BTS’s Jungkook Reveals Why RM Made Him Join Big Hit Entertainment

If it wasn’t for RM, Jungkook may not be the star we know today.

Despite receiving trainee contract offers from multiple major K-Pop companies, young Jungkook decided to sign with Big Hit Entertainment in his teenage years. Jungkook has long stated that RM was the reason he eventually became part of BTS, but what was it about RM that drew the maknae in? Jungkook revealed all in a new interview with Rolling Stone.

Even if you don’t know much about how the BTS members were discovered and signed by Big Hit Entertainment (now known as Big Hit Music), it should come as little surprise that multi-talented Jungkook had numerous agencies begging to recruit him. After all, who wouldn’t want his skills in their next boy group?

| Rolling Stone/YouTube

After a surprisingly failed audition for Superstar K‘s third season, Jungkook received offers from a staggering seven agencies who saw something special in him. JYP Entertainment, FNC Entertainment, Starship Entertainment, Cube Entertainment, Woollim Entertainment, and TS Entertainment all wanted to sign Jungkook to their trainee roster. Of course, as fans now know, Jungkook opted for the seventh company—Big Hit Entertainment—but why?

| Mnet Official/YouTube

At the time, Big Hit Entertainment was relatively unheard of on the K-Pop scene, so what made Jungkook choose them? Several years ago, Jungkook revealed that he went with the agency for one main reason: BTS’s now-leader, RM. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, he opened up about what he saw in RM at the time.

| Rolling Stone/YouTube

You had offers from multiple agencies, but you chose Big Hit because of RM. What did you see in him?

— Rolling Stone

Given that Jungkook joined Big Hit Entertainment 10 years ago, it should come as little surprise that he responded, “I can’t clearly remember what happened at the time.” That said, he went on to open up about what he does remember about young RM.

| Big Hit Music

RM became interested in hip hop music and writing lyrics at the young age of 11. By the time he reached middle school, he was already beginning to rap in amateur hip hop circles. In 2007, at the age of 13, he even made his own self-composed song, and by 2008, he was performing at a concert. Over the next few years, despite his parents’ opposition to him become a music artist, RM became active on the underground rap scene, collaborating with major names like Zico.

| Big Hit Music

Talking to Rolling Stone, Jungkook revealed, “I just simply thought that RM was really cool.” Continuing, he explained that he didn’t know a lot about being a singer back then at the age of 15. But even with his limited knowledge of the industry, RM’s rapping skills awakened something in Jungkook. “When I saw [RM] rap,” Jungkook shared, “I just thought he was really, really cool and awesome.”

| Rolling Stone/YouTube

But ultimately, Jungkook says, “I believe maybe it was fate that drew me to him.” If Jungkook had opted for one of the other companies that scouted him, he could’ve ended up in GOT7, Pentagon, MONSTA X, or one of the many other groups spawned from those six agencies. But as great as he could’ve been as part of another team, there’s no doubt that Jungkook truly belongs in BTS—so maybe fate did play a hand after all.

Source: Image and Rolling Stone

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