K-Popmusicis known for its flashy performances and impeccable vocalists, but the genre is broad enough to include more than such undeniable talent in just two categories. One aspect that makes K-Pop groups so different from the typical boy band orgirl groupmodel isthe inclusion of designated roles.
While most members participate in singing and every member dances, others identify as the group’s leader, visualist, or rapper. The latter role is often filled by two to three members, who balance out the group’s vocalists and break up any given song’s structure with their verses.
Sometimes a K-Pop song doesn’t require a rap verse to make it feel complete. Even so, groups that didn’t originally debut with a rapper or two tend to pick out one member to try rapping at some point, like ENHYPEN’s Ni-ki in their more recent comebacks.
When a rapper is especially great, they’re invited tocollaborate with other Western artists, or they embark onK-Pop solo venturesthat build out their career separate from the group. The rappers mentioned on this list are a fairly biased selection of artists who not only stand out in their respective group’s music, but would also fit right in on any hip-hop track that might come their way.
10Sunwoo
THE BOYZ
Now isn’t the best time to bring up THE BOYZ, but their talent has fallen under the radar for so long that their main rapper deserves a shout-out. After debuting in 2017, the 11-member boy group has experienced plenty of highs and lows within their career, particularly with the varying reception to their releases.
Amid all that fluctuation, Sunwoo remains a constant who always wows listeners with his talent. Unlike the rest of the names on this list, Sunwoo doesn’t write all of his verses, buthe regularly participates in writing for their title tracksand has written some of my favorite verses of his, including “Survive the Night” and “Tattoo.”
His verses often touch on topics likestruggling with negative emotions, seeking comfort, and societal taboos.For example, his verse in “Tattoo” states that “This pain makes me more miserably beautiful.” Sunwoo isn’t a name you hear come up often in discussions of the industry’s best rappers, but he deserves a spot on anyone’s list.
9Taesan
BOYNEXTDOOR
Taesan ofBOYNEXTDOORis just one member of the boy group that keeps raising the bar forK-Pop’s fifth-generation. In such a rapidly growing pool of talent, they continue to stand out with their refreshing takes on well-known concepts.
They debuted with three lighthearted, youthful tracks that attracted fans searching for that exact kind of group, but they’ve gone on to mold themselves into well-rounded idols in every respect. The five-member group didn’t start rapping until they’d already gotten fans' attention.
On their first comeback single, “But Sometimes,” they unleashed a more edgy side of themselves that brought out Taesan’s true colors. With a signature method of holding his mic and a rapper tag freshly revealed on their latest track, “I Feel Good,“he’s bound to follow in the footsteps of Zico, his mentor and CEO of their company, KOZ Entertainment.
BOYNEXTDOOR is just getting started, but they’ve already proven themselves to all those who doubted them.
8Jongseob
P1Harmony
If you’ve looked into the current pool of rap talent within K-Pop, odds are you’ve heard of P1Harmony’s Jongseob. The 19-year-old is one of the most innovative and impressive young idols in K-Pop’s fourth-generation and possibly in the industry as a whole.
He has writing credits on nearly 70 songs, including collaborations the group has done with other artists and fully English tracks, and composition/production credits on over half a dozen.
My root came 2005
Two rounds done, but I’m still alive now
I have a star and that’s six-piece, SHINE stylish
My vision, ambition, blind trust, I have reason, it’s me
Jongseob isn’t just an impressive artist because of his age. Even when compared to those older than him with more experience, it’s clear that he brings a different energy.
His lyricism is clever, and his flow perfectly matches the tone of each song without standing out too much from the rest of the members. Like Taesan, he’s a young artist who has already proven himself but who also still has so much more to show.
7Mingi
ATEEZ
Eight-member boy group ATEEZ just turned up the heat with their most recent comeback, and the talent of their two rappers stood out once again. Mingi, the younger of the pair, has charmed fans with his deep tone and contrasting sweet personality since the group debuted in 2018.
Now, he’s evolved into a promising rapper wholeans on his own vulnerability in his writing, making his verses a constant highlight of some of ATEEZ’s more emotional songs.
Due to the raspy richness of Mingi’s voice, his verses alternate between two different styles:rough and commanding or playful and affectionate. This duality allows him to seamlessly switch between the sensual whispers of “Deja Vu” and the contagiously fun delivery of his verse in “Eternal Sunshine” on the same EP.
Alongside his involvement with ATEEZ, Mingi has also begun to release solo songs on the group’s YouTube channel, including “AUTOBAHN,” a song that he performed a remix of at EDC Korea, an annual EDM festival.
6Joohoney
MONSTA X
MONSTA X has been a staple in K-Pop for a decade now, but, after a hiatus due to members completing their military service, fans need a reminder of just how talented this group is - particularly one half of their unstoppable rap duo. Joohoney and I.M. are a unit that should never be separated, so think of this entry almost as a combination of the two.
While both have gone on to dabble in solo music,nothing tops the magic they create when their verses go back-to-backon a MONSTA X track.Of the two, however, Joohoney is the one who has enough of a range that he’s practically a vocalist as much as a rapper in their more recent releases.
His rapper tag immediately gets listeners energized and the verses that follow are usuallydynamic enough to have you bouncing in your seat. For years, MONSTA X was at the top of the K-Pop food chain. A single song like “Rush Hour” will let you know why, but Joohoney’s rap verses undoubtedly carry the song from start to finish in a perfect, lively circle.
5Mark Lee
NCT
Mark Lee is a multihyphenate idol who finds himself working overtime most nights as the leader of NCT DREAM, one of five lead rappers of NCT 127, a member of NCT U, and a member of SM’s former supergroup SuperM. Despite his constant involvement in one project or another, he still found time to release his debut solo album,The Firstfruit, earlier this year.
The album is a testament to Lee’s dedication to his craft as well asthe culmination of his nearly decade-long career in the K-Pop industry. Included on this album was the pre-release single “+82 Pressin',” featuring fellow NCT member Haechan, one of my favoriteK-Pop songs of the beginning of the year.
There are plenty of moments onThe Firstfruitwhere Lee’s underrated vocals and gentler delivery shine, but this song is pure unadulterated hip-hop fun. Hailing from Canada, Lee often mixes English with Korean, which only serves to make his lyrics more interesting in whichever project he’s releasing music from.
4Hongjoong
As the leader, main rapper, and occasional producer of ATEEZ, Hongjoong is largely responsible for the impressive catalog they’ve accumulated over the last six years. His rapper tag is enough to set him apart from his peers with the signature introductory laugh pulling any listener in.
ATEEZ has adopted dozens of different concepts throughout their career, butnothing could prepare fans for the verse Hongjoong would write for his first official collaboration.Odetari, a Palestinian artist whose music consists of menacing glitches and voice effects, featured ATEEZ’s leader on his January 2025 single “SMB.”
Why are you mad?
Do you think you have made it, hitman?
If you have time to observe others
Then watch your own back instead
Du-du-du, bang
A life of jealousy and envy
Blindly mocking while slandering people with insulting remarks
Forever playing the guessing game
Hongjoong’s verse immediately became one of his best and easily his most brutal to date. Judging by the time of this release, speculation suggests that his lines directly call out HYBE’s chairman, Bang Si-Hyuk. Both parts of Si-Hyuk’s nickname, “Hitman Bang,” are used in the verse, along with plenty of lines alluding to the document leaks from late 2024.
Among an already impressive array of verses, taking shots at one of the most powerful men in the music industry should place Hongjoong high up on anyone’s list and suggests that he’s capable of so much more than we know.
3J-Hope
BTS
If ever there was a group that needed no introduction, it’s BTS. It simply wouldn’t be a list of the best rappers in K-Pop in any capacity ifall three members of the K-Pop powerhouse weren’t included. The first of the imposing trio to be mentioned is J-Hope.
As one of the first members of BTS to complete his mandatory military service, fans have seen a lot more of the rapper than the other members lately. He’s released three singles and completed his first solo world tour after being discharged back in October 2024.
J-Hope’s range is something that doesn’t seem to have any limits.
From his bouncy rap verses in BTS songs like “Pied Piper” and “Airplane pt.2” to the darker tone of a solo track like “MORE,” J-Hope’s range is something that doesn’t seem to have any limits. His most recent single, “Killin' It Girl,” is a sexy anthem for independent women everywhere, adding yet another notch to his championship belt as one of the most notable voices in K-Pop.
2RM
BTS' leader is one of the most globally recognizable idols and one of the most vulnerable voices in K-Pop. His role in the group always seems to be that of one who reels listeners in with his deep voice and frequent mixture of English and Korean.
In his BTS verses, RM can slow it down, spelling out every word to whoever might be listening, or speed it up. Either way, he has the effect ofhypnotizing fans with his delivery.
His solo career is one that deserves its own discussion. In short, 2018’s mixtape,mono.,was a heartbreaking journey through RM’s mind, 2022’sIndigoprovided comfort and solace during uncertain times, and 2024’sRight Place, Wrong Personis an infinitely perfect examination of love, loss, and everything in between.
His collaborations with Megan Thee Stallion, Tablo, and HONNE are pure passion projects that feel meant to be, and the inevitability of new music from him in the near future is ridiculously exciting.
1Suga/Agust D
Last, but certainly not least, is Suga. BTS' unapologetic rapper holds enough honesty in his lyrics to make anything sound true, whether you want to believe it or not.
He often rapsdirectly in the faces of anyone who doubts himor those who claim that idol rappers aren’t on the same level as rappers outside K-Pop, especially on his solo tracks under the name Agust D. Additionally, if you’ve never listened to him before, you’ll quickly pick up on the pride he holds for Daegu, the city he grew up in.
When you’re busy being a moron
I will simply bury you alive in the grave
You dug out yourself
Hey ho you may’t handle me
You wasted rappers should be grateful
That I’m an idol
Beyond the common counter-attack towards those who believe they’re somehow above a literal member of BTS, Suga also leans into his own personal struggles with mental health, grief, and family illness in his music.
Every BTS rapper has been so open in their lyrics over the course of the last 12 years, butSuga has practically kicked down the doors separating his fans from his deepest, darkest secrets. He invites anyone into his sonic world full of issues we’ve all been through with open arms, making him an irreplaceable voice in music today.
