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.
tokyo
Rm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know it's time to go
I see Pinocchio wearing a poncho
That's me some time ago
Do I miss myself?
Do I miss your face?
I don't know (I don't know)
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Life is a word that sometimes you cannot say
And ash is a thing that someday we all should be
When tomorrow comes
How different it's going to be?
Why do love and hate sound just the same to me?
I can't sleep
Homesick, babe
I just wanna
Stay right next to you
If I could choose my dream
I just wanna
Stay right next to you
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
The song "Tokyo" by RM starts with him waking up in Tokyo feeling incomplete and detached from himself. He feels like just a "torso," a body without a soul, as he struggles with missing someone, but not being sure if he misses himself or the person he longs for. He then sees Pinocchio, a wooden puppet who longs to be a real boy, wearing a poncho, possibly symbolizing a desire for something to cover up his emptiness. RM reflects on how life itself can sometimes be elusive, and that eventually, we'll all turn to ash. He wonders how different tomorrow will be while being confused about the blurred lines between love and hate.
The chorus echoes his longing to go back to the person he misses, to be with them, and to feel at home. He cannot sleep and feels homesick, wanting to choose a dream where he can simply stay next to that person. The song's melancholic and introspective vibe captures the uncertainties and vulnerability of missing someone or something, making it relatable to listeners who can resonate with the feeling of detachment or longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Wake up in Tokyo, feel like a torso
I woke up in Tokyo feeling empty and disconnected, as if my body is just a lifeless shell
I know it's time to go
I am aware that it's time for me to move on from my current situation in Tokyo
I see Pinocchio wearing a poncho
In a surreal moment, I see myself in the past as a fictional character wearing a strange item.
That's me sometime ago
The sight of Pinocchio triggers memories of who I used to be and reminds me of how much I've changed.
Do I miss myself?
I question whether or not I miss the person I used to be
Do I miss your face?
I am uncertain whether I miss the person I used to be or the person I left behind
I don't know (I don't know)
I am unable to answer the previous question with absolute certainty.
Life is a word that sometimes you cannot say
There are times when life feels indescribable, and words fail to capture its complexities
And ash is a thing that someday we all should be
As ash represents the final stage of life, it is something we all will eventually become at the end of our journey
When tomorrow comes, How different it's going to be?
The uncertainty of the future and how life will change with each passing day
Why do love and hate sound just the same to me?
I am unable to differentiate between love and hate and feel they both carry a similar intensity of emotions.
I can't sleep
I am struggling with insomnia due to feeling homesick and disconnected from my surroundings in Tokyo
Homesick, babe
I am experiencing a deep longing for my home country and the people I left behind
I just wanna, Stay right next to you
All I want is to be close to the ones I love and feel a sense of belonging
If I could choose my dream
In my ideal world, I would choose to be surrounded by my loved ones and feel truly at home
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dong Hyuk Shin, Nam Jun Kim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind