In 2010, Sleepy contacted RM, encouraging him to audition for Big Hit Entertainment CEO Bang Si-hyuk.

However, following the audition, rapper Sleepy exchanged contact information with RM, whom he later mentioned to Big Hit Entertainment producer Pdogg. In 2009, RM auditioned for Big Deal Records, passing the first round along with Samuel Seo but failing the second round after forgetting lyrics. Career 2010–2013: Joining Big Hit Entertainment and debut with BTS In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2019, RM stated that the name 'could symbolize many things' and 'could have more spectrums to it.' One meaning that has been suggested is 'Real Me'. 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. 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 adopted the stage name because he felt it was 'cool'. The lyrics contained a segment where San E declares he should be called a 'rap monster' as he 'raps non-stop'. The name derives from the lyrics of a song he wrote, inspired by San E's 'Rap Genius'. RM selected the name 'Rap Monster' during his time as an idol trainee. In March 2019, after graduating from Global Cyber University with a degree in Broadcasting and Entertainment, RM enrolled at Hanyang Cyber University's Master of Business Administration program in Advertising and Media. He eventually convinced his mother to allow him to be a rapper, asking her if 'she wanted to have a son who was a first-place rapper, or a 5,000th-place student'. Because his parents had been strongly opposed to his interest in a musical career due to his academic achievements, RM initially decided to set music aside to focus on his studies. Īs a student, RM had an IQ of 148 and scored in the top 1% of the nation in the university entrance examinations for language, math, foreign language and social studies. RM became more active in the underground Korean hip-hop scene under the moniker Runch Randa, releasing several tracks and collaborations with other underground rappers such as Zico. In 2007, as a first-year middle school student, he began rapping in local amateur hip-hop circles, creating his first self-composed recording with the program Adobe Audition (then called Cool Edit) and later participating in his first concert in 2008. RM began songwriting at that time, stating that his poetry became lyrics when combined with music. He would print out lyrics that he felt were 'cool' and shared them with friends. He was introduced to the music of American rapper Eminem by his school teacher, which first sparked RM's interest in lyricism. Finding that the song had provided him comfort, he decided to look further into the genre. Īt age 11, in fifth grade, RM became interested in hip-hop music after hearing Epik High's 'Fly'. When he was twelve years old, he studied in New Zealand for four months. As a result, RM expressed interest in pursuing a literary career but later decided against it.

He posted his work to an online poetry website for roughly one year, where he received moderate attention. As a student, he actively wrote poetry and often received awards for his writing. As a child, RM largely learned English by watching the American sitcom Friends with his mother. Kim Nam-joon ( Korean: 김남준) was born on September 12, 1994, in Dongjak District, Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in Ilsan District, Goyang, where his family moved when he was aged four or five. He has also collaborated with artists such as Wale, Younha, Warren G, Gaeko, Krizz Kaliko, MFBTY, Fall Out Boy, Primary, and Lil Nas X. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest-charting album by a Korean soloist of all-time. RM made his official solo debut in 2022 with the release of his studio album Indigo, which featured contributions from Erykah Badu and Anderson.

The latter became the highest-charting album by a Korean soloist in the United States in history when it peaked at number 26 on the Billboard 200. RM released his first solo mixtape, RM, in 2015, followed by his second mixtape, Mono, in 2018. He is the leader of South Korean boy band BTS.

Kim Nam-joon ( Korean: 김남준 born September 12, 1994), known professionally as RM (formerly Rap Monster), is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer.

Namjoon bts debut