RM

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

RM's journey began when he was twelve years old after hearing Epik High's 'Fly', a song that provided him comfort and sparked his interest in hip-hop. Introduced to Eminem by a teacher, he started printing out lyrics he found cool and sharing them with friends, eventually merging his childhood poetry into rap. By 2007, as a first-year middle school student, he was creating self-composed recordings using Adobe Audition under the moniker Runch Randa. Despite having an IQ of 148 and scoring in the top 1% on national exams, RM faced parental opposition to his musical ambitions due to his academic success. He famously convinced his mother by asking if she wanted 'a son who was a first-place rapper, or a 5,000th-place student.' In 2010, after an audition with Big Deal Records failed, he connected with Sleepy, who introduced him to producer Pdogg and CEO Bang Si-hyuk. At age 16, RM joined Big Hit without his parents' knowledge, training alongside Min Yoon-gi (Suga) and Jung Ho-seok (J-Hope).

In Their Own Story

In March 2015, RM released his first solo mixtape, 'RM', which addressed negative emotions like anger and rage. He later admitted the work felt 'immature' but noted it was not entirely under his sovereignty. The following year, he collaborated with Warren G on 'P.D.D (Please Don't Die)', a track born from an offer by the American rapper after they met during the production of BTS's album 'Dark & Wild'. In 2017, RM changed his stage name to 'RM' because 'Rap Monster' no longer represented him; he stated it could symbolize 'Real Me' and have more spectrums. His second mixtape, 'Mono', released in 2018, peaked at number 26 on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest-charting album by a Korean solo artist in US history at that time. In 2022, he made his official solo debut with the studio album 'Indigo', featuring Erykah Badu and Anderson .Paak, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, surpassing his previous record to become the highest-charting album by a Korean solo artist of all time.

Reader's Guide

RM's career is defined by strategic evolution and critical acclaim. After debuting with BTS in June 2013 and performing the intro track for 'O!RUL8,2?' in August, he expanded his reach through various collaborations. In 2015, he appeared on MFBTY's 'Bucku Bucku' and worked with Primary, Yankie, and Marvel. By 2024, he experimented with alternative music on his sophomore album 'Right Place, Wrong Person', which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and garnered critical acclaim. His educational path also reflects this dedication; after graduating from Global Cyber University in March 2019 with a degree in Broadcasting and Entertainment, he enrolled in Hanyang Cyber University's Master of Business Administration program in Advertising and Media. Throughout his career, RM has collaborated with diverse artists including Fall Out Boy, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Nas X, Wale, and Tablo, consistently bridging the gap between Korean hip-hop roots and global mainstream success.

Did You Know?

• RM learned English largely by watching the American sitcom Friends with his mother.
• He scored in the top 1% of the nation on university entrance exams for language, math, foreign language, and social studies.
• His mixtape 'Mono' peaked at number 26 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest-charting album by a Korean solo artist in US history at the time of its release.
• RM studied in New Zealand for four months when he was twelve years old.
• He changed his stage name from 'Rap Monster' to 'RM' in November 2017, stating it could symbolize 'Real Me'.