UNDERSTANDING BTS' FOUNDATION IN HIP-HOP

How a K-pop group’s style of writing, rhyming, composition and narrative are rooted in their love for this powerful genre of music

- ARANYA JOHAR

Hip-hop is often seen as a genre that has lost pioneers such as Tupac, Nas and more because of ‘beef,’ gang violence and, above all, toxic masculinity. Although this side to hip-hop very much exists (even today), we’ve seen a lot of lyric-heavy storytelling rap from artists like Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, among others, become mainstream. A rather unexpected addition to this mix was BTS.

Although BTS debuted under what was then a rather small entertainment agency (Big Hit Entertainment) in 2013, they showed us that they were the exception and not the rule. The septet stood out for many reasons, even as a rookie group. Apart from having more rappers than a regular K-pop group, there have been many obvious ways that hip-hop has influenced their artistry. It has been discussed before that they were originally meant to launch as a hip-hop group rather than a K-pop one, and even though the latter route was chosen, the culture of hip-hop never left the table.

The rise of Soundcloud and mumble rap has made hip-hop more accessible to a larger audience over the last four or five years, there’s a more powerful side of hip-hop that doesn’t get the limelight it deserves. That is the side of rap and hip-hop that we know BTS (primarily rappers and songwriters RM, SUGA and j-hope) enjoy and appreciate. It is no wonder that the members have cited Nas, J.Cole, Mac Miller, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, A$AP Rocky and more as influences—artists who championed the idea of combining hip-hop with complex storylines and visual art. Although it may have been peculiar, Big Hit’s decision to debut a group that was more hip-hop than K-pop, choosing to go against the obvious glitz, glamour and fame, worked in their favor. They chose to encourage BTS to be celebrated for their vulnerability and honesty.