ARMY Magazine - Special Issues ARMY Magazine Namjoon Special Edition | Page 11

We all know about his mixtape, which was sole-
ly Namjoon’s, not BTS. But new ARMYs may be
unaware that since BTS’ debut he’s worked with
artists such as Warren G, EE, Dino J, Wale and
Fall Out Boy. It’s an even lesser known fact that
Namjoon worked with Marvel Studios on the
Fantastic Four soundtrack.
Kim Namjoon does not need BTS to be suc-
cessful.
But BTS needs him.
Whether he goes by Rap Monster, RM, Nam-
joon or God of Destruction, our leader has al-
ways shone in his role. Back in the early days of
BTS, Namjoon was criticized by fellow Hip Hop
artists. Some, because their view was that he
was a sellout for joining a company. Some, sim-
ply to mock him for joining a boy band. From
the rest of the music industry, he was criticized
for his looks and apparent lack of singing ability
or dance skills.
Despite this, Namjoon flourished. He’s risen
above the hatred, the slander, and used it as
cannon fodder in his music to fire back at the
naysayers. He exudes self confidence. He’s
considerate of the other members, making sure
they all get a chance to speak their minds and
ensuring that they know their value on the team.
He’s humble. He remembers where he came
from, looking back on this flower path he
carved with his blood, sweat and tears, and he
thanks ARMY. No true ARMY can remain un-
moved when he speaks because he never fails
to thank ARMY for staying with them, despite
the fact that it was him and the other mem-
bers who practiced for hours, who poured their
hearts out into the music, who gave the best of
himself for an ARMY of strangers that he made
into a family.
And let’s not forget how socially aware he is. It
would be easy, as a man in his position, to ig-
nore social issues. It would be easy, so easy
that it’s what has come to be expected. Which
is why it makes ARMY so proud that our lead-
er takes time to research and understand the
problems in our world and write and change
his music accordingly. From 21st Century Girl,
which is a heartwarming anthem with such a
beautiful message for girls everywhere, to the
recurring gender-neutral pronouns in his later
music Namjoon is careful to ensure that not a
single ARMY is left unfed.
When it comes to his outlook on life, he’s known
to gracefully express his views in non offensive
ways. A truly thought provoking quote by him
is “It’s important to protect and defend my faith
and be the owner of my own life, and also it’s
important that we live like the earth we live on,
living only with rotations. It’s unavoidable.” No
matter what life may throw our way, it is import-
ant for us to take control of the situation. We de-
cide what the outcome will be. We are the ones
in charge of our lives so we should decide what
we do with our lives. His words have brought
a lot of comfort and reassurance to ARMYs all
over the world.
A true leader’s worth is shown by the people he
leads, and by the followers who come after of
their own free will. One only has to look at the
astounding work ethic, passion and creativity
of all seven members to understand that these
men are truly artists of the highest caliber. And
let’s not forget ARMY. We’ve organized charity
projects, social projects, support groups and
fandom activities. We’re so diverse in age, eth-
nic identity, gender and sexuality. We are pow-
erful. We are enormous. We’ve become a family
that spans continents.
And we’re here because Kim Namjoon nev-
er gave up or walked away. Because he never
stopped believing in our galaxy.
Thanks, RM.