Before He Was ‘Suga’ in BTS, This Rapper Went by a Different Stage Name (and It’s Not Agust D)

With seven talented members in BTS, (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook,) some of these performers had roles in the music scene before joining this K-pop group. That includes Suga, who actually went by a different stage name when rapping with his hip-hop group. Here’s what we know about Min Yoongi’s different stage names.

What does Suga’s stage name mean?

Most of the BTS members go by a stage name when performing with the group. Kim Namjoon goes by RM, formerly Rap Monster. Kim Taehyung goes by V. One of the rappers in the group, and the performer behind songs like “Seesaw” and “Interlude: Shadow,” goes by the stage name Suga. 

This stage name is mostly connected to the court position Min Yoongi was assigned to when playing basketball. According to the Korea Portal, “Suga usually plays the role of a shooting guard, and the stage name Suga was taken from the first syllables of this term.”

Suga releases solo music under the stage name ‘Agust D’

He’s super sweet, which is why Min Yoongi’s stage name is so perfect. When he’s performing alongside the BTS members, he goes by Suga. When Suga releases solo music, though, including the music video for “Daechwita,” he goes by a different name. 

The stage name Agust D comes from a reversal of his BTS stage name, “Suga,” as well as a shoutout to the underground rap group he was a part of, D-Town. (Some also report that it’s a reference to his hometown, Daegu Town.) 

He often raps and sings alongside the other members of BTS, including J-Hope and RM. With his solo project, though, Suga has more freedom to explore different kinds of music.

“I can show a more raw side to myself,” he explains of his Agust D persona, during an interview with Time Magazine. “It’s more that I made the music I wanted to make, rather than fixating on attempting something new.” 

What was Suga’s stage name before joining BTS?

Even before joining BTS, Suga was involved in creating and performing music. According to Koreaherald, “in 2010, when he was part of the hip-hop crew D-Town, he produced the song “518-062” in commemoration of the Gwangju Uprising.”

When he performed as an underground rapper, Suga went by the name “Gloss.” He went by this name because it was similar to the meaning of his real name, “Yoongi,” which roughly translates to “shine” or “gloss.”

The “Dynamite” music video is now available on YouTube. Music by BTS, including their recently released album, Map of the Soul: 7, is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and most major platforms.