We love our leader! BTS, a.k.a. the biggest boy band in the world, is led by the one and only RM (real name: Kim Namjoon). Keep reading to uncover who the K-pop leader is, some of his interests and so much more.
Who Is BTS’ RM?
BTS debuted as a group in 2013, revealing that RM (then-known as “Rap Monster”) would be the leader to the seven member group. K-pop groups usually have titles assigned to each member in order to establish who does what — leaders are usually “the voice” of the group who take charge in managing the other members and voicing their opinions to the music companies they work under.
RM, who was 19 years old when he debuted with BTS, is also one of the group’s main rappers — in fact, he was the first member to start training with their music company, Big Hit Entertainment (now known as HYBE). Prior to his participation in BTS, he was super active in the underground Korean hip-hop scene under the name Runch Randa, releasing tracks and collaborations with other underground rappers such as Zico.
In 2010, Big Hit Entertainment CEO Bang Si-hyuk offered RM a spot at the record label, which he accepted immediately and without his parents’ knowledge. Bang and Big Hit producer Pdogg would begin forming a hip hop group that would eventually become the idol group BTS. RM trained for three years with fellow rapper Min Yoon-gi and dancer Jung Ho-seok, later known as Suga and J-Hope, respectively.
What Is BTS’ RM’s Age, Net Worth?
RM was born in Seoul, South Korea on September 12, 1994, making his zodiac sign Virgo!
The rapper has a huge talent for writing songs, as he has writing credits on more than 130 songs, most of them being BTS tracks. BTS also has a ton of endorsement deals with companies like Hyundai, Mattel and Puma, so RM is definitely getting a cut of those profits, too. It’s safe to say he makes a lot of money. As such, his net worth falls around $20 million.
What Are RM’s Interests?
Prior to his music career, RM was actually a phenomenal student in South Korea. He 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. As a child, RM learned English by watching the American sitcom Friends with his mother.
“I was someone who wanted to go to a top college, an Ivy League school by American standards,” RM told Rolling Stone in May 2021. “I was a typical student who was trying hard to achieve. And then I trusted [HYBE founder] Mr. Bang, and I started to walk down a different path. And I had a sense of urgency and desperation about going after my dreams.”
On top of music, the rapper also enjoys art and has been highly regarded as an art patron. He recently opened up about his experience at the Art Institute of Chicago, and how paintings by Seurat and Monet captivated him in an interview with the New York Times in August 2022. “It was almost like Stendhal syndrome,” he said, referring to the condition when art induces physical symptoms in a viewer, like lightheadedness or a quickened heart rate. “It was like: wow. I was looking at these art pieces, and it was an amazing experience.”
Scroll through our gallery to find out more about BTS’ RM.
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