RM (Leader, BTS)

Intersections: The Art Basel Podcast

Rapper, songwriter, and record producer Kim Nam-joon, better known as RM, has made his name as leader of K-pop sensation BTS. But beyond that, he’s also become an established name within the artworld as a collector and influencer. Recently, BTS surprisingly announced that the group’s members will be focusing on solo projects. But according to their management, they plan to remain active in “various different formats". Without a doubt, this development casts Namjoon’s highly reflective comments in this podcast episode - especially those concerning personal legacy and solo projects - in a different light.

RM speaks to Art Basel’s Marc Spiegler about everything from meeting Eminem as a teenager, the formation of BTS, and their rise to global fame to the first artwork he ever bought and his plans to open a public space where his collection can be viewed. Collecting, he says, “really gives me the standard to live as a better man, as a better adult, and [as] an artist. I just want to make music like the timeless pieces that I admire.”