Salva Mubarak Senior Features Writer

The leader of the biggest band on the planet, BTS’ RM has released his first solo studio album Indigo. The septet had announced back in June that the group will be focussing on solo projects, while still participating in group projects like the Busan concert in October and their variety show Run BTS. RM, or Kim Namjoon, is the second member to release a full album after J-hope, who had released Jack in the Box in July.

In a statement announcing the album’s name and release date, it was revealed that Indigo “recounts the stories and experiences RM has gone through, like a diary. The album will present a different charm of RM with various featured artists.”

Later, the artist released a series of concept images which featured him in various shades of white and blue, setting the tone for the album.

The 28-year-old Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter has collaborated with a number of well-known artists for the album, including Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Tablo (from Epik High), Kim Sawol, Paul Blanco, Mahalia, Colde, Youjeen, Park Ji-yoon.

So before you stream the album and lose yourself in the intricate wordplay and soothing melodies the Korean rapper is known for, here are a few facts about Kim Namjoon that everyone should know…

He started as an underground rapper

Before he joined BigHit Entertainment and became the first member of BTS, Kim Namjoon was an underground rapper. He went by various names like Largo, The Nexist, and Runch Randa. The rapper had released several tracks and covers of popular songs before he joined the company in 2010.

He is a literal genius

Not only is he an incredible performer but the leader of BTS is one of the smartest musicians of all time. Namjoon has an IQ of 148 and comes in the top one per cent of people in Korea with IQ that high. The rapper is also fluent in multiple languages, other than Korean, like English, Chinese, and Japanese. His fluency with English led him to be the unofficial translator for the group and is also one of the reasons of the band’s immense popularity outside Korea. The young rapper is also a voracious reader and shares excerpts from his favourite books often on Instagram.

He is the world’s biggest and youngest art influencer

As one of the world’s most popular musicians, the young rapper has chosen to put his might behind making art accessible to a wider variety of people. In an episode of Intersections: The Art Basel Podcast, Namjoon revealed that he was drawn to the world of art after wandering into a museum in Chicago and encountering the works of the Greats. The experience led him to re-evaluate his own relationship with his work, fame, and his legacy.

The rapper has made it a habit now to visit galleries and museums across the world and share his experience on Instagram to introduce the art to a larger audience. He has also built an impressive private collection of his own featuring works by many prominent Korean artists. Galleries have reported a marked rise in visitors ever since RM started posting about them on Instagram.

He is the youngest artist with the most credits on KOMCA

RM has written most of the songs by BTS and has also released several songs as part of his mixtapes over the years. He has also written songs for other artists as well. The genius songwriter has over 200 credits on Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), becoming the youngest artist to have the most credits.

He is a man of multiple talents

Not only is he an award-winning rapper, songwriter, and performer, RM is also a renowned producer. He has produced songs for BTS and a number of other artists. He is also a wonderful orator, as evidenced by his speech at the UN General Assembly in 2018, which was later included in school books.