BTS J-Hope Birthday: Here's what rapper-songwriter did before joining K-pop band

Known to be a beloved idol of not just ARMY but also the entire K-pop community, BTS' J-Hope rang on his 28th birthday on February 18. From wishes to gifts, the young singer is receiving love from across the world. From Dope to Permission to Dance, the South Korean boyband, BTS, has managed to build a massive ARMY of fans across the world with their music, talent and personality.

All the seven beloved members of the band are said to have contributed heavily to the band's global success as they are known to be a self-produced K-pop band responsible for writing and producing their own songs. Similarly, birthday boy J-Hope, also affectionately known as Hobi, has also contributed greatly to BTS' oeuvre over the years as he is one of the main lyricists of the group along with RM and Suga. On the occasion of Hobi's birthday, learn what he did before he joined the global K-pop phenomenon, BTS. 

What did J-Hope do before joining BTS?

Born in Ilgok-dong, Gwangju, South Korea, on February 18, 1994, as Jung Ho-Seok, J-Hope revealed in an interview with TV Report that he was trained in dance and music along with athletic hobbies like tennis. In the same interview, he revealed that he had won a bronze medal in a national tennis competition in elementary school. The singer reportedly joined Gwangju Music Academy to learn rap and music. 

The academy is known to be home to many popular K-pop idols like Big Bang’s Seungri, 2NE1’s Minzy and more. As per The Korea Herald, Hobi became a member of the underground dance team called Neuron. Additionally, his songs like 'MAMA' are testimony to how his mother supported his dream and passion of pursuing music. Interestingly, before joining Big Hit Entertainment's BTS in 2010, the singer had auditioned for one of the three biggest entertainment companies of South Korea, JYP, but was rejected. 

Hobi does not only have BTS' records and achievements to his name but he has also established himself as a solo musician with his exceptional songwriting and rapping talents. One of his most popular works is Chicken Noodle Soup with American singer Becky G in 2019. 

Image: Twitter/@bts_bighit