RM is the debut mixtape by South Korean rapper RM of the boy band BTS. It was released on March 20, 2015 by Big Hit Entertainment on SoundCloud. Background and development Prior to launching his career as the rapper RM of South Korean boy band BTS, RM began writing poetry in his 2nd year of elementary school, focusing on topics of despair, loneliness, and the relationship between the self and the world. At age 11, RM developed an interest in hip hop music and grew interested in lyricism following an introduction to American rapper Eminem by his school teacher. As a first year middle school student, RM began rapping in local amateur hip-hop circles and became active in the underground Korean hip-hop scene under the moniker "Runch Randa", releasing a number of tracks and collaborations with other underground rappers before entering Big Hit Entertainment to pursue a career in music as a member of a hip hop group similar to 1TYM in 2010. As the plans for the group transitioned to a more traditional Korean idol group, RM recalls he felt like he was living a "counterfeit life" but remained in the group as CEO Bang Si-hyuk promised RM he could make music he himself had written, not music others had written. RM trained under Big Hit Entertainment for three years alongside members J-Hope and Suga before making his debut as a member of BTS in 2013. In the initial years of his career in BTS, both he and fellow group member Suga faced criticism from the underground hip hop scene for "selling out" and becoming K-pop idols. In an interview for Singles Magazine, RM expressed a desire to release a mixtape to establish himself and present a thesis on his self-identity. Between his commitments as a member of BTS, RM took advantage of his resting time to work on his mixtape. The entirety of his work on the mixtape took around four to five months. Developing RM musically on the base of hip hop, much of RM's inspiration for the lyrics came from his own "inner darkness, worries, greed" and the song "Just Do You" by India Arie. Music and lyrics The final cut of RM comprises eleven tracks on SoundCloud. In RM, RM responded to his critics, reflected on his insecurities and doubts, and revealed his belief in himself. The opening track "Voice" focused on telling the story