BTS's RM Said That Bang Si Hyuk Once Doubted His Rapping Skills

BTS‘s RM has earned a reputation for being one of the most talented rappers in K-Pop, but there was a time when even BigHit Entertainment‘s CEO, Bang Si Hyuk, doubted RM’s abilities.

RM is a true rapper, heart and soul. He fell in love with rap in the sixth grade, after hearing Epik High‘s “Fly”. He became an underground rapper under the name “Runch Randa” in 2007, and later joined the rap crew Daenamhyup.

He also collaborated with other underground artists, like former BLOCK B rapper Zico (who went by “Nakseo” at the time).

RM’s underground reputation and skills ended up getting him invited to an audition, where he met Untouchable‘s Sleepy, who passed along RM’s contact information to Bang Si Hyuk.

In 2010, RM earned the first spot in BTS’s lineup and started training. His rap skills continued to grow but, even so, there was some doubt about how far he would go.

In one of RM’s earliest vlogs, he said that Bang Si Hyuk had made an assessment that he disagreed with.

“I cannot entirely agree with Bang PD-nim telling me that I won’t be as good as the people in the major or underground scenes these days,” he said.

This was because, at the time, RM hadn’t even begun to show everything we now know he is capable of.

“I feel like I still haven’t shown half my music or my rap to the company,” he said. “and I believe in myself.”

“I really need to wake myself up and show the full extent of my potential”, he went on. “I just really want to make this year my year.”

Six years later, RM’s determination, drive, and top-level skills have proven Bang Si Hyuk’s 2013 prediction completely untrue. RM believed in himself from the very beginning, and has surpassed all expectations.