Cover (Photo: Getty Images)
(Photo: Getty Images)
1 / 1
As we anticipate his arrival to Singapore for his first solo world tour, get to know the wildly popular South Korean idol
Min Yoon-gi, better known as Suga, is one-seventh of global pop sensation BTS—and one of the most famous faces in the world.
Inspired by hip-hop duo Stony Skunk's rap, Ragga Muffin, Suga began writing songs and arranging music at the age of 13. Prior to being signed as a member of BTS, the Daegu-born singer first began his career as an underground rapper. In 2013, he debuted with BTS under the stage name Suga—and the rest is history.
While the K-pop group has since gone on hiatus, Suga's presence in the music industry has not. In fact, the Permission to Dance rapper has begun his journey as a solo artist, Agust D, and has begun his first solo tour on April 26.
His first solo tour sees him making a stop in Singapore from June 16 to 18. Before his concert, we share some facts about the rapper that you may not know about.
In case you missed it: Suga of BTS to hold solo concert in Singapore this June
1. He had never sang before BTS
In Bangtantv’s latest Youtube video, titled Suchwita: Suga with Jin, the rapper shared that he (along with the other members of BTS) had never sung before getting together. “What I find so fascinating is that none of us had ever sung before… but we got together and formed a team,” he reminisces. The idol continued to share that while it “made no sense”, the group got over it through years of hard work.
2. He wanted to be a rapper after watching a TV show when he was young
In the first episode of his Youtube series, titled Suchwita: Suga with RM, the idol shared that he knew he wanted to rap and pursue music when he watched a singing show as a child. “I don’t exactly remember exactly when [it was] but I remember the air and atmosphere of that day,” he shares. Suga tells his former BTS group member RM that he was watching a singing show where a group sang and rapped. “I was in shock. I wondered how they were moving across the stage so freely,” he continues.
3. He wanted to be a basketball player when he was young
The K-pop star has been an avid NBA fan for as long as he remembers—so much that he has recently been announced as an NBA Ambassador this year. Suga also previously shared that while he wanted to be a basketball player, he wasn’t tall enough to do so.
4. His stage name was derived from a basketball term
During the 2015 Korean variety show YamanTV, the star explained that the name Suga was derived from the first syllables of the term ‘shooting guard’. The term was the basketball position which he played as a student.
5. The late Ryuichi Sakamoto is one of Suga’s biggest inspirations
1 / 1
In the star’s latest Netflix documentary Suga: Road to D-Day, he shared Sakamoto’s works had inspired him since a young age. “His music inspired me so much and it motivated me as well,” he explains. During his documentary, Suga shared that he was able to meet Sakamoto a few months before his passing.
In case you missed it: 5 reasons why you should watch Suga’s latest documentary “Suga: Road to D-Day”
6. He joined Big Hit Entertainment to become a producer
During TV programme, Rookie King Channel BTS, in 2013, the rapper admitted that he signed with Big Hit Entertainment with the intention of becoming a producer. On the show, he also joked about how he was “tricked” by agency CEO, Bang Si-hyuk, into joining BTS.
7. He used to play the lottery to get by
In the Burn the Stage documentary series, Suga explained that his trainee years were hard—mentally and financially. He also shared that he would buy lottery tickets in hopes of winning each week. In Mnet’s 2017 Comeback Show BTS DNA, he further opened up that he would have to choose between taking the bus and eating.
8. He makes regular donations to societal causes
If you are looking for another reason to love Suga, this would be it. Throughout his career, we have seen the rapper generously contribute to various societal causes, including the Korean Paediatric Cancer Foundation in 2018; Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital in 2021; and the Hope Bridge Association of the National Disaster Relief in 2022.
Read more: The most stylish Asian stars at Paris Couture Fashion Week, from Michelle Yeoh to BTS’ Suga
9. He is an INFP
According to BTS’ 2021 YouTube video titled “BTS MBTI Lab 1”, the rapper revealed that his Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality is INFP. According to the official 16 Personalities website, the INFP personality type is described as “creative, imaginative and sensitive… [they] have profound emotional responses to music, art, nature and the people around them”—a rather accurate description for our favourite rapper.
10. His family wasn’t supportive of his singing career
In a 2018 Billboard interview, the BTS member opened up about how his family was not supportive of his music career. He shared: “My family was completely against it. I never heard music in my house growing up. [They] said that I would … fail”. He also explained in a 2014 interview that his parents had hoped for him to be a government worker with a stable job.
Amanda Goh was the former senior writer for Tatler Singapore.
