Biography of RM

RM, also known as Rap Monster, is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and producer who is most known for being a member of the K-pop band ‘Bangtan Boys’ widely known as ‘BTS’. He began his career as a solo artist before joining the group as the leader, rapper and songwriter. He has collaborated with many Korean and international rappers and has had viral success with his music. He is also a familiar face in South Korean media, having had his own talk show and being featured in magazines as a promising rapper. Additionally, he has a large following on social media.

Early Life and Education

RM, whose real name is Kim Nam-joon, was born on 12 September 1994 in Ilsan-gu, Goyang, South Korea. He grew up in Seoul with his younger sister, Kim Geong Min. As a child, he was fascinated with security guard uniforms and dreamed of becoming one for a housing society.

He was a bright student throughout his academics. He majored in Broadcasting and Performing Arts with distinction at ‘Global Cyber University’. He had a ‘TOEIC’ score of over 900, which is commendable, and was among the top scorers on the national school exam. He has a pretty high IQ as well.

His native tongue Korean and Japanese were both taught to him in school, and he also became fluent in English by watching hit American sitcoms like ‘Friends.’ Additionally, he spent time studying in New Zealand and self-taught himself English, which he believed was crucial.

His parents expected him to take a regular job due to his academic performance. However, his passion for music and the people he spent time with won them over, and he persuaded them to let him seek rap as a full-time career. Even whilst at school, he was already producing songs with catchy lyrics.

He claims that rapping helped him cope with the pressure of his studies, and the days when he studied late into the night for his examinations served as inspiration for the lyrics of his song ‘No More Dreams.’

Career and Achievements

RM tried out for ‘Big Deal Records’ in 2009, but he failed the second round because he forgot the lyrics. However, rapper Sleepy introduced him to producer Pdogg of ‘Big Hit Entertainment’. In 2010, Sleepy persuaded him to attend an audition with Bang Si-hyuk, the CEO of Big Hit Entertainment, and he was hired. He then spent three years training to create the group ‘BTS’ alongside Min Yoon-gi and Jung Ho-seok, who then became popular by the names Suga and J-Hope.

Before officially debuting with BTS, RM contributed to the writing and production of five ‘BTS’ pre-debut songs between 2010 and 2011. He also helped write the debut song ‘Party (XXO)’ for the girl group ‘Glam’. On 13 June 2013, he made his official debut as a member of ‘BTS’ and has since been involved in the production and writing of many ‘BTS’ albums. On 29 August 2013, he made his solo debut by singing the introduction to their first EP, ‘O!RUL8,2’.

On 5th August 2014, Big Hit Entertainment unveiled a teaser for BTS’ debut studio album, ‘Dark & Wild,’ which was scheduled to be released on August 20th. The track, officially credited to the group as ‘Intro: What Am I to You?’, featured a solo performance by RM. Through their appearance on the reality TV show ‘American Hustle Life, which was used to create ‘Dark & Wild,’ he formed a professional relationship with Warren G, who offered to compose a beat for the group. In an interview with the Korean magazine ‘Hip Hop Playa,’ Warren G stated that he had become friends with ‘BTS’ through the show and had maintained contact with the band even after they returned to South Korea.

In March 2015, RM released a single ‘P.D.D (Please Don’t Die)’ with Warren G before his first solo mixtape, reflecting his feelings towards critics. He also collaborated with hip hop project group ‘MFBTY’, ‘EE’ and ‘Dino J’ on the song ‘Bucku Bucku’ and had a cameo appearance in another song by ‘MFBTY,’ ‘Bang Diggy Bang Bang’. He also formed a working relationship with ‘MFBTY’ member Tiger JK after meeting him on a TV show in 2013.

In 2015, he was a regular on the Korean variety program ‘Problematic Men’ but left after 22 episodes due to BTS’ world tour. In 2016, he collaborated with several artists, featured in a single, ‘U’ with Kwon Jin-ah, released a digital single ‘Fantastic’ with Marvel and co-produced a single ‘Dilemma’ with Homme.

In March 2017, RM collaborated with American rapper Wale on a track called ‘Change’ which was released with an accompanying music video. He also featured on the track ‘Gajah’ with Gaeko of the TV show ‘Dynamic Duo’ and collaborated on a remix of the band ‘Fall Out Boy’s song ‘Champion’. The track helped him reach number 46 on the ‘Emerging Artists Chart’. He also made history as the first K-pop artist to chart on the ‘Rock Digital Songs chart’, at number two.

In 2018, RM released his second mixtape, ‘Mono’, which he referred to as a ‘playlist’ and became the first Korean artist to rank number one on the Emerging Artists Chart in the United States. The playlist was well-received by critics, who praised him for laying his deep insecurities bare on songs like ‘Tokyo’ and ‘Seoul’. He also collaborated with Tiger JK on his last album ‘Timeless’ and with Honne on their remake of ‘Crying Over You’ in 2019.

On 24 July 2019, he contributed to the fourth official version of Lil Nas X’s (American actor) hit ‘Old Town Road’ dubbed ‘Seoul Town Road’, where he blended his English-language verse with a striking Southern twang. Later in December, it was revealed that RM would be featured on Younha’s track ‘Winter Flower’, which was launched on 6 January 2020. He also made an appearance on ‘Don’t’, the main single from Korean singer eAeon’s second solo album, which was released on 30 April 2021.

In 2022, RM announced that ‘BTS’ members would focus more on individual music projects and that they would be released as commercial albums with promotional activities. He later featured on the single ‘Sexy Nukim’ by the K-pop group ‘Balming Tiger’ and released his debut solo studio album, ‘Indigo’ led by the single ‘Wild Flower’. The album reached number three on the ‘Billboard 200’, making him the highest-charting Korean soloist in history.

Military Life

Kim Nam-joon’s band, BTS, is currently taking a break to finish their mandatory military service. According to reports, he is expected to enlist in the military in 2024, and the band will return in 2025 once all 7 members have served their terms.

Personal Life

There have been recent rumours that RM is planning to get married. However, BTS’s agency Big Hit Music has issued a statement denying these rumours and stating that they are groundless. They also mentioned that they are taking action against any malicious rumours that started on YouTube. In spite of the denial of the marriage rumours, fans are curious to know about Namjoon’s rumoured girlfriend.

In 2015, when Nam-joon appeared on the South Korean television show Problematic Men, he shared that he had gone through a heartbreak. He revealed that he had dated a girl in high school, but things did not work out between them due to her unacceptable behaviour as a girlfriend.

Net Worth And Lifestyle

The net worth of RM is estimated between USD 20-22 million. His assets comprise luxury items such as expensive artworks, automobiles and apartments.

Awards

• Korean Hip-hop Awards 2023
  Collaboration of the Year – ‘Sexy Nukim’ (with Balming Tiger) (2023)
  Music Video of the Year – ‘Sexy Nukim’ (with Balming Tiger) (2023)
• Patrons of the Arts Awards 2020
  Art Patron of the Year (2020)

Interesting Facts About RM

1. His original name is Kim Nam-joon.
2. As a child, he was fascinated with security guard uniforms and dreamed of becoming one for a housing society.
3. He was a bright student throughout his academics.
4. He is fluent in English. He learned English by watching hit American sitcoms like ‘Friends.’ Additionally, he spent time studying in New Zealand and self-taught himself English, which he believed was crucial.
5. He is the leader of ‘BTS’.
6. He has a large fan following on social media.

FAQs

• What is RM’s original name?
  Kim Nam-joon.
• When is Kim Nam-joon’s Birthday?
  He was born on September 12, 1994.
• How old is Kim Nam-joon?
  He is 28 years old.
• How tall is Kim Nam-joon?
  He is 1.81 m tall.
• How much is Kim Nam-joon’s net worth?
  His estimated net worth is around USD 22 million.
• What is Kim Nam-joon’s official Instagram ID?
  rkive is his official Instagram ID.