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
Yun
RM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
플라톤의 인문학에서는
인간의 인제 그 본질인데 진, 선, 미
진실하다는 '진'자하고, 착할 '선'자하고
아름다울 '미'하고 근데
내 생각에는 '진'하나만 가지면 다 해결되는 거야
Fuck the trendsetter
Back the time, far to when I was nine
좋은 것과 아닌 것밖에 없던 그때
차라리 그때가 더 인간이었던 듯해
이쪽저쪽에서 받았던 손가락질들이
이젠 가야 할 곳이라며 저 산을 가리키지
That's where you belong
Oh, you gon' be alone if
뭣도 아닌 그 진심들을 고집하면은
팀 빠진 넌 사실 뭣도 아니야 너는
고속도로서 오솔길로 가려 해 너는
그냥 내 말 좀 들어 그러다 다 잃어
늘 그랬듯 you go with the flow, you get better
Fuck that shit 에뜨랑제의 lifestyle
늘 나의 자리는 경계선의 pipeline
여전히 난 허락되지 않는 꿈을 꿔
아무도 보지 않는 춤을 춰
You keep the silence
'Fore you do somethin' now (yeah-yeah)
You be a human
'Til the death of you now (yeah-yeah)
I wanna be a human
'Fore I do some art
It's a cruel world
But there's gon' be my part
'Cause true beauty is a true sadness
Now you could feel my madness
I wanna be a human
'Fore I do some art
It's a cruel world
But there's gon' be my part
'Cause true beauty is a true sadness
Now you could feel my madness
그는 말했지 늘, "먼저 사람이 돼라"
"예술할 생각 말고 놀아, 느껴, 희로애락"
What is it with the techniques?
What is it with the skills?
What is it with all the words?
In your lyrics that you can't feel?
나 당신이 말한 진리가 뭔지 몰라 다만
그저 찾아가는 길 위 나의 속도와 방향
You're dead, but to me you the fuckin' contemporary
여전히 이곳에 살아서 흘러 permanently
이 모든 경계의 위에 선 자들에게
반드시 보내야만 했던 나의 밤을 건네
반짝이는 불꽃은 언젠가 땅으로
카이사르의 것은 카이사르로
시커멓게 탄 심장
재를 뿌린 그 위에 시를 쓰네
사선을 오갔던 생과
당신이 마침내 이 땅에 남긴 것들에게
나 역시 그저 좀 더 나은 어른이길
You keep the silence
'Fore you do somethin' now (yeah-yeah)
You be a human
'Til the death of you now (yeah-yeah)
I wanna be a human
'Fore I do some art
It's a cruel world
But there's gon' be my part
'Cause true beauty is a true sadness
Now you could feel my madness
I wanna be a human
'Fore I do some art
It's a cruel world
But there's gon' be my part
'Cause true beauty is a true sadness
Now you could feel my madness
내 죽, 죽기까지 못 할 거야
그렇게 하고 싶은데 안돼, 그럴라면
욕심도 다 버리고, 모든 욕심 다 버려야 해
천진무구한 세계로 들어가야지
그러니까 그건, 나는 그렇게 하고 싶은데 안 되는 거야
근데 죽을 때까지는 그렇게 해볼라고 노력은 해봐야지
그게 인간의 목적인 거 같아
In the song Yun, RM talks about the concept of what it means to be human in a world that constantly demands us to conform to trends and societal expectations. He references Plato's philosophy, which states that the essence of humanity can be boiled down to three things: truth, goodness, and beauty. However, RM argues that if we focus solely on the pursuit of truth, we can find solutions to all the problems we face. He expresses his desire to turn back time to when he was nine years old, before he was subject to judgment and criticism from others. He believes that back then, he was more in touch with his humanity. He challenges the listener to reject trends and to focus on pursuing a true understanding of oneself, even if it means going against the flow of society.
RM also addresses the importance of being true to oneself in pursuing art. He questions the value of technical skills and the meaning behind lyrics if the artists themselves cannot feel the emotions they are trying to convey. He believes that true beauty comes from true sadness, and that the most genuine art comes from those who are not afraid to expose their deepest emotions and vulnerabilities. RM acknowledges that it can be difficult to pursue one's own path in a world that demands conformity but encourages the listener to keep striving towards that goal.
The final verse of the song sees RM grappling with the concept of mortality and the meaning of life. He expresses a desire to live a life true to himself, even if it means sacrificing everything else. He believes that the purpose of life is to strive towards one's own definition of humanity and that, while it may be elusive, it is essential to continue the pursuit.
Line by Line Meaning
평생 진리에 살다 가야 한다 이거야
Throughout our lives, we must live by the truth
플라톤의 인문학에서는 인간의 인제 그 본질인데 진, 선, 미
진실하다는 '진'자하고, 착할 '선'자하고
아름다울 '미'하고 근데
내 생각에는 '진'하나만 가지면 다 해결되는 거야
In Plato's humanities, human nature consists of truth, good, and beauty. Truth is being truthful, Good is being good, and Beauty is being beautiful. However, I believe that for humans, only truth is necessary for resolving issues.
Fuck the trendsetter
Reject the popular trend
I'ma turn back the time
Back the time, far to when I was nine
좋은 것과 아닌 것밖에 없던 그때
차라리 그때가 더 인간이었던 듯해
이쪽저쪽에서 받았던 손가락질들이
이젠 가야 할 곳이라며 저 산을 가리키지
That's where you belong
Oh, you gon' be alone if
I want to go back to when I was nine when everything was either good or bad. I feel like it was more human back then. People point fingers at you left and right, telling you where to go. However, the only place you belong is where you choose to go. If you cling to your insincere ambitions, you will end up alone.
뭣도 아닌 그 진심들을 고집하면은
팀 빠진 넌 사실 뭣도 아니야 너는
고속도로서 오솔길로 가려 해 너는
그냥 내 말 좀 들어 그러다 다 잃어
늘 그랬듯 you go with the flow, you get better
Fuck that shit 에뜨랑제의 lifestyle
늘 나의 자리는 경계선의 pipeline
여전히 난 허락되지 않는 꿈을 꿔
아무도 보지 않는 춤을 춰
If you persist in your insincere desire, you are truly nothing. You try to take the back roads as a shortcut but ultimately end up losing everything. As always, going with the flow will make you better. I reject the lifestyle of being a follower. My place is always at the boundary-line pipeline. I still dream of things that are not allowed and dance alone without anyone to watch.
You keep the silence
'Fore you do somethin' now (yeah-yeah)
You be a human
'Til the death of you now (yeah-yeah)
Keep calm and collected before making a move. Be human until the end of your life.
I wanna be a human
'Fore I do some art
It's a cruel world
But there's gon' be my part
'Cause true beauty is a true sadness
Now you could feel my madness
Before creating art, I want to be human in this cruel world. My work will reflect true beauty in true sadness, so please feel my madness.
그는 말했지 늘, "먼저 사람이 돼라"
"예술할 생각 말고 놀아, 느껴, 희로애락"
What is it with the techniques?
What is it with the skills?
What is it with all the words?
In your lyrics that you can't feel?
나 당신이 말한 진리가 뭔지 몰라 다만
그저 찾아가는 길 위 나의 속도와 방향
"Always be human first," he said. "Don't think about art, just play, feel, and express." What is the point of techniques, skills, and words when you don't feel them in your lyrics? I don't know what truth you're talking about, but I only know the direction and speed on the path that I'm seeking.
You're dead, but to me you the fuckin' contemporary
여전히 이곳에 살아서 흘러 permanently
이 모든 경계의 위에 선 자들에게
반드시 보내야만 했던 나의 밤을 건네
반짝이는 불꽃은 언젠가 땅으로
카이사르의 것은 카이사르로
시커멓게 탄 심장
재를 뿌린 그 위에 시를 쓰네
사선을 오갔던 생과
당신이 마침내 이 땅에 남긴 것들에게
나 역시 그저 좀 더 나은 어른이길
To me, you are still a contemporary artist even though you have passed away. You will forever live on in this place. I give to those who stand above all boundaries the night which I had to send. Bright flames will someday return to the earth, Caesar's possessions will eventually be taken by Caesar, and I write poetry on top of my heart that has been burned black. I have come this far in life and walked on the diagonal line. I hope to also become a better adult like you who has left behind things in this world.
내 죽, 죽기까지 못 할 거야
그렇게 하고 싶은데 안돼, 그럴라면
욕심도 다 버리고, 모든 욕심 다 버려야 해
천진무구한 세계로 들어가야지
그러니까 그건, 나는 그렇게 하고 싶은데 안 되는 거야
근데 죽을 때까지는 그렇게 해볼라고 노력은 해봐야지
그게 인간의 목적인 거 같아
Until I die, I won't do what I cannot. If I want to, but can't, then I need to give up on everything. I must enter a world where anything is possible. So, it's something I want to do, but can't. However, I will continue trying until the end of my life. That's what I believe is the purpose of being human.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jung Lee, Min Soo Kim, Nam Jun Kim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Xstarzones2
This song is a cool vibe very nice..🔥🤩👑💜
Yea Erykah Badu my girl kills it,
and OMG yes King come on 'RM..🔥😎🥵
This sh*t is on my playlist to 'Yun..🔥
So far Lonely and this song Yun
Is a sexy vibe bop very smooth..🍷🍾
The talking part was little off tho,
they could left that part off, but this song 'Yun is a vibe, they slayed it..👏💜
Translate to Korean
@shintarooo418
Buy Me a Coffee:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gasashintaro
@punch3274
I cant even listen im so excited. MIXING MY BLACK SIDE AND KPOP SIDE UGHHHAAAAAHH i cant listen i cant
@justlivinglife1167
I- no fr im in the EXACT SAME POSITION RIGHT NOW😭✋🏾. This is too crazy like I seriously can't handle this right now😢😱😳
@agustd6812
Not one bad song in this album all 10/10
@mikks3733
True Because I can relate at some point💙
@carolcrudup9235
Sure nuff the boy is bad!!!!
@butterscotchiho.02
When joonie hyung said
"" I wanna be a true human
Fore i do some art
It's a cruel world
But there's gonna be my part
Cause true beauty is a true sadness
Now you could feel my madness''
@locurasforever
Erykah badu truly has such a soothing and meaningful voice. His collaboration are perfectly chosen for each piece.
@debrajackson6985
RM'S INDIGO ALBUM IS GREAT IT HAS SOMETHING TO APPEAL TO EVERYONE. THE MUSIC ECLECTIC, ELECTRIC I LOVE IT, HE EXPRESSES HIMSELF WELL AND HIS VOCALS ARE GREAT, HIS COLLABORATIONS ARE DEEP. LOVE IT INDIGO
@btsmyworld2763
Wow no words he always so deep that we can't even think in dreams. Love you joonie . We always support you