Throwback Thursday: Best of RM

Best known for his role as the leader of BTS, RM is one of the most well-known names in today’s K-Pop scene. As respected as he is for his role in BTS’s success, he’s also widely admired for his rap skills; he is, after all, the foundation on which BTS’s original hip-hop concept was built. From his start as an underground rapper to his status as one of K-Pop’s most prolific artists, let’s celebrate RM with a look back at some of his most impressive verses.

“Intro: What am I to you” - BTS

In 2014, RM opened up BTS’s first full-length album DARK&WILD with his hard-hitting solo “What am I to you.” Though RM is particularly gifted when it comes to the smaller nuances in rapping, nothing quite compares to when he nearly busts a vein from the sheer amount of passion behind his lines as the song builds, only to climax in one of BTS’s most explosive tracks.

“Buckubucku” - MFBTY feat. EE, RM, Dino-J

MFBTY featured RM—then known as Rap Monster—in their 2015 track “Buckubucku” alongside EE and Dino-J. MFBTY is already a trio consisting of K-Hip-Hop royalty, but the addition of RM to the mix makes the song that much more extraordinary. His flow in this track is downright astounding, and something not often found even in BTS tracks.

“Look here” - BTS

“Look here” is another track off of 2014’s DARK&WILD and though much more chill than its album-mates like “What am I to you” or “Cypher PT 3: KILLER,” the song shows RM’s insane control over his rap. Using an impressive mix of Korean and English, RM flexes his skills in a way that will leave you breathless trying to keep up with him. 

“Gajah” - Gaeko feat. RM

In 2017, RM featured in Gaeko’s “Gajah” and not only wowed audiences with his rap prowess, but also his lyricism. Yet again employing multiple languages and numerous plays on words, RM held his own to the talented Gaeko in this song about persevering through the ups and downs of life. 

“Ma City” - BTS

2015’s “Ma City” off of The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt. 2 is an homage to the hometowns of the members. RM’s verse opens the track with a powerful love letter to his childhood home of Ilsan. Like many of RM’s verses there’s wordplay abound, made all the more striking by his split-second speedy delivery.

“Joke”

In 2015, RM released his first mixtape, appropriately titled RM. The 11-track release showcases his skills at every turn, but it’s the song “Joke” that takes RM’s talents as a rapper to new heights. The song is written almost as a stream of consciousness which really allows RM to shine in his delivery, with some of his fastest rapping in his career. While some of the other tracks on RM are more melodic, “Joke” shifts the focus entirely to the rap, with RM’s insane flows taking front and center. It’s a song that truly puts RM in a league of his own.

Note: For this column, we’ve omitted songs previously used for Throwback articles such as “Ddaeng,” along with BTS title tracks and songs by the rapline.