btsxlami

[btsxlami]

[complete]

Untold Story

Here’s my attempt at a translation of the BSD third light novel, Untold Story of the Founding of the Detective Agency. This rambling post talks about the what and why. Done partly for practice, but mostly out of love for the incredible original.

* * *

The book has two stories, both pretty much standalones. The first, shorter one, tells the story of the ADA planning Atsushi’s entrance exam. No plans to translate that one, but it is not tied to the main story. The rest of the book is Untold Story itself.

* * *

1/6 — docs.google.com/document/d/1rmIA6WJaMRsQyTJab2xugi9fBvJW-xrVt0qrLjfJaBU

2/6 — docs.google.com/document/d/1L45bhrttssqj9TrKfDs6Ocsuy1mMXgc9IFIkazkJfII 3/6 — docs.google.com/document/d/1kudanKQAIi7piunBhqx4rkum8oEEx4BI5Hd5xGZE7_g 4/6 — docs.google.com/document/d/11K3_nUay_w92_68wSh3pMG7ok5bpzAAw1zyfZybsjV4

5/6 — docs.google.com/document/d/1HbZUlKyVsrxVluZYeGpx50Bm4_JvpMmPYvKf736OUy4

6/6 — docs.google.com/document/d/18ApNI3620WtllJMxSSrGY0_KK_ze12Tcfmn0QhPucnA

please DO NOT REPOST outside tumblr please

[btsxlami]

just nutted the biggest uwu ever

[btsxlami]

JHOPE’S MOUTH TURNED INTO ㅅ BECAUSE HE WAS UPSET AND HIS SATOORI CAME OUT!!

[btsxlami]

smooches for Tae

[btsxlami]

The “Why Namjoon isn’t problematic no more so stop bringing up his past in order to dehumanize bts or cover up a new problematic idol because I’m tired of you fake wokes dismissing the fact that Namjoon is one of the few idols who acknowledged his mistakes and apologized whole heartedly” rant

Oh so your petty ass finally decided to open your eyes and not use Namjoon as a scapegoat when other idols do something problematic. Well Hello there, I am Lami and I am here to educate you.

It’s sad how many kpop fan don’t know shit about social issues yet they want to speak when an idol does something problematic only for the sake of bashing the idol and starting drama rather than educated them and supporting the minority group.

 I don’t think you guys realize how pathetic y'all look really tryna drag someone for something they did 4-5 years ago DESPITE apologizing and educating themselves. We all know you only do this as an excuse to bash the artist rather than to spread awareness on social issues. You say KILL URSELF JOON rather than “he was insensitive to the black community I hope he learns what he did was wrong”. Or you pull the infamous “BUT NAMJOON DID IT TOOOOO”.

Excuse me just because others did the same thing your fave did It DOES NOT DISMISS your faves wrong doing. You focus on the one person, Dragging Namjoon who is a whole other different person doesn’t dismiss the offense your idol did. It just shows how characterless you are.

Stop acting like he drinking milk out of the womb. He fucked up but used the opportunity to fix himself. Not everyone is made perfect and never fucks up. Namjoon admitted what he did and is moving on.

I am not saying that Namjoon’s past actions were okay. They were not, they never will be, They were unacceptable HOWEVER he is not held hostage to the person he was in the past. I will judge by the person he is trying to be.

One thing I hugely respect is how Namjoon took the backlash first and then apologized a few years later. He genuinely meant the apology instead of just trying to shut down hate.

Even before I talk about that,, one thing I wanna address is that Namjoon is one of the least liked bts members.. Its sad, he started the damn group, he left his underground rap friends to start bts, he was shunned, he sacrificed so much in order to start bts however he never got the easy way out.

What I’m tryna say is that he isnt the only bts member who fucked up. Many BTS members and other idols did the same shit he did and NEVER apologized however Namjoon is seen as a devil despite apologizing and educating himself and not repeating the shit for 3 years.. Its just in unfair to see the other members and idols not even receiving the near amount of bullshit he got for his actions and those idols never even addressed the issue.

Y’all had to shut down his NYC concert cause he had a gun threat towards him, yet other’s members nothing. This just proves how you only do this for drama and not awareness on social issues. Threatening death is just as bad,, if not worse

Anyways, this post is a simple compilation of Namjoon’s apologies and willingness to grow and educate himself by being able to admit his mistakes and reach out for support.

Namjoon’s roots:

Long story short, Namjoon went to an underground rap club at the age of 15. He started rapping in order to cope with his mental illnesses caused from his experiences with education (refer to the songs suicide, voices, and glory) however the people he ended up rapping with werent the best influence on him. He joined a rap group DNH and they all rapped for the hype unlike Namjoon. They would say the n-word have dreads and still do to this day.  Namjoon mentioned endless times that in the beginning of his career he was having a huge identity crisis, heck he even changed his stage name. Anyways before we talk about how he is growing into a better person lets just address what he did to be problematic.

So lets start off with what  Namjoon did for him to be called problematic:

“Talking black (the translation was actually talking ghetto) as a talent” *he actually was never mocking black people but regardless further on this post you’ll see him apologize for using common aave and hip hop deprived slang as a mockery instead of admiration and respect

Saying the n-word during Shinhwa’s cover (no one came for shinhwa tho clink clink)

RM said: “When I first saw V and J-Hope, I couldn’t see them because they were too black.. Yeah when the nights get too dark I couldn’t find them.”

Cause of this he was sent death threats and was forced to stop the hi touch in nyc. By doing that youre basically being worse than him so what’s even the point. Attack don’t educate.

* a point i have here is that is as an Asian myself when referring to skin tone in many asian languages their isn’t a word for dark, it translates into black. I am aware that this was in English however in many other past bangtan moments members would say that their skin looked “black” but actually meant dark.

*keep in mind in this video around the 2 minute mark Hoseok and Jungkook call Namjoon too dark and they werent sent death threats or asked to apologize so a clear example of how namjoon never gets the short end of the stick (not supporting what joon said though)

Just cultural appropriation of black culture, like having dreads which was in 2012 (pre debut)

Being sexist??? (In my opinion I would never consider Namjoon sexist, however I’m happy he proved to be such a feminist and you will see this further on. Even if he feels if his intentions werent bad he still educates himself.

NAMJOON’S APOLOGIES

Admitting to his close minded view on hip hop which led to him appropriating black culture

Namjoon admits his mistakes, in his mixtape interview: in 2015

Q: You shouted, “Westside Till I Die” during ‘If I Ruled The World’.

RM: That’s well… I was really wrong then (laughter). After the album came out and I listened to it, I thought “Ah”. I think I was immersed in the emotions while recording and ended up shouting like that.

Q: What’s the specific reason why you feel you were wrong?

RM: First off, I didn’t even live in the ‘west side’… And even if that song had a G-Funk sound, what I shouted wasn’t the way to respect the west coast hip-hop musicians. I believe there are many meanings inside the words “Westside Till I Die”. Sweat, struggles, pride, etc. Isn’t it a phrase that compressed all these factors of life.

Q: Are you saying that you overlooked the weight and complex undertones that the phrase has within hip-hop?

RM: That’s right. I believe it’s different from words like “Yo!” or “Check It!”. As a result, I was thoughtless.

Q: Are you admitting it to be a mistake?

RM: Further than a mistake, it was a wrong. I have nothing to say.

** Honestly this part is really self explanatory. This interview was in 2015 while the song was in 2013. So he was basically justified how in the beginning of his career he was ignorant and oblivious to the real meaning of hip hop and it’s origins. He used common terms loosely without knowing the meaning like many kpop idols who have music deprived from African Americans but mock or disrespect their culture. The term “west side till i die” referred to the black hip hop community in America. However like he said “I wasn’t even from the west side”, the term relates to the *also like he said  the “struggles” of african americans in L.A. This part really ties with the common bullshit idols do of “imitating black people” by using common aave and hip hop deprived slang. He was able to differentiate culture and race and learnt to be respectful and aware. “ what I shouted wasn’t the way to respect the west coast hip-hop musicians “ This part hugely calls out how many kpop idols don’t understand the significance of many words and phrases but use it because its “hip hop” without really knowing what hip hop is. Hip Hop was created by African Americans but you can’t be ignorant to its origin and disrespect it by claiming you know the struggle. You can definitely see his music grow for the better after this. He acknowledges the struggles of the black community and how he isn’t entitled to their culture. He definitely owned up to his actions “ Further than a mistake, it was a wrong.”He acknowledges them and admitted to them “ First off, I didn’t even live in the ‘west side “

Respecting black culture or hip hop��s origins

In this interview he did in 2015 >> you can really see how compared to the last interview, he seems more confident with what he is saying, he has no hesitation, and CLEARLY states what he feels about hip hop and black culture.

“There are two things that Warren G told me that I will never be able to forget. The first is, hip-hop is open to any one. Despite what your race is or where you’re from, hip-hop is a type of music that is always ready to give you space for anyone who enjoys hip-hop. So, don’t restrain yourself behind any type of prejudiced thought, and the other one was you’re doing well, so no matter what others say, believe in yourself and do what you want.”

This connects to what I mentioned before of Namjoon having a close minded view on hip hop before and thinking hip hop was associated to one certain race. Now he fully understands that hip hop is for everyone.

“Defining hip-hop is the same as trying to define love. If there are 6 billion people in the world, then there are 6 billion definitions of love, and like that, each definition of hip-hop is different for each person. Of course, it’s possible to give a dictionary definition. In 1970, there was a person called DJ Herc in South Bronx. At a party that he was hosting, he set breaks on a beat and during that break, someone would be rapping, someone would be dancing, and someone else would be doing graffiti… That’s how hip-hop was born, and they call that the 4 elements of hip-hop, but dictionary definitions like these is something anyone knows, but to explain that spirit… In one word, it’s something that can’t be explained. It’s a way that expresses me as well as being a meaning for freedom and rebelling. Because it’s something where people play and have fun with, it can have messages of peace and love placed in it. If you compare it to a Pokemon, it’s like a Ditto. Personally, hip-hop to me is the world. The world that I’m living in… It’s difficult, right? To be honest, it’s still hard for me too.”

He is now owning up to his actions by making his own music about his own life. His own hip hop.

“The culture of shooting guns and doing drugs is not the actual self of hip-hop. It’s just become a by-product that appeared around hip-hop music, it’s not the actual self of hip-hop. Although there’s a certain image that pops up clearly when you think of hip-hop fashion, that’s also becoming something that’s more broad. Look at A$AP Rocky or Kanye West. They don’t wear pants that drag around any more. To understand ‘swag’, you need to understand what kind of meaning ‘making it on your own’ has in hip-hop. Making it on your own is a very cool and important concept in hip-hop. I’ll use Jay-Z as an example. Jay-Z was a drug dealer. He’s someone that sold drugs on the rooftop of a very large stadium called Barclays Center, but he succeeded and bought that building. After buying that building, he dressed up in hip-hop and then went up to the rooftop and looked down at that building. Then they took a picture of that and posted it. After seeing that, everyone died. Kya… Just how cool is that?”

Namjoon acknowledges that there are many stereotypes associated with hip hop and a sub culture attached to it. But he wants to follow the trend of whats in and new with the genre but still do his own thing while being mindful. He acknowledges that the origin of hip hop and its sub culture (clothes, sayings) deprived from the struggles of african americans trying to escape gang violence and wanting to make a living.

Namjoon’s personal apologies

Personally I noticed especially for bighit, when it comes to western fans that seem to have a problem with what BTS is doing.. they never allow their idols to apologize. I’ve seen Namjoon apologizing facing korean fan based controversies.

The two interviews were already big indicators of how Namjoon grew from a close minded hip hop enthusiast to his own rapper and artist, but I found one v live where he personally talked about his actions as a general. He wasn’t as specific but it was short and sweet.

Long story short he mentions how he apologizes if his action ever offended anyone and that he was oblivious that what he could say or do could cause others harm (relate to this man) and finally how he needs to hold responsibility and think before he acts and speaks.

I personally think these are very powerful statements. Namjoon did this this v live and has never hurt anyone after this. The fact that he “learned to admit to himself” says a lot of his character development. And talking about growth lets go to my favourite section…

HOW NAMJOON IS GROWING INTO A WOKE ASS HUMAN BEING

Growth revolving around him trying to own up to his mistakes with appropriation of black culture

-In 2017, Namjoon made a track with American Rapper Wale and rapped about social issues in south korea and America. The song touches upon police brutality, prejudice against african americans, injustice in the education system, and politics. It is called change;

-In an interview a few months ago, Namjoon said he would tell his past self in 2012-2013 (when he appropriated) to change his hair

-When BTS performed fake love at the bbmas they changed the korean word/lyrics naega translating into I am because it sounded similar to the n word.

As much as I don’t agree with changing the lyrics cause its apart of their korean language simply meaning something as common as the word “I” or “I am”, It’s really considerate of Namjoon to consider the fact that even for a slight second or misinterpreation, he does not want to offend anybody or make people think bts used the n-word as non black people. And judging by the fact he said the n word before, now not even wanting to say something to western media that sounds similar is huge character developement. Glad he learned. It honestly suprised me that he and bts even know about the n word because we got kpop bitches listening to black artists all the time but still be saying it and dont know the history behind that word. We love kings who educated themselves. Exo-ls put yall receipts back in the trash thank YOU.

-BTS has been one of the few or only groups who participate in hip hop and rap and actually acknowledge the roots of where it came from compared to other generic kpop groups who claim that they are “hip hop” without knowing the prejudice black people face.

I suggest you read this beautifully written article by Monique an African American writer talking about BTS’s journey with African American culture and their willingness to grow and educate specifically RM.

It talks about the overall ignorance koreans have towards black people and addressing how kpop rappers treat african american culture as a trend lessening the significance.

Later the article acknowledges that Namjoon has successfully acknowledged the roots of hip hop and how to respect Black culture by admitting to his mistakes and viewing it with an open mind.

Then it goes on about how BTS actually understand how they need to be mindful of how they perceive black culture and further on promote and spread awareness about racial injustice

The article says how BTS has gained respect through the fact that they have shown growth and education of black culture  through warren G’s (a hip hop icon) quote of:

Namjoon said he takes the time to learn the roots of the genres of music he is using.

Acknowledgement of the same sex love

*Writing a song for girl group glam called party xxo where the lyrics encourage korean youth to come out and support the lgbtq community 

RM: “Not love just between a man and a woman, all different kinds of love”

RM: when we have a “Boyfriend or girlfriend”

“love, not just between a man or a woman, both genders”

Being a feminist king who makes sure he doesn’t offend anyone and respects women

Namjoon read a book called the man box.

The book gives “tips” on how men can be an ally to women and help empower them. It also talks about about how men should not fit into the stereotypes of toxic masculinity and be respectful while creating a world where girls are valued and safe. Remember when he said he tries to read literature about social issues and then goes to uni professors to ask questions. He really out here doing the MOST. His willingness to learn is such a thing to admire. He is interested in such important yet controversial topics in order to expand his knowledge. We love quality men.

-Writing two songs revolving around feminism.

One called “not today” where he addresses the glass ceiling (prejudice and boundaries women & minority groups face) and one called"21 century girls”.

La fin.

[btsxlami]

The “Why Namjoon isn’t problematic no more so stop bringing up his past in order to dehumanize bts or cover up a new problematic idol because I’m tired of you fake wokes dismissing the fact that Namjoon is one of the few idol rappers who acknowledge the black community and the prejudice they face“ rant

Oh so your petty ass finally decided to open your eyes and not use Namjoon as a scapegoat when other idols do something problematic. Well Hello there, I am Lami and I am here to educate you.

It’s sad how many kpop fan don’t know shit about social issues yet they want to speak when an idol does something problematic only for the sake of bashing the idol and starting drama rather than educated them and supporting the minority group.

 I don’t think you guys realize how pathetic y'all look really tryna drag someone for something they did 4-5 years ago DESPITE apologizing and educating themselves. We all know you only do this as an excuse to bash the artist rather than to spread awareness on social issues. You say KILL URSELF JOON rather than “he was insensitive to the black community I hope he learns what he did was wrong”. Or you pull the infamous “BUT NAMJOON DID IT TOOOOO”.

Excuse me just because others did the same thing your fave did It DOES NOT DISMISS your faves wrong doing. You focus on the one person, Dragging Namjoon who is a whole other different person doesn’t dismiss the offense your idol did. It just shows how characterless you are.

Stop acting like he drinking milk out of the womb. He fucked up but used the opportunity to fix himself. Not everyone is made perfect and never fucks up. Namjoon admitted what he did and is moving on.

I am not saying that Namjoon’s past actions were okay. They were not, they never will be, They were unacceptable HOWEVER he is not held hostage to the person he was in the past. I will judge by the person he is trying to be.

One thing I hugely respect is how Namjoon took the backlash first and then apologized a few years later. He genuinely meant the apology instead of just trying to shut down hate.

Even before I talk about that,, one thing I wanna address is that Namjoon is one of the least liked bts members.. Its sad, he started the damn group, he left his underground rap friends to start bts, he was shunned, he sacrificed so much in order to start bts however he never got the easy way out.

What I’m tryna say is that he isnt the only bts member who fucked up. Many BTS members and other idols did the same shit he did and NEVER apologized however Namjoon is seen as a devil despite apologizing and educating himself and not repeating the shit for 3 years.. Its just in unfair to see the other members and idols not even receiving the near amount of bullshit he got for his actions and those idols never even addressed the issue.

Y’all had to shut down his NYC concert cause he had a gun threat towards him, yet other’s members nothing. This just proves how you only do this for drama and not awareness on social issues. Threatening death is just as bad,, if not worse

Anyways, this post is a simple compilation of Namjoon’s apologies and willingness to grow and educate himself by being able to admit his mistakes and reach out for support.

Namjoon’s roots:

Long story short, Namjoon went to an underground rap club at the age of 15. He started rapping in order to cope with his mental illnesses caused from his experiences with education (refer to the songs suicide, voices, and glory) however the people he ended up rapping with werent the best influence on him. He joined a rap group DNH and they all rapped for the hype unlike Namjoon. They would say the n-word have dreads and still do to this day.  Namjoon mentioned endless times that in the beginning of his career he was having a huge identity crisis, heck he even changed his stage name. Anyways before we talk about how he is growing into a better person lets just address what he did to be problematic.

So lets start off with what  Namjoon did for him to be called problematic:

“Talking black (the translation was actually talking ghetto) as a talent” *he actually was never mocking black people but regardless further on this post you’ll see him apologize for using common aave and hip hop deprived slang as a mockery instead of admiration and respect

Saying the n-word during Shinhwa’s cover (no one came for shinhwa tho clink clink)

RM said: “When I first saw V and J-Hope, I couldn’t see them because they were too black.. Yeah when the nights get too dark I couldn’t find them.”

Cause of this he was sent death threats and was forced to stop the hi touch in nyc. By doing that youre basically being worse than him so what’s even the point. Attack don’t educate.

* a point i have here is that is as an Asian myself when referring to skin tone in many asian languages their isn’t a word for dark, it translates into black. I am aware that this was in English however in many other past bangtan moments members would say that their skin looked “black” but actually meant dark.

*keep in mind in this video around the 2 minute mark Hoseok and Jungkook call Namjoon too dark and they werent sent death threats or asked to apologize so a clear example of how namjoon never gets the short end of the stick (not supporting what joon said though)

Just cultural appropriation of black culture, like having dreads which was in 2012 (pre debut)

Being sexist??? (In my opinion I would never consider Namjoon sexist, however I’m happy he proved to be such a feminist and you will see this further on. Even if he feels if his intentions werent bad he still educates himself.

NAMJOON’S APOLOGIES

Admitting to his close minded view on hip hop which led to him appropriating black culture

Namjoon admits his mistakes, in his mixtape interview: in 2015

Q: You shouted, “Westside Till I Die” during ‘If I Ruled The World’.

RM: That’s well… I was really wrong then (laughter). After the album came out and I listened to it, I thought “Ah”. I think I was immersed in the emotions while recording and ended up shouting like that.

Q: What’s the specific reason why you feel you were wrong?

RM: First off, I didn’t even live in the ‘west side’… And even if that song had a G-Funk sound, what I shouted wasn’t the way to respect the west coast hip-hop musicians. I believe there are many meanings inside the words “Westside Till I Die”. Sweat, struggles, pride, etc. Isn’t it a phrase that compressed all these factors of life.

Q: Are you saying that you overlooked the weight and complex undertones that the phrase has within hip-hop?

RM: That’s right. I believe it’s different from words like “Yo!” or “Check It!”. As a result, I was thoughtless.

Q: Are you admitting it to be a mistake?

RM: Further than a mistake, it was a wrong. I have nothing to say.

** Honestly this part is really self explanatory. This interview was in 2015 while the song was in 2013. So he was basically justified how in the beginning of his career he was ignorant and oblivious to the real meaning of hip hop and it’s origins. He used common terms loosely without knowing the meaning like many kpop idols who have music deprived from African Americans but mock or disrespect their culture. The term “west side till i die” referred to the black hip hop community in America. However like he said “I wasn’t even from the west side”, the term relates to the *also like he said  the “struggles” of african americans in L.A. This part really ties with the common bullshit idols do of “imitating black people” by using common aave and hip hop deprived slang. He was able to differentiate culture and race and learnt to be respectful and aware. “ what I shouted wasn’t the way to respect the west coast hip-hop musicians “ This part hugely calls out how many kpop idols don’t understand the significance of many words and phrases but use it because its “hip hop” without really knowing what hip hop is. Hip Hop was created by African Americans but you can’t be ignorant to its origin and disrespect it by claiming you know the struggle. You can definitely see his music grow for the better after this. He acknowledges the struggles of the black community and how he isn’t entitled to their culture. He definitely owned up to his actions “ Further than a mistake, it was a wrong.”He acknowledges them and admitted to them “ First off, I didn’t even live in the ‘west side “

Respecting black culture or hip hop’s origins

In this interview he did in 2015 >> you can really see how compared to the last interview, he seems more confident with what he is saying, he has no hesitation, and CLEARLY states what he feels about hip hop and black culture.

“There are two things that Warren G told me that I will never be able to forget. The first is, hip-hop is open to any one. Despite what your race is or where you’re from, hip-hop is a type of music that is always ready to give you space for anyone who enjoys hip-hop. So, don’t restrain yourself behind any type of prejudiced thought, and the other one was you’re doing well, so no matter what others say, believe in yourself and do what you want.”

This connects to what I mentioned before of Namjoon having a close minded view on hip hop before and thinking hip hop was associated to one certain race. Now he fully understands that hip hop is for everyone.

“Defining hip-hop is the same as trying to define love. If there are 6 billion people in the world, then there are 6 billion definitions of love, and like that, each definition of hip-hop is different for each person. Of course, it’s possible to give a dictionary definition. In 1970, there was a person called DJ Herc in South Bronx. At a party that he was hosting, he set breaks on a beat and during that break, someone would be rapping, someone would be dancing, and someone else would be doing graffiti… That’s how hip-hop was born, and they call that the 4 elements of hip-hop, but dictionary definitions like these is something anyone knows, but to explain that spirit… In one word, it’s something that can’t be explained. It’s a way that expresses me as well as being a meaning for freedom and rebelling. Because it’s something where people play and have fun with, it can have messages of peace and love placed in it. If you compare it to a Pokemon, it’s like a Ditto. Personally, hip-hop to me is the world. The world that I’m living in… It’s difficult, right? To be honest, it’s still hard for me too.”

He is now owning up to his actions by making his own music about his own life. His own hip hop.

“The culture of shooting guns and doing drugs is not the actual self of hip-hop. It’s just become a by-product that appeared around hip-hop music, it’s not the actual self of hip-hop. Although there’s a certain image that pops up clearly when you think of hip-hop fashion, that’s also becoming something that’s more broad. Look at A$AP Rocky or Kanye West. They don’t wear pants that drag around any more. To understand ‘swag’, you need to understand what kind of meaning ‘making it on your own’ has in hip-hop. Making it on your own is a very cool and important concept in hip-hop. I’ll use Jay-Z as an example. Jay-Z was a drug dealer. He’s someone that sold drugs on the rooftop of a very large stadium called Barclays Center, but he succeeded and bought that building. After buying that building, he dressed up in hip-hop and then went up to the rooftop and looked down at that building. Then they took a picture of that and posted it. After seeing that, everyone died. Kya… Just how cool is that?”

Namjoon acknowledges that there are many stereotypes associated with hip hop and a sub culture attached to it. But he wants to follow the trend of whats in and new with the genre but still do his own thing while being mindful. He acknowledges that the origin of hip hop and its sub culture (clothes, sayings) deprived from the struggles of african americans trying to escape gang violence and wanting to make a living.

Namjoon’s personal apologies

Personally I noticed especially for bighit, when it comes to western fans that seem to have a problem with what BTS is doing.. they never allow their idols to apologize. I’ve seen Namjoon apologizing facing korean fan based controversies.

The two interviews were already big indicators of how Namjoon grew from a close minded hip hop enthusiast to his own rapper and artist, but I found one v live where he personally talked about his actions as a general. He wasn’t as specific but it was short and sweet.

Long story short he mentions how he apologizes if his action ever offended anyone and that he was oblivious that what he could say or do could cause others harm (relate to this man) and finally how he needs to hold responsibility and think before he acts and speaks.

I personally think these are very powerful statements. Namjoon did this this v live and has never hurt anyone after this. The fact that he “learned to admit to himself” says a lot of his character development. And talking about growth lets go to my favourite section…

HOW NAMJOON IS GROWING INTO A WOKE ASS HUMAN BEING

Growth revolving around him trying to own up to his mistakes with appropriation of black culture

-In 2017, Namjoon made a track with American Rapper Wale and rapped about social issues in south korea and America. The song touches upon police brutality, prejudice against african americans, injustice in the education system, and politics. It is called change;

-In an interview a few months ago, Namjoon said he would tell his past self in 2012-2013 (when he appropriated) to change his hair

-BTS has been one of the few or only groups who participate in hip hop and rap and actually acknowledge the roots of where it came from compared to other generic kpop groups who claim that they are “hip hop” without knowing the prejudice black people face.

I suggest you read this beautifully written article by Monique an African American writer talking about BTS’s journey with African American culture and their willingness to grow and educate specifically RM.

It talks about the overall ignorance koreans have towards black people and addressing how kpop rappers treat african american culture as a trend lessening the significance.

Later the article acknowledges that Namjoon has successfully acknowledged the roots of hip hop and how to respect Black culture by admitting to his mistakes and viewing it with an open mind.

Then it goes on about how BTS actually understand how they need to be mindful of how they perceive black culture and further on promote and spread awareness about racial injustice

The article says how BTS has gained respect through the fact that they have shown growth and education of black culture  through warren G’s (a hip hop icon) quote of:

Acknowledgement of the same sex love

*Writing a song for girl group glam called party xxo where the lyrics encourage korean youth to come out and support the lgbtq community 

RM: “Not love just between a man and a woman, all different kinds of love”

RM: when we have a “Boyfriend or girlfriend”

“love, not just between a man or a woman, both genders”

Being a feminist king who makes sure he doesn’t offend anyone and respects women

-Writing two songs revolving around feminism.

One called “not today” where he addresses the glass ceiling (prejudice and boundaries women & minority groups face) and one called"21 century girls”.

La fin.

[btsxlami]

Why Namjoon isn’t problematic no more so stop bringing up his past in order to dehumanize bts or cover up a new problematic idol because I’m tired of you fake wokes

Oh so your petty ass finally decided to open your eyes and not use Namjoon as a scapegoat when other idols do something problematic. Well Hello there, I am Lami and I am here to educate you.

It’s sad how many kpop fan don’t know shit about social issues yet they want to speak when an idol does something problematic only for the sake of bashing the idol and starting drama rather than educated them and supporting the minority group.

 I don’t think you guys realize how pathetic y'all look really tryna drag someone for something they did 4-5 years ago DESPITE apologizing and educating themselves. We all know you only do this as an excuse to bash the artist rather than to spread awareness on social issues. You say KILL URSELF JOON rather than “he was insensitive to the black community I hope he learns what he did was wrong”. Or you pull the infamous “BUT NAMJOON DID IT TOOOOO”.

Excuse me just because others did the same thing your fave did It DOES NOT DISMISS your faves wrong doing. You focus on the one person, Dragging Namjoon who is a whole other different person doesn’t dismiss the offense your idol did. It just shows how characterless you are.

Stop acting like he drinking milk out of the womb. He fucked up but used the opportunity to fix himself. Not everyone is made perfect and never fucks up. Namjoon admitted what he did and is moving on.

I am not saying that Namjoon’s past actions were okay. They were not, they never will be, They were unacceptable HOWEVER he is not held hostage to the person he was in the past. I will judge by the person he is trying to be.

One thing I hugely respect is how Namjoon took the backlash first and then apologized a few years later. He genuinely meant the apology instead of just trying to shut down hate.

Even before I talk about that,, one thing I wanna address is that Namjoon is one of the least liked bts members.. Its sad, he started the damn group, he left his underground rap friends to start bts, he was shunned, he sacrificed so much in order to start bts however he never got the easy way out.

What I’m tryna say is that he isnt the only bts member who fucked up. Many BTS members and other idols did the same shit he did and NEVER apologized however Namjoon is seen as a devil despite apologizing and educating himself and not repeating the shit for 3 years.. Its just in unfair to see the other members and idols not even receiving the near amount of bullshit he got for his actions and those idols never even addressed the issue.

Y’all had to shut down his NYC concert cause he had a gun threat towards him, yet other’s members nothing. This just proves how you only do this for drama and not awareness on social issues. Threatening death is just as bad,, if not worse

Anyways, this post is a simple compilation of Namjoon’s apologies and willingness to grow and educate himself by being able to admit his mistakes and reach out for support.

Namjoon’s roots:

Long story short, Namjoon went to an underground rap club at the age of 15. He started rapping in order to cope with his mental illnesses caused from his experiences with education (refer to the songs suicide, voices, and glory) however the people he ended up rapping with werent the best influence on him. He joined a rap group DNH and they all rapped for the hype unlike Namjoon. They would say the n-word have dreads and still do to this day.  Namjoon mentioned endless times that in the beginning of his career he was having a huge identity crisis, heck he even changed his stage name. Anyways before we talk about how he is growing into a better person lets just address what he did to be problematic.

So lets start off with what  Namjoon did for him to be called problematic:

“Talking black (the translation was actually talking ghetto) as a talent” *he actually was never mocking black people but regardless further on this post you’ll see him apologize for using common aave and hip hop deprived slang as a mockery instead of admiration and respect

Saying the n-word during Shinhwa’s cover (no one came for shinhwa tho clink clink)

RM said: “When I first saw V and J-Hope, I couldn’t see them because they were too black.. Yeah when the nights get too dark I couldn’t find them.”

Cause of this he was sent death threats and was forced to stop the hi touch in nyc. By doing that youre basically being worse than him so what’s even the point. Attack don’t educate.

* a point i have here is that is as an Asian myself when referring to skin tone in many asian languages their isn’t a word for dark, it translates into black. I am aware that this was in English however in many other past bangtan moments members would say that their skin looked “black” but actually meant dark.

*keep in mind in this video around the 2 minute mark Hoseok and Jungkook call Namjoon too dark and they werent sent death threats or asked to apologize so a clear example of how namjoon never gets the short end of the stick (not supporting what joon said though)

Just cultural appropriation of black culture, like having dreads which was in 2012 (pre debut)

Being sexist??? (In my opinion I would never consider Namjoon sexist, however I’m happy he proved to be such a feminist and you will see this further on. Even if he feels if his intentions werent bad he still educates himself.

NAMJOON’S APOLOGIES

Admitting to his close minded view on hip hop which led to him appropriating black culture

Namjoon admits his mistakes, in his mixtape interview: in 2015

Q: You shouted, “Westside Till I Die” during ‘If I Ruled The World’.

RM: That’s well… I was really wrong then (laughter). After the album came out and I listened to it, I thought “Ah”. I think I was immersed in the emotions while recording and ended up shouting like that.

Q: What’s the specific reason why you feel you were wrong?

RM: First off, I didn’t even live in the ‘west side’… And even if that song had a G-Funk sound, what I shouted wasn’t the way to respect the west coast hip-hop musicians. I believe there are many meanings inside the words “Westside Till I Die”. Sweat, struggles, pride, etc. Isn’t it a phrase that compressed all these factors of life.

Q: Are you saying that you overlooked the weight and complex undertones that the phrase has within hip-hop?

RM: That’s right. I believe it’s different from words like “Yo!” or “Check It!”. As a result, I was thoughtless.

Q: Are you admitting it to be a mistake?

RM: Further than a mistake, it was a wrong. I have nothing to say.

** Honestly this part is really self explanatory. This interview was in 2015 while the song was in 2013. So he was basically justified how in the beginning of his career he was ignorant and oblivious to the real meaning of hip hop and it’s origins. He used common terms loosely without knowing the meaning like many kpop idols who have music deprived from African Americans but mock or disrespect their culture. The term “west side till i die” referred to the black hip hop community in America. However like he said “I wasn’t even from the west side”, the term relates to the *also like he said  the “struggles” of african americans in L.A. This part really ties with the common bullshit idols do of “imitating black people” by using common aave and hip hop deprived slang. He was able to differentiate culture and race and learnt to be respectful and aware. “ what I shouted wasn’t the way to respect the west coast hip-hop musicians “ This part hugely calls out how many kpop idols don’t understand the significance of many words and phrases but use it because its “hip hop” without really knowing what hip hop is. Hip Hop was created by African Americans but you can’t be ignorant to its origin and disrespect it by claiming you know the struggle. You can definitely see his music grow for the better after this. He acknowledges the struggles of the black community and how he isn’t entitled to their culture. He definitely owned up to his actions “ Further than a mistake, it was a wrong.”He acknowledges them and admitted to them “ First off, I didn’t even live in the ‘west side “

Respecting black culture or hip hop’s origins

In this interview he did in 2015 >> you can really see how compared to the last interview, he seems more confident with what he is saying, he has no hesitation, and CLEARLY states what he feels about hip hop and black culture.

“There are two things that Warren G told me that I will never be able to forget. The first is, hip-hop is open to any one. Despite what your race is or where you’re from, hip-hop is a type of music that is always ready to give you space for anyone who enjoys hip-hop. So, don’t restrain yourself behind any type of prejudiced thought, and the other one was you’re doing well, so no matter what others say, believe in yourself and do what you want.”

This connects to what I mentioned before of Namjoon having a close minded view on hip hop before and thinking hip hop was associated to one certain race. Now he fully understands that hip hop is for everyone.

“Defining hip-hop is the same as trying to define love. If there are 6 billion people in the world, then there are 6 billion definitions of love, and like that, each definition of hip-hop is different for each person. Of course, it’s possible to give a dictionary definition. In 1970, there was a person called DJ Herc in South Bronx. At a party that he was hosting, he set breaks on a beat and during that break, someone would be rapping, someone would be dancing, and someone else would be doing graffiti… That’s how hip-hop was born, and they call that the 4 elements of hip-hop, but dictionary definitions like these is something anyone knows, but to explain that spirit… In one word, it’s something that can’t be explained. It’s a way that expresses me as well as being a meaning for freedom and rebelling. Because it’s something where people play and have fun with, it can have messages of peace and love placed in it. If you compare it to a Pokemon, it’s like a Ditto. Personally, hip-hop to me is the world. The world that I’m living in… It’s difficult, right? To be honest, it’s still hard for me too.”

He is now owning up to his actions by making his own music about his own life. His own hip hop.

“The culture of shooting guns and doing drugs is not the actual self of hip-hop. It’s just become a by-product that appeared around hip-hop music, it’s not the actual self of hip-hop. Although there’s a certain image that pops up clearly when you think of hip-hop fashion, that’s also becoming something that’s more broad. Look at A$AP Rocky or Kanye West. They don’t wear pants that drag around any more. To understand ‘swag’, you need to understand what kind of meaning ‘making it on your own’ has in hip-hop. Making it on your own is a very cool and important concept in hip-hop. I’ll use Jay-Z as an example. Jay-Z was a drug dealer. He’s someone that sold drugs on the rooftop of a very large stadium called Barclays Center, but he succeeded and bought that building. After buying that building, he dressed up in hip-hop and then went up to the rooftop and looked down at that building. Then they took a picture of that and posted it. After seeing that, everyone died. Kya… Just how cool is that?”

Namjoon acknowledges that there are many stereotypes associated with hip hop and a sub culture attached to it. But he wants to follow the trend of whats in and new with the genre but still do his own thing while being mindful. He acknowledges that the origin of hip hop and its sub culture (clothes, sayings) deprived from the struggles of african americans trying to escape gang violence and wanting to make a living.

Namjoon’s personal apologies

Personally I noticed especially for bighit, when it comes to western fans that seem to have a problem with what BTS is doing.. they never allow their idols to apologize. I’ve seen Namjoon apologizing facing korean fan based controversies.

The two interviews were already big indicators of how Namjoon grew from a close minded hip hop enthusiast to his own rapper and artist, but I found one v live where he personally talked about his actions as a general. He wasn’t as specific but it was short and sweet.

Long story short he mentions how he apologizes if his action ever offended anyone and that he was oblivious that what he could say or do could cause others harm (relate to this man) and finally how he needs to hold responsibility and think before he acts and speaks.

I personally think these are very powerful statements. Namjoon did this this v live and has never hurt anyone after this. The fact that he “learned to admit to himself” says a lot of his character development. And talking about growth lets go to my favourite section…

HOW NAMJOON IS GROWING INTO A WOKE ASS HUMAN BEING

Growth revolving around him trying to own up to his mistakes with appropriation of black culture

In 2017, Namjoon made a track with American Rapper Wale and rapped about social issues in south korea and America. The song touches upon police brutality, prejudice against african americans, injustice in the education system, and politics. It is called change;

In an interview a few months ago, Namjoon said he would tell his past self in 2012-2013 (when he appropriated) to change his hair

Acknowledgement of the same sex love

*Writing a song for girl group glam called party xxo where the lyrics encourage korean youth to come out and support the lgbtq community 

RM: “Not love just between a man and a woman, all different kinds of love”

RM: when we have a “Boyfriend or girlfriend”

“love, not just between a man or a woman, both genders”

Being a feminist king who makes sure he doesn’t offend anyone and respects women

-Writing two songs revolving around feminism.

One called “not today” where he addresses the glass ceiling (prejudice and boundaries women & minority groups face) and one called"21 century girls”.

“We are proud to be korean”

La fin.

[btsxlami]

🐶&🐥💖

[btsxlami]

The “Why Namjoon isn’t problematic no more so stop bringing up his past in order to dehumanize bts or cover up a new problematic idol because I’m tired of you fake wokes dismissing the fact that Namjoon is one of the few idols who acknowledged his mistakes and apologized whole heartedly” rant

It’s sad how many kpop fan don’t know shit about social issues yet they want to speak when an idol does something problematic only for the sake of bashing the idol and starting drama rather than educated them and supporting the minority group.

 I don't think you guys realize how pathetic y'all look really tryna drag someone for something they did 4-5 years ago DESPITE apologizing and educating themselves. We all know you only do this as an excuse to bash the artist rather than to spread awareness on social issues. You say KILL URSELF JOON rather than "he was insensitive to the black community I hope he learns what he did was wrong". Or you pull the infamous "BUT NAMJOON DID IT TOOOOO".

Stop acting like he drinking milk out of the womb. He fucked up but used the opportunity to fix himself. Not everyone is made perfect and never fucks up. Namjoon admitted what he did and is moving on.

I am not saying that Namjoon’s past actions were okay. They were not, they never will be, They were unacceptable HOWEVER he is not held hostage to the person he was in the past. I will judge by the person he is trying to be.

One thing I hugely respect is how Namjoon took the backlash first and then apologized a few years later. He genuinely meant the apology instead of just trying to shut down hate.

Even before I talk about that,, one thing I wanna address is that Namjoon is one of the least liked bts members.. Its sad, he started the damn group, he left his underground rap friends to start bts, he was shunned, he sacrificed so much in order to start bts however he never got the easy way out.

What I’m tryna say is that he isnt the only bts member who fucked up. Many BTS members and other idols did the same shit he did and NEVER apologized however Namjoon is seen as a devil despite apologizing and educating himself and not repeating the shit for 3 years.. Its just in unfair to see the other members and idols not even receiving the near amount of bullshit he got for his actions and those idols never even addressed the issue.

Y’all had to shut down his NYC concert cause he had a gun threat towards him, yet other’s members nothing. This just proves how you only do this for drama and not awareness on social issues. Threatening death is just as bad,, if not worse

Anyways, this post is a simple compilation of Namjoon’s apologies and willingness to grow and educate himself by being able to admit his mistakes and reach out for support.

Namjoon’s roots:

Long story short, Namjoon went to an underground rap club at the age of 15. He started rapping in order to cope with his mental illnesses caused from his experiences with education (refer to the songs suicide, voices, and glory) however the people he ended up rapping with werent the best influence on him. He joined a rap group DNH and they all rapped for the hype unlike Namjoon. They would say the n-word have dreads and still do to this day.  Namjoon mentioned endless times that in the beginning of his career he was having a huge identity crisis, heck he even changed his stage name. Anyways before we talk about how he is growing into a better person lets just address what he did to be problematic.

So lets start off with what  Namjoon did for him to be called problematic:

“Talking black (the translation was actually talking ghetto) as a talent” *he actually was never mocking black people but regardless further on this post you'll see him apologize for using common aave and hip hop deprived slang as a mockery instead of admiration and respect

Saying the n-word during Shinhwa’s cover (no one came for shinhwa tho clink clink)

RM said: “When I first saw V and J-Hope, I couldn’t see them because they were too black.. Yeah when the nights get too dark I couldn’t find them.”

Cause of this he was sent death threats and was forced to stop the hi touch in nyc. By doing that youre basically being worse than him so what’s even the point. Attack don’t educate.

* a point i have here is that is as an Asian myself when referring to skin tone in many asian languages their isn't a word for dark, it translates into black. I am aware that this was in English however in many other past bangtan moments members would say that their skin looked “black” but actually meant dark.

*keep in mind in this video around the 2 minute mark Hoseok and Jungkook call Namjoon too dark and they werent sent death threats or asked to apologize so a clear example of how namjoon never gets the short end of the stick (not supporting what joon said though)

Just cultural appropriation of black culture, like having dreads which was in 2012 (pre debut)

Being sexist??? (In my opinion I would never consider Namjoon sexist, however I’m happy he proved to be such a feminist and you will see this further on. Even if he feels if his intentions werent bad he still educates himself.

NAMJOON’S APOLOGIES

Admitting to his close minded view on hip hop which led to him appropriating black culture

Namjoon admits his mistakes, in his mixtape interview: in 2015

Q: You shouted, “Westside Till I Die” during ‘If I Ruled The World’.

RM: That’s well… I was really wrong then (laughter). After the album came out and I listened to it, I thought “Ah”. I think I was immersed in the emotions while recording and ended up shouting like that.

Q: What’s the specific reason why you feel you were wrong?

RM: First off, I didn’t even live in the ‘west side’… And even if that song had a G-Funk sound, what I shouted wasn’t the way to respect the west coast hip-hop musicians. I believe there are many meanings inside the words “Westside Till I Die”. Sweat, struggles, pride, etc. Isn’t it a phrase that compressed all these factors of life.

Q: Are you saying that you overlooked the weight and complex undertones that the phrase has within hip-hop?

RM: That’s right. I believe it’s different from words like “Yo!” or “Check It!”. As a result, I was thoughtless.

Q: Are you admitting it to be a mistake?

RM: Further than a mistake, it was a wrong. I have nothing to say.

** Honestly this part is really self explanatory. This interview was in 2015 while the song was in 2013. So he was basically justified how in the beginning of his career he was ignorant and oblivious to the real meaning of hip hop and it’s origins. He used common terms loosely without knowing the meaning like many kpop idols who have music deprived from African Americans but mock or disrespect their culture. The term “west side till i die” referred to the black hip hop community in America. However like he said “I wasn’t even from the west side”, the term relates to the *also like he said  the “struggles” of african americans in L.A. This part really ties with the common bullshit idols do of "imitating black people" by using common aave and hip hop deprived slang. He was able to differentiate culture and race and learnt to be respectful and aware. “ what I shouted wasn’t the way to respect the west coast hip-hop musicians “ This part hugely calls out how many kpop idols don’t understand the significance of many words and phrases but use it because its “hip hop” without really knowing what hip hop is. Hip Hop was created by African Americans but you can’t be ignorant to its origin and disrespect it by claiming you know the struggle. You can definitely see his music grow for the better after this. He acknowledges the struggles of the black community and how he isn't entitled to their culture. He definitely owned up to his actions “ Further than a mistake, it was a wrong.”He acknowledges them and admitted to them “ First off, I didn’t even live in the 'west side “

Respecting black culture or hip hop’s origins

In this interview he did in 2015 >> you can really see how compared to the last interview, he seems more confident with what he is saying, he has no hesitation, and CLEARLY states what he feels about hip hop and black culture.

“There are two things that Warren G told me that I will never be able to forget. The first is, hip-hop is open to any one. Despite what your race is or where you’re from, hip-hop is a type of music that is always ready to give you space for anyone who enjoys hip-hop. So, don’t restrain yourself behind any type of prejudiced thought, and the other one was you’re doing well, so no matter what others say, believe in yourself and do what you want.”

This connects to what I mentioned before of Namjoon having a close minded view on hip hop before and thinking hip hop was associated to one certain race. Now he fully understands that hip hop is for everyone.

“Defining hip-hop is the same as trying to define love. If there are 6 billion people in the world, then there are 6 billion definitions of love, and like that, each definition of hip-hop is different for each person. Of course, it’s possible to give a dictionary definition. In 1970, there was a person called DJ Herc in South Bronx. At a party that he was hosting, he set breaks on a beat and during that break, someone would be rapping, someone would be dancing, and someone else would be doing graffiti… That’s how hip-hop was born, and they call that the 4 elements of hip-hop, but dictionary definitions like these is something anyone knows, but to explain that spirit… In one word, it’s something that can’t be explained. It’s a way that expresses me as well as being a meaning for freedom and rebelling. Because it’s something where people play and have fun with, it can have messages of peace and love placed in it. If you compare it to a Pokemon, it’s like a Ditto. Personally, hip-hop to me is the world. The world that I’m living in… It’s difficult, right? To be honest, it’s still hard for me too.”

He is now owning up to his actions by making his own music about his own life. His own hip hop.

“The culture of shooting guns and doing drugs is not the actual self of hip-hop. It’s just become a by-product that appeared around hip-hop music, it’s not the actual self of hip-hop. Although there’s a certain image that pops up clearly when you think of hip-hop fashion, that’s also becoming something that’s more broad. Look at A$AP Rocky or Kanye West. They don’t wear pants that drag around any more. To understand ‘swag’, you need to understand what kind of meaning ‘making it on your own’ has in hip-hop. Making it on your own is a very cool and important concept in hip-hop. I’ll use Jay-Z as an example. Jay-Z was a drug dealer. He’s someone that sold drugs on the rooftop of a very large stadium called Barclays Center, but he succeeded and bought that building. After buying that building, he dressed up in hip-hop and then went up to the rooftop and looked down at that building. Then they took a picture of that and posted it. After seeing that, everyone died. Kya… Just how cool is that?”

Namjoon acknowledges that there are many stereotypes associated with hip hop and a sub culture attached to it. But he wants to follow the trend of whats in and new with the genre but still do his own thing while being mindful. He acknowledges that the origin of hip hop and its sub culture (clothes, sayings) deprived from the struggles of african americans trying to escape gang violence and wanting to make a living.

Namjoon’s personal apologies

Personally I noticed especially for bighit, when it comes to western fans that seem to have a problem with what BTS is doing.. they never allow their idols to apologize. I’ve seen Namjoon apologizing facing korean fan based controversies.

The two interviews were already big indicators of how Namjoon grew from a close minded hip hop enthusiast to his own rapper and artist, but I found one v live where he personally talked about his actions as a general. He wasn't as specific but it was short and sweet.

Long story short he mentions how he apologizes if his action ever offended anyone and that he was oblivious that what he could say or do could cause others harm (relate to this man) and finally how he needs to hold responsibility and think before he acts and speaks.

I personally think these are very powerful statements. Namjoon did this this v live and has never hurt anyone after this. The fact that he “learned to admit to himself” says a lot of his character development. And talking about growth lets go to my favourite section...

HOW NAMJOON IS GROWING INTO A WOKE ASS HUMAN BEING

Growth revolving around him trying to own up to his mistakes with appropriation of black culture

-In 2017, Namjoon made a track with American Rapper Wale and rapped about social issues in south korea and America. The song touches upon police brutality, prejudice against african americans, injustice in the education system, and politics. It is called change;

-In an interview a few months ago, Namjoon said he would tell his past self in 2012-2013 (when he appropriated) to change his hair

-When BTS performed fake love at the bbmas they changed the korean word/lyrics naega translating into I am because it sounded similar to the n word.

As much as I don't agree with changing the lyrics cause its apart of their korean language simply meaning something as common as the word "I" or "I am", It's really considerate of Namjoon to consider the fact that even for a slight second or misinterpreation, he does not want to offend anybody or make people think bts used the n-word as non black people. And judging by the fact he said the n word before, now not even wanting to say something to western media that sounds similar is huge character developement. Glad he learned. It honestly suprised me that he and bts even know about the n word because we got kpop bitches listening to black artists all the time but still be saying it and dont know the history behind that word. We love kings who educated themselves. Exo-ls put yall receipts back in the trash thank YOU.

-BTS has been one of the few or only groups who participate in hip hop and rap and actually acknowledge the roots of where it came from compared to other generic kpop groups who claim that they are “hip hop” without knowing the prejudice black people face.

I suggest you read this beautifully written article by Monique an African American writer talking about BTS’s journey with African American culture and their willingness to grow and educate specifically RM.

It talks about the overall ignorance koreans have towards black people and addressing how kpop rappers treat african american culture as a trend lessening the significance.

Later the article acknowledges that Namjoon has successfully acknowledged the roots of hip hop and how to respect Black culture by admitting to his mistakes and viewing it with an open mind.

Then it goes on about how BTS actually understand how they need to be mindful of how they perceive black culture and further on promote and spread awareness about racial injustice

The article says how BTS has gained respect through the fact that they have shown growth and education of black culture  through warren G’s (a hip hop icon) quote of:

Namjoon said he takes the time to learn the roots of the genres of music he is using.

Acknowledgement of the same sex love

*Writing a song for girl group glam called party xxo where the lyrics encourage korean youth to come out and support the lgbtq community 

RM: “Not love just between a man and a woman, all different kinds of love”

RM: when we have a “Boyfriend or girlfriend”

"love, not just between a man or a woman, both genders"

Being a feminist king who makes sure he doesn't offend anyone and respects women

Namjoon read a book called the man box.

The book gives "tips" on how men can be an ally to women and help empower them. It also talks about about how men should not fit into the stereotypes of toxic masculinity and be respectful while creating a world where girls are valued and safe. Remember when he said he tries to read literature about social issues and then goes to uni professors to ask questions. He really out here doing the MOST. His willingness to learn is such a thing to admire. He is interested in such important yet controversial topics in order to expand his knowledge. We love quality men.

-Writing two songs revolving around feminism.

One called “not today” where he addresses the glass ceiling (prejudice and boundaries women & minority groups face) and one called"21 century girls”.

In September 24, 2018 BTS were invited to the United Nations Assembly and Namjoon wrote and delivered a beautiful and moving 7 minute speech addressing world violence and their unicef campaign. He said no matter your skin color, gender identity, and where you are from he wants to hear you speak up for others and yourself.

[btsxlami]

JIMIN YOU ARE WAY MORE THAN YOUR MUSCLE MASS YOU ARE YOUR EYE SMILE YOUR GIGGLES YOUR HIGH NOTES YOUR DANCE MOVES YOUR CONTAGIOUS STUPIDITY LOVE YOUR BODY AND DONT CHANGE IT FOR OTHERS

seriously, we love you for many reasons other than your abs, your voice is soothing and powerful in songs and your dance moves are eye catching Never underestimate and look down on yourself because you have many people who support you for you never change yourself because you always make us happy and laugh You always light up the room and always make your older members feel loved and happy and you always make sure that your fans are always laughing and you perform with all your power and passion

[btsxlami]

171118 Jimin’s Tweet

사진 찍었어요 #JIMIN pic.twitter.com/22GyCXVcVT

I took some pictures #JIMIN

Trans cr; Sharon @ bts-trans © TAKE OUT WITH FULL CREDITS

[btsxlami]

just who could it be…? 🤔

[btsxlami]

hoseok repeating namjoon’s new stage name after he got it wrong 😂 (trans)

[btsxlami]

I don’t really think this is a “rant” but I was just wondering; am I the only one that sometimes gets tired of seeing the other members when I’m looking for joon content? Many times I’ve been on his tags and I see everyone except him.. I love the other members as well but wsometimes I’m exclusively looking for my man. 😪

boo. boooooo u don’t even KNOW !!! lord like y’all know this blog is BIG on namjoon content. Like he’s literally 97% of my blog. So searching for him and getting only other members is actually the most annoying thing on earth god I FEEL U BOO I RLY DO

[btsxlami]

What was that post about namjoon? How was he oversharing? What fake deep jokes? I'm new

ok so basically.

when namjoon became a rapper he had a very strong sense of purpose/justice. he didnt come to the rap community looking for any of the awe that came with it. maybe he enjoyed the scene, the culture, the adrenaline of rap battles and the fight that was trying to make a name for yourself. but the reason he came to it is really important to who he is as a rapper. you actually cant understand bts as a whole, as a group with a purpose, without understanding namjoon’s purpose. he is the primary lyricist after all.

unfortunately south korea is still struggling in recognizing and respecting mental illness as a society. its important to keep in mind that while they went through a very intense and quick industrialization period in which they threw themselves into the list of first world countries, their culture didn’t evolve at such a rate. american culture grew with its economy; just as we currently enjoy the merits of a first world country’s “wealth” we also enjoy the merits of a westernized culture. this is aside from what is simply legal; it is not just that gay marriage is legal, but that lgbtq people have a platform that is at least generally respected. mentally ill people can generally speak of their illness without strong consequences. women can engage actively in calling out the misogyny of the country and it is generally heard. colorism, cultural appropriation, and racism are all topics widely discussed. i dont criticize government right now but rather the society. we culture have evolved to this point because we were given the time. south korea has not yet had the time, and these issues are not as actively addressed as they are in the western world. (I’d like to note that I dont specifically call for westernization however because that often erases what is beautiful about a culture. i believe that cultures should evolve so that nonbigoted beliefs can be part of their culture rather than result of a culture forced upon them)

so currently south korea has the highest teenage suicide rate of the industrialized world. they’ve been the highest for eight years now. it is a very very concerning issue, and it has everything to do with how mental health is addressed.

what the above all comes down to is that namjoon has depression. that much he has made clear. he was amongst the youth in korea who struggled with mental health and found little help. if you have listened to his mixtape and read the lyrics you will know this (if not, you should download it now). the specifics are best shown in the track Voice:

I didn’t have a dreamLike my lyrics, it was like that every dayFormulas and equations that couldn’t give me an answerThose things eventually turned into many wounds*It wouldn’t let me see the stars hidden behind its lightKilling me like this day by dayMeaninglessly, I’d devote my whole day on number games like grades**I just wanted to succeedBecause that was all I constantly heard about from other peopleThey thought happiness was a mirage that could be graspedBut sitting in front of my desk, I wasn’t happy for a single momentWithout my mom knowing, I slipped a blank page into my workbookWriting down my identity to the drum bassBreathing, which feels different from when I’m getting my gradesEven if I’d get 1st place my heart didn’t feel at peaceIs it really important to want the same thing others want?Rather than living an entire life full of sorrowful sighs,I decided to take off these restrictions and choose the life where I could just breatheEveryone pointed their fingers, the insincere people around meMy dream is to give my voice to everyone

(cred @bts-trans)

My dream is to give my voice to everyone.

and this is why I made that post. because namjoon was giving his voice; he does so in vlives, in lyrics, in tweets/fancafe. he gives everything he can because he wants to change the world he lives in. he wants to change the view of mental health, to be a comfort and inspiration to fans who feel hopeless like he did. he does this because he is so incredibly compassionate. 

it isn’t easy to bare yourself like this. it isnt easy to tell the world how you feel so candidly, to give yourself naked and vulnerable for the benefit of those who struggle, not really even the whole of his fans. to tell people you hate yourself? to explain that you felt like dying? that your future was limited to the moment, stagnant, feeding to no dreams or aspirations? you leave yourself open to mockery, to so so much judgement.

but what he does isnt “oversharing” or “fake deep”. hes telling his fans the best he knows how that there is a future, that there is happiness, that there is life for them. my dream is to give my voice to everyone. i can’t stress this enough. he is giving voice to those who cannot escape their situation and he is not only trying to guide them, but he is trying to change the culture. he is using his platform to spread acceptance. people can say what they want but he is a true social activist and you cannot convince me otherwise. he sought his large platform for the sake of the marginalized. and he uses it for them. this is undeniable.

maybe most fans cant relate to the message, but that shouldnt matter. they should understand what hes doing at least. yet somehow, because this fandom never fails to be fucking dumb as shit, they didnt understand. they mocked him. they called his advice “fake deep”. the made jokes about how annoying he is. they claimed he overshared. 

frankly their behavior was and is absolutely disgusting and i still hold a lot of anger over it. i can understand this behavior from antis and bigoted people, but this isnt just mocking an idol. this comes from people who mock the mentally ill and it is really telling to see just how much of this fandom is part of that. i do see improvements but unfortunately it still exists. we still overlook namjoon because in the end its just a pretty face and an easily reduced/sexualized character that this fandom wants. but this isnt just the fandom. this is just how society is and continues to be. its really disappointing to say the least

[btsxlami]

🗣JUNGKOOK'S 👏 NAME 🗣IS👏NOT 🗣 PRONOUNCED 👏JOHN-COOK🗣 IT 👏IS 😻PRONOUNCED 🗣 CHONG-GUK👏 i DEADASS HAD TO MAKE A VIDEO CAUSE IM TIRED OF HOW CRINGEY YALL SOUND WHEN SAYING YALL OPPAS NAME IZ NASTY

[btsxlami]

PROBLEMATIC NAMJOON

DO YOU FEEL LIKE HATING NAMJOON? YOU HEARD FROM ONE PERSON ONLINE THAT HES A RACIST ASSHOLE AND NOW YOU GO ABOUT SENDING HIS FANS HATE AND SLANDERING HIM? READ THIS !

hey boo, so if you have all that free time to waste telling a korean idol that he should kill himself, then you have enough time to read this post and realize exactly what you’re talking about. its time you stop getting your facts by word of mouth and you realize exactly what the whole “i hate namjoon” rhetoric is about.

Keep reading