Active during his pre-debut days as an underground rapper ( Runch Randa ). 13-year-old Nam-joon was already a prodigy in rap, he'd often attended gigs in his hometown Ilcheon and earned a place for himself in the underground scene at an early age, impressing even older underground rappers. He had made a collab with the famous rapper Zico back in 2008, the track can be found on many platforms including YouTube and SoundCloud.
In early 2015, RM earned not only the approval from big names in the Korean Hip-hop scene, but he had also gained respect from the American Hip-hop figure Warren G. The two came together for the track "P.D.D", where RM asks his haters to stay alive to witness his success. The west coast rapper stated in an interview with CJ America, "I couldn’t understand all his lyrics, but I can say that it was very good because his flow, style, and rhythm are all excellent.” He then even went on to say, "When I hear Rap Monster’s songs, it sounds like Snoop Dogg or me rapping with the beats we’ve made.”
On March 4, 2015, RM released a single with Warren G entitled, "P.D.D (Please Don't Die)" ahead of his first solo mixtape RM following an offer by Warren G to collaborate. The track reflected how RM felt towards those who hated and criticized him at the time, which he used to find very upsetting.
That same March, RM collaborated with hip hop project group MFBTY, EE and Dino J on the song "Bucku Bucku". He featured in the song's music video and also had a cameo appearance in a music video for another song by MFBTY, "Bang Diggy Bang Bang".
He released his first solo mixtape in the same year, titled 'RM'. It's a work where Namjoon gives his take hip-hop's influence in his life, the hardships he'd experienced in pursuit of his career, as well as his struggle with self-love and self-acceptance. "Awakening", the third track of the mixtape, talked of his internal conflict between his two identities of "rapper" and "idol", as he had received backlash from the underground Hip-hop community prior to his debut with BTS, claiming that he'd betrayed his roots as a rapper. To this day, the mixtape is considered one of the best works inside the Korean Hip-Hop scene.
Following RM's release, he featured along with Kwon Jin-ah on Primary's "U" that April. In August, RM collaborated with Marvel for Fantastic Four's soundtrack in Korea, releasing the digital single, "Fantastic" featuring Mandy Ventrice.
In August 2016, vocal duo Homme released a single titled "Dilemma", which was co-produced by RM and Bang Si-hyuk.
In 2017 was released the track "Change", a collab between Wale and Rap Monster (RM). The song talks of global violence, the school system, social injustice, and bullying. The two conversed through lyrics, claiming that people were controlled by the higher power and voiced out their wish of a changing world.
In 2018, he came out with a second mixtape named "mono". A project containing a few collaborations (with artists such as HONNE, NELL, eAeon) where Nam-joon experimented with lofi Hip-Hop and ballad. Though different from his previous works, he was still able to showcase his soul-deep lyricism, where he often implemented his skill of using wordplay and metaphors to further reach his listeners. With this mixtape, he continued to explore his own identity and life through a microscope, touching topics like loneliness, self-doubt, longing, and even explored the concept of love and hate. 'mono' proved RM a unique artist of diversity and growth. The mixtape is available on Spotify, iTunes, and SoundCloud. During its first day of release, the mixtape reached high positions on stream platforms, giving RM a profile with verification, resulting in his becoming of a more acknowledged rapper, producer, and songwriter.
In December, RM collaborated on a remix of Fall Out Boy's song "Champion". The track reached number 18 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and helped RM reach number 46 on the Emerging Artists Chart for the week of January 8, 2018.
In November, RM also collaborated with Tiger JK on his last and final album under the stage name Drunken Tiger, featuring on the track "Timeless". Tiger JK originally expected RM's lyrics to contain self-praise, which was the trend of rap at the time; RM instead wrote lyrics about leaving behind the historical meaning of Drunken Tiger's name.
A lot of prestigious artists, from South Korea and EUA, found interest in RM and invited him for collaborations. Famous American rappers like Wale and Lil Nas X, even the rock group Fall Out Boy and famous Korean artists like Drunken Tiger and Gaeko.
On March 25, 2019, Honne announced that RM would feature on their remake of "Crying Over You" alongside singer BEKA, which was released on March 27.
The same day, Big Hit Entertainment released the song "Persona" as a trailer for BTS' EP Map of the Soul: Persona, performed as a solo by RM.
In 2019 Lil Nas X called RM for one of the remixes of his hit "Old Town Road". And this collab gave Namjoon and the other BTS members a chance to perform along with Lil Nas X for the first time on the 2019 edition of the Grammy's stage.
On December 29, it was announced that RM would feature on Younha's track "Winter Flower", released on January 6, 2020.
RM also featured on "Don't", the lead single of Korean singer eAeon's second solo album released on April 30, 2021.
BTS, on June 14 2022, announced that they will be taking a break from group activities to focus more on solo projects. RM subsequently appeared as a featured artist on the single "Sexy Nukim" by alt-K-pop group Balming Tiger in September,
RM released his debut solo studio album, Indigo, led by the single "Wild Flower", on December 2. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, making him the highest-charting Korean soloist in chart history. he also has a girlfriend
All Day
RM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
요즘 광고는 똑같애
일단은 즐겨라 내 맘대로
멋진 옷을 입은 멋진 춤추는 이들
밖은 몸치가 더 많네
그저 습관이 된 I don't care
알지 그런 놈들이 더 do care
사실 몸은 아무것도 아냐, 마음이 더 문제
꺼져 인공지능 fuck the algorithm
사색이 필요해 fuck all the rhythm
사유할 틈을 안 주는 내 바이오리듬
언제쯤 써보게 될까 나만의 시는?
살아남느라 잊혀진 dreamin'
너도 하나쯤 별이 돼버린
묻혀진 뭔가를 찾고 있다면
Honey, you taste it like me
Okay (okay, okay)
I'm diggin' all day (uh)
Okay, okay
I'm findin' real me
(Uh) okay, okay (let's go)
I'm singin' all day (uh)
Okay, okay (let's go)
All day (all day, yeah, yeah, all day, yeah, yeah)
All day (all day, yeah, yeah, all day, yeah, yeah)
All day (all day, yeah, yeah, all day, yeah, yeah)
All day (all day, yeah, yeah, all day, yeah, yeah)
이게 무슨 분위기야?
What we doin' here?
전부 제자리일 수밖에
죄다 중립 기어
They want you in fear
어디서 감히 생각을 말해?
어서 접어 origami
They got you by your balls and your socioeconomics
That's big facts
특색을 밟아버린 think tanks
식어 식어버린 개인의 임팩트
더 큰불을 지펴, 네 인생은 빅매치
Burn it up 뭘 겁이 나
Get yo ass off the bench, start warmin' up
We gotta fight when they say, behave!
We got dynamite in our DNA
I'ma be okay, I'ma be that way
눈 부릅뜨고 알아서 잘 지낼게
Haters 어서 눈 감아
내 인생 꼴 보기 싫으면
원래 꿈 같은 일은 눈 뜨고 보기 힘들어
Ya, feel me?
Okay, okay
I'm fightin' all day
Okay, okay
Get outta my way
Okay, okay (let's go)
I'm livin' my way
Okay, okay (let's go)
All day (all day, yeah, yeah, all day, yeah, yeah)
All day (all day, yeah, yeah, all day, yeah, yeah)
All day (all day, yeah, yeah, all day, yeah, yeah)
All day (all day, yeah, yeah, all day, yeah, yeah)
Live your life
잔인한 세상이 오 너를 비웃는 것 같을 때
세상이 뭐라고 말해도 우린 날아오르네
You gotta believe it
You gotta be livin'
You gotta believe it
You gotta be dreamin'
You gotta believe it
You gotta be feelin'
We know we fly all day
RM's "All Day" is a commentary on the superficiality of modern society, particularly when it comes to marketing and advertising. The song's opening lines lament how advertisements have become indistinguishable from one another, resulting in a society that values conformity and the appearance of success over individuality and inner fulfillment. RM takes aim at the notion of "body over mind," critiquing those who prioritize their outer appearance while ignoring their inner struggles and passions. The verses also touches on the commodification of individuals and the power that socioeconomics hold in shaping one's life path.
Throughout the song, RM encourages listeners to fight against societal pressures and to prioritize their own passions and desires. He references origami as a metaphor for folding in and conforming, encouraging listeners to resist the urge to adhere to societal expectations and to instead live authentically. The chorus and verses are filled with affirmations, urging listeners to find their own voice and embrace their individuality. The song's overall message is one of perseverance; though the world may try to strip us of our uniqueness and discourage us from chasing our dreams, we must fight against that pressure and continue to strive towards our goals.
Line by Line Meaning
Okay
Starting the song with affirming that everything is good and ready to go
요즘 광고는 똑같애
Advertisements these days are indistinguishable and unoriginal
일단은 즐겨라 내 맘대로
Just enjoy it for now and do what you want
멋진 옷을 입은 멋진 춤추는 이들
People who dress well and dance well
밖은 몸치가 더 많네
There is a lack of talent outside of appearances
그저 습관이 된 I don't care
I am used to not caring about what others think
알지 그런 놈들이 더 do care
People who pretend not to care, actually do care
사실 몸은 아무것도 아냐, 마음이 더 문제
In reality, the body isn't everything, the mind is the issue
어 그래, 내가 날 모르니 huh
Yeah, since I don't know myself, huh
꺼져 인공지능 fuck the algorithm
Go away, artificial intelligence, fuck the algorithm
사색이 필요해 fuck all the rhythm
I need deep thought, fuck all the rhythm
사유할 틈을 안 주는 내 바이오리듬
My biorethm doesn't give a chance to think deeply
언제쯤 써보게 될까 나만의 시는?
When will I get to write my own poem?
살아남느라 잊혀진 dreamin'
Dreaming is forgotten while we are busy surviving
너도 하나쯤 별이 돼버린
You also became a star once
묻혀진 뭔가를 찾고 있다면
If you are looking for something that has been buried
Honey, you taste it like me
Honey, you experience the same thing as me
I'm diggin' all day (uh)
I am continuously digging for answers
I'm findin' real me (Uh) okay, okay (let's go)
I am finding my true self and am ready to keep going
I'm singin' all day (uh)
I am singing all day long
All day
This cycle happens all day long
이게 무슨 분위기야?
What kind of vibe is this?
What we doin' here?
What are we doing here?
전부 제자리일 수밖에
Everything seems to be in the same place
죄다 중립 기어
It's all creeping neutral
They want you in fear
They want you to be afraid
어디서 감히 생각을 말해?
Where did you dare to speak your thoughts?
어서 접어 origami
Quickly fold into origami
They got you by your balls and your socioeconomics
They have control over you both financially and socially
That's big facts
That's a fact
특색을 밟아버린 think tanks
Think tanks that have crushed individuality
식어 식어버린 개인의 임팩트
Chilling and extinguishing the impact of individuals
더 큰불을 지펴, 네 인생은 빅매치
Light a bigger fire, because your life is a big match
Burn it up 뭘 겁이 나
Burn it up, don't be afraid
Get yo ass off the bench, start warmin' up
Get off the sidelines, start preparing yourself
We gotta fight when they say, behave!
We have to fight against conformity
We got dynamite in our DNA
We are inherently explosive and powerful
I'ma be okay, I'ma be that way
I am going to be okay and true to myself
눈 부릅뜨고 알아서 잘 지낼게
I will open my eyes and take care of myself
Haters 어서 눈 감아
Haters, go ahead and close your eyes
내 인생 꼴 보기 싫으면
If you don't want to see how I live my life
원래 꿈 같은 일은 눈 뜨고 보기 힘들어
It's hard to see dreamlike things with your eyes open
Ya, feel me?
Do you feel me?
I'm fightin' all day
I am fighting all day
Get outta my way
Get out of my way
I'm livin' my way
I am living my way
Live your life
Live your life, too
잔인한 세상이 오 너를 비웃는 것 같을 때
When a cruel world seems to mock you
세상이 뭐라고 말해도 우린 날아오르네
Regardless of what the world says, we soar
You gotta believe it
You have to believe it
You gotta be livin'
You have to be living
You gotta be dreamin'
You have to be dreaming
You gotta be feelin'
You have to be feeling
We know we fly all day
We know we are constantly soaring
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: John Eun, Hyo Won Kang, Seon Woong Lee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind