC MEN 150709 (5:40)
BTS RM'S CHANGE OF CONCEPTION | PROBLEMATIC MEN 150709 (5:48)
BTS RM INCREDIBLE EXPLANATION | PROBLEMATIC MEN 150709 (4:53)
BTS RM AT TOP OF HIS CLASS : OPPA'S STUDY TACTICS | BTS RM PROBLEMATIC MEN (1/10) (3:10)
KIM NAM JOON'S GIRLFRIEND? | BTS RM PROBLEMATIC MEN (2/10) (4:08)
IS KIM NAM JOON COOKING? | BTS RM PROBLEMATIC MEN (3/10) (3:14)
KIM NAM JOON THE EMOTIONAL POET | BTS RM PROBLEMATIC MEN (4/10) (3:57)
THE CREATIVE GOD KIM NAM JOON | BTS RM PROBLEMATIC MEN (5/10) (3:29)
KIM NAM JOON BREAKDANCING | BTS RM PROBLEMATIC MEN (6/10) (3:42)
NAM JOON ACTING CHARISMATICALLY | BTS RM PROBLEMATIC MEN (7/10) (5:39 - as shown)
NAM JOON THE LINGUISTIC GENIUS (ENGLISH & CHINESE) | BTS RM PROBLEMATIC MEN (8/10) (4:04)
SEXY & CLEVER NAM JOON SOLVING A PROBLEM ON THE BOARD | BTS RM PROBLEMATIC MEN (9/10) (5:27)
A WELL SPOKEN BUSINESSMAN NAM JOON | BTS RM PROBLEMATIC MEN (10/10) (10:33)
RM, ALL I SAID WAS THE ANSWER | PROBLEMATIC MEN 150326 (5:10)
RM TAKES AIRLINE ENGLISH TEST | PROBLEMATIC MEN 150326 (5:49)
BTS RM HAS NO ID CARD IN HIS WALLET? HE LOST IT XD | PROBLEMATIC MEN (2:36 - as shown)
RM & SUHO TALK BURDENS OF BEING A LEADER | PROBLEMATIC MEN (3:54)
RM'S WALLET SHOWS IF HE IS RIGHT OR LEFT-BRAINED | PROBLEMATIC MEN (9:39)
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
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