RM

RM, born Kim Namjoon on September 12, 1994, is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and producer, best known as the leader of BTS. Before joining the group he was active in the Seoul underground hip-hop scene as a teenager under the name Runch Randa, crossing paths with artists like Zico. He was discovered by rapper Sleepy and brought to Big Hit Entertainment, where he became the founding member around whom BTS was built, debuting in 2013 initially as Rap Monster.

Within BTS, RM functions as the group's musical and conceptual anchor, shaping direction alongside producers while also writing and producing extensively for the group's catalog. His flow draws on boom-bap and alternative hip-hop roots filtered through pop and R&B textures, giving BTS's more introspective material — tracks like «Intro: Persona» and «moonchild» — its literary, self-reflective tone.

Outside the group, RM has built a respected solo catalog, starting with the 2015 mixtape RM, which drew critical attention including a nod from SPIN. He has continued releasing solo work and collaborating widely across genres, cementing a reputation as one of K-pop's most articulate lyricists and cultural ambassadors.