BTS j-hope Pre-debut and Rookie Facts
This list is compiled by dotoheediary of Twitter.
Few details are known about j-hope’s pre-debut and rookie years, especially during BTS’s first chapter (2013 to 2022), likely because promotions and information dissemination by the agency were focused mostly on BTS as a group rather than the individual members. And perhaps it is also j-hope’s choice to keep certain things about himself private (as he should).
But in the spirit of seeking knowledge and insight about j-hope as an artist, here’s a list of facts about Hoseok before BTS shot to fame and became the global superstars they all are today.
j-hope realized he had a talent for dancing when he was in third grade and appeared in his school’s morning exercise/dance video.
j-hope got into dancing when he was in fifth grade, recognizing early on that being a performer is his life’s path.
j-hope was popular at school because he was known among his peers as a gifted dancer.
In 2008, j-hope played the main child actor’s role in the dance musical, “진향” (Reverberation).
j-hope shares a special relationship with his mother whom he often credits as his biggest supporter, working away from her family to finance his dance lessons.
j-hope’s father initially opposed his son becoming a performer, thinking he could be successful in other fields because Hoseok was a smart child.
Thankfully, j-hope earned his father’s blessing to pursue his dream after dancing for his dad without music playing and finally convinced him that Hoseok was truly meant to dance.
Contrary to his claim of not being ‘good at school,’ j-hope was diligent with his studies, conscious that he was the son of an educator. (Source: Changmin’s Music Plaza Radio)
j-hope took his formal dance lessons at Joy Dance and Plug In Music Academy. The school’s CEO, Park Dae-hong, recognized his potential and later introduced him to Big Hit and HYBE founder and owner Bang PD.
Park Dae-hong described j-hope as a person who is earnest, hardworking and always polite. He is said to be goal-oriented, has good manners and displays a good degree of social consciousness. (Source: JNDN.com)
When j-hope released “Chicken Noodle Soup” feat. Becky G in 2019, he shared that the first choreography he learned was for the original version of CNS by DJ Webstar and Young B.
While he was in middle school, j-hope entered and passed JYP’s open audition.
j-hope was grouped with a few other trainee aspirants. Together they won the popularity award and ₩300,000 cash prize from a competition organized by JYP.
During his audition with Big Hit, j-hope was asked to dance by the audition manager. But the employee had to step out of the practice room to take a call leaving j-hope inside, who continued to dance for three hours straight.
j-hope performed Yoonmirae’s song, “Black Happiness” during his audition with Big Hit. (Source: Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS)
Of all the BTS members, j-hope was the first to sign an exclusive contract with Big Hit to become a full-time trainee. (Source: BTS Seasons Greetings 2019)
To manage their limited resources, Big Hit outsourced j-hope’s initial training to the same dance school he was attending in Gwangju. (Source: Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS)
On December 24, 2010, j-hope moved to Seoul to continue training with Big Hit. The first person he met at the agency’s dorm was SUGA. (Source: Hanryupia March 2013)
When j-hope moved to the Big Hit dorm, all the trainees who were living there were rappers. And though he had no prior experience with rapping, j-hope took it upon himself to learn how to freestyle and later to write lyrics and produce songs.
j-hope is the third trainee to be confirmed as a member of BTS.
In 2011, j-hope was featured on Big Hit’s promo video for its ‘Hit It Auditions.’ In the video, Hoseok is seen dancing and rapping.
j-hope, RM and SUGA performed at Noise Basement, a hip-hop club in Hongdae in 2011.
The original version of BTS’s “Satoori Rap” (Paldogangsan) was written and performed by j-hope, RM and SUGA in 2011.
j-hope, RM and SUGA took classes separately from the other trainees at Big Hit. According to former trainees of the agency, aside from the three rappers, no one knew who would debut with them as BTS at that time.
Bang PD described j-hope as the “personification of diligence” and that Hoseok was very memorable in the practice room.
After idol training, j-hope and SUGA would watch dance battles in another part of the city together.
To help the BTS vocal line develop an interest and increase their knowledge of hip-hop music, j-hope, RM and SUGA held informal music appreciation classes at the Big Hit dorm. (Source: Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS)
As j-hope was the most experienced and knowledgeable dancer in BTS, he also took it upon himself to instill in his members an appreciation and love for the art of dance. With his efforts, j-hope was eventually known among the members as ‘Team Leader Jung,’ the incomparable and highly competent dance leader of BTS. (Source: Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS)
Before BTS debuted, j-hope felt anxious about his future and briefly left Big Hit, considering debuting in another agency.
RM, knowing j-hope’s critical role in the success of their team, did his best to convince Big Hit that BTS wouldn’t succeed without Hoseok and that they needed to get him back onboard.
Since BTS’s first music release, j-hope has played a significant role in creating the group’s songs. In Bang PD’s TIME interview, he dubbed the rap line members “the musical pillars of BTS.”
In 2012, “Animal” by Jo Kwon feat. Jung Hoseok (aka j-hope) was released.
Also in 2012, j-hope appeared as one of Jo Kwon’s dancers in the latter’s “I’m Da One” music video and music show performances.
j-hope performed as one of GLAM’s backup dancers for their music show performance of “Glamorous (엠카)” in 2012.
Despite BTS not debuting yet, j-hope received letters and presents from fans who are looking forward to his debut. (Source: Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS)
j-hope was popular even before he debuted. His dance skills were widely talked about among other trainees in the industry. Taehyung shared that his classmates at his art high school kept asking him if he is really teammates with the famous street dancer from Gwangju. (Source: IZE)
In fact, Big Hit which was a relatively small agency at that time was referred to as “Hoseok’s company,” attesting to the fact that j-hope was one of the trainees to watch out for before his eventual debut. (Source: K-pop Herald)
With only a few days left before BTS’s debut, j-hope suffered an injury on his right thigh because he had overworked himself practicing his solo dance part on “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2.” (Source: Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS)
Contrary to rumors that j-hope wore a mask during their debut because he was embarrassed/shy, it was later revealed that the mask was a styling choice made by Bang PD and that it was something Hoseok preferred not to wear because it made breathing difficult for him. (Source: MCountdown)
TO BE CONTINUED…
“Hope On The Street,” an upcoming docu-series on Prime Video and TVing is set to be released on March 28 at 12:00 AM KST. The new content will feature j-hope as he retraces his steps as a young Gwangju boy who was crazy about dance to the groundbreaking international artist that he is now. He will be joined by renowned competitive dancers from the US, South Korea, Japan and France.
Did I miss anything out? Drop me an email to let me know: dotoheediary@gmail[dot]com.
