Non-Stop K-Pop: Settling the ‘best rapper’ debate

Every K-pop fan is convinced that their favorite groups have the best rappers in the game. If you ask a diehard ARMY, it’s BTS’ RM, Suga and J-Hope. Ask a BLINK and they’ll likely answer BLACKPINK’s Jennie and Lisa. For an ATINY? It’s ATEEZ’s Hongjoong and Mingi for sure. 

As someone who is a self-proclaimed multi-stan of over a dozen groups and who has been fully immersed in the K-pop lifestyle for over five years, it’s safe to say that I have substantial credibility when it comes to this topic. But it’s still important to note that it’s all just conjecture. Just my opinion. 

I also feel it necessary to point out that I will only be focusing on third and fourth generation idols (basically groups post-BTS debut — K-pop debuts are usually grouped into “generations” of five-ish years in order to more easily define a timeline) and will be revealing my top five. Also note, I will not be mentioning solo artists — only rappers who are part of established groups. 

In terms of my ranking, I take into consideration a wide array of facets, the most important of which being speed (syllables per second), musicality and enunciation. Other sub-facets include swag (self-explanatory) and production (if they produce or write their own lyrics). 

Here’s my analysis and ranking of the top five third and fourth generation K-pop rappers:

5. Kim Hong Joong (김홍중) from ATEEZ

At 5 foot 8 inches, not a lot of people would expect the absolute power that comes from this man. And in all honesty, Hongjoong’s abilities, although undeniably outstanding, had never really stood out to me in a meaningful capacity in comparison to other K-pop rappers. However, ATEEZ’s release of “Halazia” this past December showed me a side of Hongjoong that I didn’t know I was missing. His ability to so effortlessly and seamlessly rap in a triplet rhythm was truly ethereal. The swag? This man invented swag. And to top it all off, he and fellow ATEEZ member Mingi wrote the entire song together. Chef’s kiss. 

4. Jeon So-yeon (전소연) from (G)I-DLE

Now, I don’t want people to come at me for only putting one girl group member on my list. I really believe that management companies thwart female artists from reaching their true potential, especially when it comes to rap — a typically very male-dominated field. 

I give Soyeon a boatload of credit in terms of making room for herself atop the podium of K-pop rappers. Her true defining performance for me was most definitely in (G)I-DLE’s “Oh my god,” released in 2020. Her known speed record is eight syllables per second, and her creative abilities in terms of lyricism won her Songwriter of the Year at the Melon Music Awards, one of the biggest annual K-pop award shows, this past November. She has continued to make a name for herself in the industry, and does an immense amount of work for her group —not to mention that the consistency in her voice and raps is incredible.

3. Do Han-Se (도한세) from VICTON

Here’s a curveball who a lot of K-pop fans likely don’t know about. VICTON in general is an extremely underrated group. They have about 470,000 monthly listeners on Spotify compared to ATEEZ’s 3.8 million and 756,000 Instagram followers compared to (G)I-DLE’s 9.2 million. Regardless, their discography is outstanding. 

Hanse undeniably has one of the most iconic and unique looks in K-pop. He’s covered in tattoos, is extremely open to androgynous style and even adorns some facial piercings which is extremely rare in K-pop. And he has one of the most impressive rap styles that I have ever encountered. 

He hits every syllable like his life depends on it. I mean, you really gotta give this guy a listen. He has some of the best enunciation of any rapper I know (one of the main reasons why he’s in my top three) — a skill that is flawlessly put on display in VICTON’s “What I Said” and “Virus.” Listen to them. You’ll thank me later.

2. Seo Chang-Bin (서창빈) from Stray Kids

Picking between my top two was honestly extremely difficult, and what won out was age. Stray Kids debuted March 2018, giving them only four years to impress me, versus BTS’ nine (spoiler for the number one spot). 

Changbin’s rapping abilities first caught my eye in 2019 with Stray Kids’ release of “MIROH.” His part in that song is pure power. Rapping was made for this man, and he was more recently able to show off his individual talent in “Show Me the Money,” a Korean rap battle-style show, although he was eliminated rather prematurely. 

Not only does he help write and produce many of Stray Kids’ songs, but he also is one of, if not the fastest rapper in K-pop. His record stands at 11.13 syllables per second, and the way you can tell that he gets lost in his lyrics and rapping is honestly magical to witness.

1. Min Yoon-Gi (민윤기) from BTS

Maybe I am a little biased as BTS was the group that got me into K-pop, but after going to so many of their concerts and witnessing firsthand the man himself in his element, I have to give the rap crown to Min Yoongi (stage name SUGA). 

Yoongi has been writing, producing and rapping since his early teens. The slight lisp in his already raspy voice elevates his style to an unmatched echelon, something you can hear perfectly in BTS’ “BTS Cypher Pt.2: Triptych” and “2nd Grade”. He has a hand in a vast amount of BTS’ productions, and has written and produced two of his own solo albums, “Agust D” and “D-2.” 

This man was undeniably made to rap. He bleeds musicality. He breathes lyricism. Having been able to see him perform live three separate times has been a true blessing. He has still yet to be beaten in my eyes. 

Although I may have greatly minimized these talented individuals to a few sentences and a numerical ranking, it’s always important to remember the uniqueness and individuality that every rapper brings to the game. They’re all extremely talented and inspirational. 

Daphne Yaman is a sophomore writing about K-pop. Her column, “Non-Stop K-Pop” runs every other Wednesday. She is also an opinion editor at the Daily Trojan.