Back in 2014, iKON‘s Bobby appeared on the rap show Show Me The Money. He went viral for his diss rap targeted at BTS and RM. It was a hot topic back then, as Bobby seemed to target not only RM, but also idol rappers in general. Many hip-hop stars feel that idol rappers are subpar compared to themselves.
Bobby’s raps used wordplay like “sangnamja” (“Boy in Luv’s” Korean title), and words like “Bangtang” (similar to Bangtan). During his performance of “Bounce,” he made references to idol rappers in general, but specifically used the aforementioned words. His rap cussed out the idol rap scene, claiming that he was the one to clean up the mess idol rappers made on the title of rapper.
One song in particular, “Come Here,” definitely targeted RM.
I live a fast life (bangtang), there’s no need for pretty boys. They call me a monster, I never called myself that. You guys like a full-length mirror better than a basement dungeon. If my skills were looks, I would look like Wonbin in front of a bulletproof mirror.
— Bobby’s rap
The lyrics were highly insulting on multiple counts. He referenced RM’s name origin, Rap Monster, claiming that while RM gave himself that title, Bobby’s title was gifted by the public. He also subtly dissed BTS’s skills, referring to himself as Wonbin compared to a “bulletproof mirror.” Wonbin is one of South Korea’s most famously handsome actors. BTS also stands for “Bulletproof Boys” in Korean.
While it was all hashed in the same year with RM responding to the matter as “healthy battles,” Bobby recently spoke up on it again on Money Chord. He was asked for the reason why he chose to diss RM.
He claimed that while many asked him why he did not attack EXO, who’s rap members were the very textbook example of an idol rapper, he reasoned that he felt like he would get killed if he dared to touch EXO.
In 2014, EXO was the absolute syndrome and top-selling boy group. On the other hand, BTS was just starting to receive some recognition.
The MCs tried to explain that in the hiphop scene, diss battles were seen more like a game. On the other hand, K-Pop fans felt that it was a personal attack. Bobby further claimed that he wasn’t given a chance to explain the culture and reason behind his diss battle as well, leaving him with many enemies. He realized that it was still too early back then to introduce this rap culture to the Korean audiences.
You can watch the full episode below.
