Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

RISE. .OF. .BANGTAN. EP 5 (Patreon)

Published:
2026-07-23 00:30:02
Edited:
2026-10-22 15:44:37
Imported:
Tags:
BTS

Videos

  • 703708250.mp4

Downloads

Content

Such good vibes

Files

Comments

Anya

Aww no McKay :( feel better 💜

luiel

It’s not the same without McKay 😞

sibbb

awwww feel better!!

Jess Min

I hope McKay gets better soon, sad he’s not here. But of course we’ll wait for him when he’s ready. 💜

SammiewiththebigT

@Mckay Carter Oh, so you’re skipping out on work….

bella⁷

FINALLY GEK POP RISE OF BANGTAN COMBO

I’m Maya

Seriously guys you don't realize but this whole BTS trip to America didn't start off so rosy before they met Coolio, they literally thought they were kidnapped (the company played a prank on them) they were so scared, fans really don't like to mention it but if you're curious you can watch this part on YouTube

Ana

L immune system McKay 😭😭 hope you feel better soon

izzy

To defend Coolio, I feel like it was absolutely necessary for him to be that serious. BTS wanted to do hip hop but they didn't know enough about the culture. Kpop is very good at taking things from Black culture but not good enough to pay respect and be clear where their inspiration came from. This whole BTS journey in the US is something more kpop groups should do. Learn about the culture and learn from those of the culture

Jill

idk... as a hip hip group it was important for the members to learn about its history and significance. to say it "wasnt coolio's place" to be talking to the boys about hip hop is a little crazy considering bts would not exist without people like coolio. Yes, his methods may have been a little unorthodox or strict but it would be wild to be a hip hop group without knowing anything about the culture.

Emrataaa

Hope Mckay gets better soon💜

Jill

100% agree. A lot of groups would benefit from a little history lesson. Claiming to be a hiphop group without respecting the culture it comes from is crazy!

Nanami's Wife

Tae was definitely Coolio's favorite, you can tell😭 He might seem hard but he's right. It's important for the dudes to learn about hiphop and where it comes from if they're going to be doing music pertaining to that. Especially with Kpop, it was influenced from black culture/music. The American Hustle life did have a few downs, but the experience really helped the guys learn so much. The next album they made 'Dark & Wild' is sooo good. You noticed the improvements and growth after American Hustle Life. I also love how Iris admire and complimented on Tae's deep voice. Ever since then, he has shown his deep voice more and more. I know Iris and Coolio is proud of how far the boys have come

🪄

Feel better Mckay💜 pls next week react to run bts mini field day its so fun

Nanami's Wife

Yes!! Kpop takes a lot from black culture and never credits it. If you really want to do hiphop, you gotta learn from the source and appreciate it because hiphop is that deep. Rapping is that deep. Like Coolio said people lost their lives or saved themselves thru hiphop. The boys definitely improved themselves in many ways with not just their music but their confidence too

t

yay!! always looking forward to ur videos and i hope mckay feels better soon

Sweet piano:3

Hope mckay feels better soon , but this is also why y’all should watch the hardships video , it goes more in depth . Not to throw stones at you 💜

bia

mckay, who gave you permission to be sick?? standard attendance is mandatory! I’M KIDDING lolll 😭 get well soon and get plenty of rest! the couch isn’t the same when one of u guys are missing ❤️‍🩹

Ana

Exactly I’m an American hustle life defender and coolio gave them tough love

Nanami's Wife

Ngl I hope they don't watch it. The whole bit was so sad to watch, definitely was the lowest of the show. I'm glad everything after was good, but I hate they did that to the boys. I get trying to be funny for a reality tv show, but I don't think it was the right call

Ana

This is facts because some things V did needed to be corrected but he definitely loved V lol

T

I think the hardships video should be on the poll for next week since it will give you guys some more context!

Meagan

I love the bonus content it’s basically just funny clips lol

Nanami's Wife

TRUE😭😭 He was doing the most unpredictable sh**😭 And you can tell that Tae was influenced a lot when you look at his music taste. He is always getting the AUX from me, and I'll add Jhope on that too

Mimi

About the discussion you guys had after the video, in my opinion BTS did well out the gate for a rookie group. They had a lot of potential and many people in the industry (including the big 3) saw that. Because of this the kpop industry did a lot to push them down and keep them from making it big. I believe some of those things will be shown in future episodes but for the most part this docu-series focuses on BTS’s struggles as a group moreso than the negativity they experienced from the Kpop industry.

November2

These episodes in LA with Coolio were fun but so cringe

Beth Edwards

BTS had a hard time financially, and had trouble gaining respect by other people in the industry, and people who weren't their fans. However, they really did blow up when they debuted because they were something different, so it wasn't actually this "bts against the whole world" story. They HAD supporters, and they had people who believed in them, which enabled them to break out, and get awards, but you're correct in the fact that they didn't get a lot of sales early on, neither did they get music show wins.

I’m Maya

yess this part was very unnecessary

Nikita

I get what you're saying Cannon. I thought the same too when I watched.

Aya

The ep isn’t the same without your commentary feel better :(

Ashlee

I hope McKay feels better soon !! 🙏🏾💜 and this was an awesome reaction ty so much for reacting to the bonus vid too !! It was hilarious 😂 and ya something you guys will notice more and more is that the kpop industry is different from the western industry. Even if a fresh group is winning rookie of the year awards there was no guarantee that they would stay relevant. You had to seriously keep grinding and often times they would have two "comebacks" per year. BTS are fortunate enough now to where they can survive without having to have so many back to back comebacks in a single year but ya it def wasn't easy in the first few years 😭🙌🏾 Also something you will see in future eps is that they often faced harsh criticism :( again,, ty so much for this reaction !! I always look forward to them !! ♡

bia

i actually believe coolio’s approach was very much needed! coming from a homogeneous country, miles and miles away like korea, it’s easy to not realize the racial history behind music genres. since hip hop was born out of black struggle/oppression, it’s not a trend. even eminem had to spend years battling and paying his dues to build credibility bc you can’t just enter hip hop without respecting its roots. coolio was just making sure they understood the gravity of the space they were entering.

Geev

Like first watch later bcs the time difference 🥲

Nikita

Lmao

gi⁷ ❦

aww mckay :( my bias of gek

tayuuu

I totally get what u guys r talking about and where youre coming from because i had some of the same thoughts when starting my bts journey! you guys r right in that it seems like they started out pretty big because in a way kpop does kind of have that gateway where you do get that platform off the get go because they have all these shows dedicated to showing off newly debuted kpop groups. The struggle is mainly to do with maintaining a group and preventing bankruptcy and disbandment in the face of other companies and groups with stronger backing and dedicated fanbases. So while BTS may be shown getting exposure through these episodes, there is a lot more drama behind the scenes. since bighit is such a small company at the time of bts’ debut, disbandment was a huge concern and it is because of all of these wins they were accumulating early in their career and the loyal fan base they were creating that other larger, more powerful companies targeted bts and made many attempts to defame, sabotage, or disrespect bts (which these companies have a history of doing with MANY other groups from small companies). age and wealth hierarchy was and is HUGE in korea and in kpop and since bts was a new group without an influential or wealthy company they were easy targets for these other companies to pick at and discredit in order to promote their own company / groups and prevent an underdog from entering the ring. I won’t go into any more detail than that since this comment is basically becoming and essay and bcus u guys r planning to watch the boracity video at some point where you’ll get a better idea of what we mean. (also if any of what im saying is inaccurate other army’s please correct me but this is what i’ve understood about their journey since becoming an army)

Anya

lol McKay deserves a day off

Ashley K

Hope y'all will watch American Hustle Life sometime. Some ppl hate it or whatever but it's still a part of their journey!

Namis

Other AHL defenders in the wild; the show was messy but they seemed to look back on it fondly and actually gain a lot of skills and perspective.

Ana

American hustle life defender it’s actually my favorite BTS series. Ok so to add some perspective. The coolio clips shown were more of him being tough and not the positive moments. Coolio was right with how he was treating them. Especially with them trying to be in hiphop and black culture they had some things to learn to do and not do. That show help cement BTS and are the reason they are respected amongst the rap community because they learned from the people who started it. And immersed themselves in the culture. Also BTS may be way bigger than coolio and Warren G but they were not at the time. And both those men are well respected and legends in the rap and black community. These are the guys that paved the way and inspired BTS. If it weren’t for their music we wouldn’t have rm and Suga making the music and being insanely talented. We have to give respect to both coolio and Warren g. Last the reason this show is so important is because a lot of black American culture is appropriated/ stolen or mocked. Like coolio said rap was his life it’s deeper for him. Rap was originally the voice of the unheard. Unfortunately modern rap took a down fall but the origins of it is a big thing. And both coolio and Warren g had all the right to teach them and tell them about it. And that’s why BTS is the only kpop group I can stan because they care about these things and did the work. And it’s not even just black culture. They even learned about feminism when they got backlash. BTS always choose to educate themselves and I love it

SammiewiththebigT

No one should be caught slacking on their shift, not under my watch….😫😫

Jo

Tough watch😅😅

tayuuu

and the fact that they faked kidnapping bts to start the show off is actually so crazy. like i’m kind of glad they don’t show it bcus it’s lowkey messed up. like i don’t think ive ever seen the members so scared and jungkook sitting there in his iron man socks 😭😭

SammiewiththebigT

Thank you, alot of people were babying BTS and trashing Coolio’s teaching methods. But I felt like it was necessary for them to understand the struggle behind black culture. They can see it, but they won’t ever experience it.

SammiewiththebigT

The way you guys said that BTS are bigger than Warren G and Coolio. I mean yeah, BTS are currently bigger than them in terms of popularity. But BTS wouldn’t have existed if it weren’t for these big name rappers, cause Kpop have been taking inspiration from hip-hop and black culture. No Warren G and Coolio, no BTS.

Anya

Ik it lost but pls just watch "BTS HARDSHIPS 2013-2021" by xCeleste as an extra video it provides a lot of context. Another good one is "respect your seniors, mock your juniors" by boracity.

November2

Ikr, this kidnapping prank was obnoxious

bia

ofc susu! like i’m very happy this show took place back in 2014 when they were just starting out!!

m-flo

yeah I don't like how they treated BTS but one, they were told to be harsh to them by producers to show them the "hustle" and I just don't like the response of "oh this person has way more fame or numbers" numbers aren't everything, I wish when uplifting BTS people would say "their music is great" instead of just jumping to numbers as a "gotcha" some of their best work and tracks in my opinion is when they aren't focused on radio play and they don't have as much views as their top but the quality is insane Also we should respect the roots. I do get where gek was comin from tho but yeah ig my point is fame isn't everything

020125

they should definitely react to both since the hardships video cover more of the hate the got throughout their career and the boracity one touches more on early years and how they were treated in Korea

Anya

Damn Sammie 😭

020125

I totally get cannons point of view however this is why it’s important to watch the hardships video aswell as the boracity respect your senior, mock your junior video. You’d also have to understand the big 3 privilege which takes part in why bts has such a great underdog story.

katie⁷

Saying "No Warren G and Coolio, no BTS" is too specific and oversimplification. You can acknowledge Warren G and Coolio’s impact on hip-hop without pretending BTS exists solely because of them. BTS has cited influences ranging from Nas, J. Cole, Eminem, Drake, Kanye West etc, to Korean pioneers like Seo Taiji and Boys and Epik High. Their artistry is the result of many influences, not just two artists.

Kira🤪

I get what Cannon means in terms of expecting a greater struggle but I think the issue that sometimes makes it hard for people to grasp the struggles BTS has been through is that they persevered and rose to fame in spite of the hurdles that were thrown their way. It’s hard to feel like they struggled when you’re seeing them rise but it’s the whole concept of “take a peak behind the curtains”. Honestly they haven’t been shown much on the hardships so it’s a fair take. You guys should definitely watch a video on it like xCeleste’s Bts hardships video on yt.

Nanami's Wife

It's was so funny and cute of how flustered the guys would get with girls when they were younger, especially jungkook. And now fast forward the guys have no problem and we singing about 7 days a week😭

Devyn ⁷ 🍉

What I tell reactors that are shocked about bts winning rookie awards is that it wasnt an award for music yet. Rookie Awards are more like "hey look out for this group, they're making waves." bts at this point haven't made any achievements actually regarding music yet! What was shocking to the kpop industry is how BIG of a global audience they had starting out compared to within korea. You'll see more later, and in hardship videos if you react to one, but the amount of effort international fans put in led to other Korean fandoms being so shocked that they started to say they were paying for views and album sales. They end up beating out the largest artists in kpop but it still took a few years. There were other smaller company groups that made it large even before them (like Vixx, Infinite, Block B, 4minute, Apink, Sistar, B2st) due to their loyal fan bases, but it still took a lot of effort from fans to get them wins

SammiewiththebigT

@m-flo No, I’m not bashing the geks. But numbers aren’t just something simple that equate to being greater like you said. They were influenced and made an impact on by black music. The reality show was made the way it was, but at the end of the day it was necessary in order for BTS to realise the impact hip-hop has on black music and vice versa.

Devyn ⁷ 🍉

I also have to point out that the reason they're doing American Hustle Life is because they weren't being invited on any of the common TV shows/variety shows (interviews with mini games/trending challenges) other idols would have been doing. They even created their own first variety show called Rookie King before they created Run BTS! They weren't receiving equal attention compared to any other group that was active for the same amount of time as them.

SammiewiththebigT

@katie_belle It was just an example, I’m not saying that only Warren G or Coolio were the only rappers in the game, it was just used as an example cause they happened to be of topic. No K-pop act would exist if it wasn’t for black music period and that goes for any kpop group that’s ever existed. They may have cited inspiration, but it’s true that BTS wouldn’t have existed if it weren’t for black music and that means any western rapper that existed in the game.

Nanami's Wife

@katie_belle I think sammie is just listing Warren G and Coolio because they were the ones to personally teach BTS and help them grow in Hiphop. Yeah, there's so many artists in Hiphop that has influenced a lot, but I think she's pointing out as a domino effect. If Warren G and Coolio didn't step into Hiphop and made their influence, then BTS wouldn't have experienced this Hustle Life and not been taught the history. Yes, other rappers influenced them but Warreb G and Coolio actively helped BTS with their music when they were solely just a hiphop group

SammiewiththebigT

@Anya, I’m saying this because McKay is my fav gek…😅

Ana

So ROB doesn’t really show the bad that much. But during this time BTS were really struggling like it was almost the end of them. In 2015 they were gonna disband I believe and call it quits but than I need u happened and that help push them in the right trajectory. I know a lot of people are pushing for hardship videos and stuff but that shows more of the hate BTS got. I think the video you guys are looking for is The Most Beautiful Life Goes on by rice squad. This video focuses on the music and when BTS stock went up. And the journey of their music. You’ll see how bad or good those albums did and where they started getting their big break. Loved the reaction as always the bonus clips are so unhinged lol

SammiewiththebigT

This was perfectly said and I agree with it. BTS couldn’t just make hip-hop music without understanding the history of what was behind it.

Angela González

Thanks Guys for you reaction!! I have to say I understand Cannon's point of view, because even the BTS members thought that winning the rookie of the year awards meant they were set for success; yet, in videos, they themselves admit that wasn't the case. Their next album didn't take off the way the company had hoped it wasn't that successful. While it's true they were gaining fans thanks to their unique style and that was evident it wasn't until 2015 that they won first place on TV music shows. They faced a lot of hate and people tried everything to tear them down, and it wasn't until 2016 that they won their most important award. RM mentions this in his acceptance speech; that was the moment their career truly took off and they began their ascent.

SammiewiththebigT

@Nanami’s wife, exactly. Thank you for helping me put my thoughts into perspective. That’s exactly why I said that. It just was misconstrued, but yes. It’s exactly as you say Nanami.

Chérie

Thank you!

Bashayer ⟡⁷ ⟭⟬

I get why it might look like BTS didn’t struggle as much as people expected, especially since they won rookie awards early on. But awards don’t always reflect what was happening behind the scenes. Their early success was nowhere near the level they have reached today, and winning rookie awards did not mean they had an easy path. They were a highly talented group from a small company trying to survive in an industry largely dominated by powerful entertainment companies with far greater resources, influence, and connections. Because BTS succeeded without the advantages the industry usually depends on—and after being underestimated or overlooked for so long—their growth disrupted the existing hierarchy and made them difficult to ignore. That also brought stronger resistance, unfair treatment, attempts to discredit their success, and intense hostility from people who felt threatened by their rise. Some of that hate also came from fans of other groups, although I don’t think it’s fair to generalize everyone. Videos like BTS Hardships and Boracity Magazine’s content give a glimpse of what they went through, but even those probably don’t show the full picture. BTS rarely centered their own suffering in their content because they didn’t want fans to carry that burden. At the same time, they have written about their struggles through their music, which is part of why their songs feel so emotionally honest, personal, and comforting. You can genuinely feel their emotions and relate to them, and that creates a strong sense of closeness. They also open up more in their documentaries, interviews, and in Suchwita (Suga’s talk show), especially in the episodes with the members, where they talk more personally about their lives and experiences. Even when they spoke or wrote about specific situations, they often avoided naming the people involved. What I respect most is that they chose not to return that treatment with the same bitterness. Instead, they’ve tried to make the industry kinder for the artists who came after them, so others wouldn’t have to experience everything they did. Their story becomes much clearer over time: they had promising moments early on, but those moments existed alongside very real hardship, and their success today was built despite the system rather than because the system supported them. And honestly, you still have so many BTS shows, series, documentaries, interviews, and other content ahead of you. Their content feels endless, with everything from fun and funny moments to emotional, exciting, and even heartbreaking ones. Each one shows a different side of them. Also, thank you for making these videos. I genuinely enjoy your reactions and would love to see more BTS content—maybe even five or six uploads a week whenever your schedule allows. No pressure at all, of course. I only say that because I really enjoy your channel and always look forward to the next video. 💜

katie⁷

Yeah, I get understand what you mean now. I think I just took the “No Warren G and Coolio, no BTS” comment too literally. I just wanted to point out that BTS has a lot of different influences too, like how J. Cole was a huge influence on J-Hope, even inspiring his stage name, etc. That’s just where I was coming from. Thanks for explaining what you meant though. I appreciate you clarifying it 🙂

katie⁷

Thank you also! Appreciate the clarification 💜

Anya

Tough boss lmao yes McKay is everyone's favorite lol we need him for the concert on Friday!

Ana

Personally I think the prank done on Jungkook in the previous episodes was worse. We have to take into account the era this is in those type of pranks were big. And that was the humor like y’all be acting more traumatized than the members themselves. I’m more upset at prank and the undertones to it towards black people.

m-flo

Yeah I know! I didn't think you were bashing the geks, I was agreeing and adding my opinion :)

Veronia

To put it in perspective, the rookie award is more like a participation award, and bts continued for 2 years after to struggled to even get the normal participation awards that every group gets (inkigayo awards for kpop fans they know what I mean😭🤣) because their company was poor and could not do the regular kpop “payola” (can’t find a better word to describe it)

yami

to be fair this series doesn’t really go into their hardships that much. if you guys really want to go into a deep dive of how they started from the bottom and still faced hardships at their peak then i suggest watching their “hardships” video by xCeleste!!!

SammiewiththebigT

No, I get why some people could take it literally. But I know that they have other influences. But you’re good. 👍🏾

Nanami's Wife

@Ana you're soooo right. I also was uncomfortable with the undertones it gave to black people. It was so weird production was fine to paint that. Like you said, at the time it was different and those types of pranks in 2014 gained a lot of attention. But damn, hate that the guys had to go thru those pranks

SammiewiththebigT

Oh ok, lmao. I fully agree with your points.😂

Nanami's Wife

Love any clips of Tae practicing English😭😭😭

Ana

Yeah the pranks definitely didn’t age well

Hannah Jackson

I would love if you can react to one of the "top kpop songs of each year" videos to learn more groups!

Eri

I hope they see this!

Eri

Rookie of the year awards are easier to win because there are less groups that are rookies, compared to hundreds of artist competing for album/song of the year. Yes they had fans to support them through the struggle back then. But these videos haven’t been showing the dark side very much. I see some people recommending the hardship video, but that only scratches the surface.

Hyeunrby

It’s my favorite episode yayyy So silly and funny😂

kooskyu

even with all the hardships, bts always find a way to be happy and grateful! love this about them. ik we have mixed feelings with AHL, but we have some of the very iconic scenes and events in their lives.

Alayna

They did have a lot of hardships and difficulty, but this is the RISE. Watch the hardships.

Rana

I understand the idea that this show was important for them to learn hip-hop and other things, but honestly in my opinion there were some unacceptable actions. Like even if they are here to learn u don’t have to talk to them in hard way or do something uncomfortable actions so I feel yeah they did things wrong (the people in the show) but with good intentions like teaching them. There are some things that make me uncomfortable when I watch this show… but I get it somehow

Rana

THIS! They definitely have to watch these videos

bia

yeah 100%! it just wouldn’t make sense for them to claim they live and breath this genre, while not knowing the historical significance of it.

Noha⁷

The Coolio and V dynamic were hilarious in the later episodes and I did think he was doing too much at the start but as a black person, he was completely valid since hip hop and black culture isn’t a costume or a K-pop concept but real people’s experience. I absolutely love that BTS managed to get this experience

Noha⁷

Said it perfectly

Ana

There was definitely negative things largely with Jin and suga’s mentor that’s the most problematic part of the show. But coolio didn’t baby them. These are grown men. He helped them grow tough skin. Treating them harsh? He treated them sternly not harshly . He was looking out for them. If he let some of these stuff fly you know how many times BTS would have got canceled or continued being ignorant? Also help them grow a tougher skin nothing he did is compared to the hate they were getting and will continue to get. The real world is cruel unfortunately. And everyone isn’t gonna baby them

Tivy

JIMIN YOU GOT NO JAMS

Sarah

I hope McKay is better for the concert day🙏

Sarah

Ahhhh not the American hustle life trauma

020125

I really hope you guys make space next week to watch both the “respect your seniors, mock your juniors” boracity video aswell as the hardships video or if not you guys will have a very wrong misconception of bts rise to the top, which I’d dislike to see 💜💜💜 it’s very important because their struggles are a big part of why they have become the artists they are

Rana

Oh they didn’t watch the deleted scenes video? 😭

Tivy

I think one thing worth keeping in mind is that Rise of Bangtan spends most of its time documenting BTS’s milestones and successes rather than every challenge happening behind the scenes. Because of that, their early career can look much smoother in hindsight than it actually was. Their struggle wasn’t that they had no fans. They built a small but incredibly loyal fanbase early on, which is why they’ve always been so grateful to ARMY. The bigger issue was that they lacked industry power and recognition. BigHit was a small company, they were often looked down on because of it, and they weren’t really treated as though they belonged alongside the top k-pop acts. They could have dedicated fans and still be far from secure or widely respected. The rookie awards can also make them seem bigger than they were. Those awards only compare artists who debuted within that eligibility period, so the competition is much smaller than competing against every active group. BTS absolutely earned those awards, but they didn’t mean BTS had already “made it.” Their debut album didn’t sell many copies, and other groups barely acknowledged them. So yes BTS were steadily succeeding and building momentum, but they were also underestimated, financially vulnerable, and constantly trying to prove they belonged. Their story is that their success took a long time to translate into the recognition and respect they deserved!

Sarah

This is why a lot of people say bts are very true to hip hop and that they don’t just do it bc they actually got this experience where they learned abt the culture instead of how a lot of other groups don’t know anything abt the culture but still use hip hop in their music (just explaining how unique of an experience this was)

Noha⁷

The titles of all the rob episodes are all actual names of BTS songs by the way

Hyeunrby

Companies invested a huge amount of money into debuting idol groups, so just winning Rookie of the Year awards wasn't considered enough. Idols had to earn back the company's investment before they could make money themselves. Back then, a first music show win meant you'd finally "made it", while winning the grand prize at a year-end music festival was considered the real sign of becoming a top successful idol. They finally earned their first music show win with The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, the album that came after Dark & Wild. It was the era where they gave absolutely everything they had in one last push to succeed, and it changed everything. That's why The Most Beautiful Moment in Life is often seen as the defining era of BTS's youth.

Snooze

Hope Mckay gets better soon. And if reacting to a whole concert would be too much for him at the moment then you can postpone the concert reaction to next week and maybe react to something lighter like mvs instead.

Hyeunrby

Get well soon Mckay!

Snooze

Also fun fact- one of the two mentors of BTS from American Hustle Life, Nate(you saw him throughout the video with the boys) did an interview for a youtuber last year. In the interview he revealed that when he was approached for this show with BTS, SM entertainment really tried hard to convince him to not do this show and join the writing camp for EXO instead by saying things like "EXO had the biggest album in korea that year and BTS were just a filler group" but after watching the mv for we are bulletproof pt2, he decided that he wanted to work with BTS. Nobody knew about this until this interview in 2025(11 years later). So yeah even though you aren't really seeing much hardships in the rob episodes, a lot of things were going on behind the scenes that we knew at the time, a lot of things we came to know years later and there are a lot of things that we probably still don't know of. A lot of their hardships early on came from within the industry like the big 3 companies using their power to block them. Later when they started getting popular even after all the push back, the industry started openly attacking them with the help of media and thanks to those media tactics they started getting hate from the public too. BTS had a really small but such a loyal and dedicated fanbase that there was channel run by an army who voluntarily added subtitles to all the videos that BTS used to post with added context for things difficult to understand for non-korean speakers because bighit at that time was barely trying to survive and promote bts in korea and wasn't even aiming for the international audiences but thanks to that army, all the international armys were able to enjoy BTS's contents.

_miles

If you will watch the ON documentary, you will see the Echo Bar recording studio representative Mr. Erik Reichers still helping with their album.

lomoko

A bulk of the struggle BTS had coming up was because they were from a small company. The difference between a win for BTS and a win for another group is that BTS is earning awards by writing/producing/recording an album themselves in a garage with basic equipment, meanwhile other groups are able to receive songs pre-written for them to record in a studio with hella funding and support. Those big companies can boost the song's media exposure and get deals from connections (vs. Bighit, who was struggling with bankruptcy and gained many opportunities through fluke events/connections). Both groups theoretically work very hard, but the level of work being input receives a greater output from those large company groups compared to BTS if that makes sense

daisy o

There was always Army but the industry did not welcome them they struggled to do well selling records and getting access and had no money. They built army before debut so always had the fan base, its army and their hard work that kept them going. They did not win their first real music show award, a real sign of success til 2015.

Aya

Jin looking too good this ep

Mira

I think after this episode, you should listen to BTS's 'Born Singer'. It's their version of J. Cole's 'Born Sinner'. The lyrics are 🤌💯

tangerine⁷

Oh no mckay, I can't see u today. Day ruined :(((

C⁷💜 (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-06 16:00 I’m glad BTS learned a lot from American Hustle Life, but it’s not something I can ever rewatch. Seeing seven young guys in a foreign country, barely speaking the language, while some people mocked them, took advantage of the language barrier, or treated them in ways that made them visibly uncomfortable just isn’t entertaining to me. I know there were some genuinely funny and wholesome moments too, but for me, the uncomfortable ones outweigh them. I’m grateful they grew from the experience, but I could never describe it as an enjoyable watch💜
2026-07-23 07:39 American Hustle Life is one show I’ll never be able to rewatch. It’s not because of BTS, but because of how often they were put in uncomfortable situations or mocked. I know there were some funny and wholesome moments too, but for me, the uncomfortable ones outweigh the good. It’s just not a show I’d revisit. 💜

American Hustle Life is one show I’ll never be able to rewatch. It’s not because of BTS, but because of how often they were put in uncomfortable situations or mocked. I know there were some funny and wholesome moments too, but for me, the uncomfortable ones outweigh the good. It’s just not a show I’d revisit. 💜

Pluto

It was more about lack of respect and financial problems. They were famous enough to survive. React to hardship video and respect your seniors mock your juniors You will understand.

Helen H

jungkook was 16 here but jin said he is 18 because of the korean age. Korean age is you are one or two years older than international age

mina

i do agree with you however this show will forever feel like a humiliation ritual to me

LilyLiv

To really understand the context of BTS' come up, Boracity's "respect your seniors, mock your juniors" would be a really good overview. (the BTS Hardships video by Xceleste is good but I think it doesn't really show the full picture of how/why BTS went through so much)

Gatha Naranath

Although Coolio did piss me off he’s not wrong. Kpop is very good at taking from black American culture and not giving it credit. I genuinely think this helped them really love hiphop more than before and also respect it and learn more about it. Because u can’t learn much about hip hop without truly immersing yourself in it and talking to the people that started this entire culture. And after they had this reality show they came out with a good album

alienn

Pls react to some voracity videos and also the hardships one

Asi Dus

It is reality show - American Hustle Life. Now I think you should react to it here)) There are so much more funny moments . You would definitely love it, I can see it already😄 Please do it soon🙏 I want to rewatch it with you.

Asi Dus

Also you skipped Deleted scenes. Starting with episode 4 there are Bonus and Deleted Scenes each video. So it has to be 3 video in 1 :) You have to watch Bonus scenes of episode 4 and Deleted scenes of episode 5👈

humbleandkindness

This comment came from the thought strands in my brain,, I’ll probably cringe at some AHL moments for the rest of my life but there’s no denying it’s one of the most important parts of BTS’s career

yellow

not my bias mckay 😔get well soon

noor

winning rookie of the year in 2013 wasn’t hard tbh they had no competitors that year from big companies, but they had some very loyal fans even from abroad, some of those are still armys and you can see their tweets from 2013 🥹 but the boys thought their last album would be in 2015, that’s how much they were struggling

noor

btw they didn’t show it here but this show started with the boys being pranked and thinking they were kidnapped, which is one of the worst clips ever because imagine doing that to a group of boys who just landed in america, jimin and tae were 18, jungkook was 16.. one of the saddest clips is when they had them take their shoes off and jungkook was wearing iron man socks like the kid he IS, just cruel 💀

cuesegue .

Maybe, but the name calling and the derogatory comments were unnecessary. As well as the butt that hit Jin, the choreo guy with the attitude toward JHope, and the whole kidnapping/scare technique.

Tivy

You guys should put reacting to “Dark & Wild” on the schedule next week, it’s such a good album. It’s the one they were making during this episode, and they recorded the whole thing in a garage. I think it’d be really cool for you guys to see the outcome of their American Hustle Life trip! And don’t worry it’s not as long as MOTS lmao

noor

this is random under this vid but since I’ve noticed that you’ve had questions about their enlistment and you’re unsure about some info regarding that, I would recommend “bts’s military strategy and the ones who discredit it” by boracity, it tells you almost everything you need to know about their enlistment, the debates that went on for years by people and the government around that, and ultimately the unusual decisions made by the members

StackingSpaghettiSauce

Honestly, some ARMY tend to exaggerate BTS' struggle within the industry a bit imo. Yes, BTS did struggle but those struggles were mostly financial and internet hate, which all groups from small companies face and all groups face respectively. This idea that the entire industry was out to get them just isn't true. If it was, they wouldn't have won anything or gotten any attention. Most groups from small companies don't. There were a few instances of mistreatment, and like all other rookie groups from small companies they had to fight more for attention, but no one was scheming for their downfall. I think that idea just came from the desire some fans have to turn the music industry into a sporting competition. They want BTS to be the underdog team that everyone else is rooting against. But I think BTS and their music and story is good enough that you don't have to turn it into that to make people like it Edit: Y’all seem to be missing my point so I’ll try to make it clearer. I am NOT saying that BTS didn’t struggle. I literally said they did and that there were instances of mistreatment. What I AM saying is that there has never been an industry wide conspiracy to make BTS fail, which is what would be required to prevent them from winning awards like the Geks thought. BTS did face more struggles than groups from bigger companies but they didn’t face anything that other rookie groups from small companies wouldn’t. SM tried to poach a producer because they wanted that producer. Broadcasts cut their performances because they like to focus on groups that are already popular. This is by no means right, but it also isn’t a “everyone and their mother are out to destroy BTS” situation. This did harm BTS but harming BTS was not the goal. But shame on me for expecting kpop fans to appreciate nuance when something as simple as liking 2 groups is a foreign concept apparently. P.S. this does not apply to hate from fans of other groups. That was done specifically to harm BTS and is also not okay at all. But ARMY are just as bad to other groups so I wouldn’t say BTS uniquely suffers in this capacity either

fleur

When we talk about how BTS had it harder we’re mostly talking about how they came from a small company and weren’t as financially fortunate as groups from bigger companies. To understand where we’re coming from you have to understand the Korean entertainment system and Korean culture in general. A lot of the time, groups from the big companies like SM and YG find success as soon as they’re announced and before music is even put out lol. What made BTS special is that they came from a small company but still became successful because they were genuinely talented, down to earth, unfiltered and just different. Also best new artist really ain’t that deep a lot of groups win it and that doesn’t determine their future success. The difference is that bts took that stayed consistent, remained themselves and became the biggest.

Liyan

🤣😭

Liyan

❤️❤️

Noha⁷

That's false. Using AHL as an example, Tony (one of the teachers in AHL) came out in a youtube video in 2025 and said SM tried to convince him BTS were a filler group and an experiment that would fail and they wanted them to come work with EXO and had the biggest album in korea that year. He still decided to work with BTS after listening to some of their songs The whole SM and SuperM thing was just SM trying to make another BTS. Another example, in 2015 they had their stage cancelled in the Busan One stage festival without the company being told for no reason. People aren't saying BTS are the underdogs and were mistreated for fun, there's literal evidence.

Jess Min

I admit the beginning portion was very uncomfortable and weird and there are some other parts like that in the show but ultimately after finally watching it a few years ago I realized it had more good than bad. The wholesomeness of the guys in the dorms w/ them & some of the mentors really outweighed the negative IMO. But I can see why some people may not want to watch it.

moonchild

That's not true. The fact they won stuff even in 2013 is just because of their own efforts and the fact there weren't many new groups and especially not as talented as them. When you look at groups that debuted in 2013 only BTS survived till this day. Yes armys mention the hardships because it's an important part of their story, songs and lyrics. I especially advise people like you to go read the BTS Beyond The Story book (biography) that they wrote with Kang Myeong-seok. Especially chapters 2,3,5. They were bullied and mistreated by groups from bigger companies or even laughed at and humiliated for not being candidates for first place in music shows. You seem to also forget that bts only had their debut show case because someone dropped out and they needed a filler. Many of the things that happend were a pure miracle. Their interview on debut day was also a lucky accident that saved them back then. Most of the groups debuting nowdays don't only have 8 people working in the company doing 5 different jobs such as replying to emails, being in charge of social media and promotion but also being the styllist and makeup artist, no money for external producers or even to rent a dorm cuz bts rapline predebut was straight up told to go home because the company had no money to support them, having nowhere to practice and using a basement of a restaurant or practicing in a park at night. I'm sure there are groups that still struggle but that doesn't take away the fact the industry has way more money know and trainees have way more opportunities. We are not trying to make a sob story and pity the guys but I think if someone is getting into bts then ignoring what they went through is just ignoring the message they try to send through music

Jessica

Agreed there is a difference between appropriation and appreciation. Because of this BTS got the right mindset and intention when creating Hip-Hop music early on they continue doing this the right way, which much of k-pop does not.

gm ‘777

you’re loud and wrong. you stays love to go for the underdog story when it’s convenient for you, knowing dam well stray kids come from one of the big three😭 bts wasn’t just mistreated by bigger artists but had smear campaigns against them by other fandoms every other day. if ur gonna comment something on a new reactors channel who have no clue about the industry please get ur facts straight instead of misspending information.

gm ‘777

guys please react to the bts hardships and “respect your seniors, mock your juniors” by boracity so that you guys can really understand. also “bts paved the way, why is it so hard to accept it?”

Noha⁷

i remember when he called Tae the 'blonde' of the group 😭

020125

I hope that after the geks watch the hardships and the boracity video we can start getting more music/album reactions 💜 bts have such a huge discography, there are albums, mix tapes, solo albums, singles, Japanese albums, soundtracks, etc. I’d also love for them to check out some of their Japanese songs 💜 my personal favorite are film out 🎞️ and crystal snow ❄️

020125

It’s honestly ironic that you spent your time writing this about armys “faking” BTS having an underdog story when you’re a Stray Kids fan yourself. It’s not news to armys how badly you guys want the underdog narrative despite your favorites debuting under one of the Big 3 companies. Girl, your favorites had privilege before they even debuted, so don’t act like they didn’t. BTS being underdogs in the K-pop industry is not performative. It’s the truth that a lot of K-pop fans refuse to admit, just like they refuse to admit that BTS paved the way because it reflects badly on groups that had all the resources to achieve the same level of global success and didn’t. This is exactly why so many armys will never get along with K-pop fans. Y’all are genuinely irritating. stop the bs.

020125

this! the big three didn’t debut any groups in 2013 so it gave bts the possibility to get the rookie award, they practically had no competition

020125

100% I think boracitys video on why most army’s are not K-pop fans touches a bit on the black culture appropriation K-pop uses

Jessica

Coolio is such an important person in hip hop and clearly you guys don’t know much about the hip-hop scene and that’s exactly why American Hustle Life is so necessary. For other races to take African American culture and “re-create” it, you lose its roots, its history. I’m so happy that BTS were forced to learn and given tough love bc now they respect and give light to the black artist, producers, and writers that are involved, they know the history of the music they are composing and that’s why BTS will never be cancelled

Sasha (Yare Yare Daze)

Jungkook was 16 I believe and just about to turn 17 at that point. Korean age system is just a little different.

Sasha (Yare Yare Daze)

Was it Coolio who said that "always be true to yourself, to your art, your music" well something along the lines anyway and just as a thought from that I really wish they will never do another Dynamite or Butter. Unless I hear the members personally say that music is close to their heart. Boy with Luv honorable mention.

Sasha (Yare Yare Daze)

Kpop culture is really toxic. You always have to be worried about getting cancelled because of one wrong word. Kpop stans really cancel their own idols for the smallest reasons. I get where you're coming from but it's not like you have to actually be taught hand to hand from hiphop legend to respect the origins. I have seen loads of people complaining about this same thing about Korean hiphop artists as if the artists mock the American hiphop culture by dressing and acting the same way as the hiphop legends in America. I'd say as of right now Korean hiphop is "more real" than American hiphop at least to my limited knowledge.

Alisse Rhodes

I'm rewatching all your reactions before the concert drop help 😆

Aaliyah Contreras

because of this show their best album was made 😫😫 hip hop phile is life changing!!

Ana

Bruh even the government is against BTS. You can’t be serious 😭

Claire

You should react to American Hustle Life!!!!!! This reality TV that theses clips are from

Jill

Yes it is offensive when K-pop idols just cherry pick bits and pieces of hip hop and the culture it comes from strictly for aesthetic purposes for a mv or concept. It strips the humanity and rich culture it comes from into a product they find digestible. They have no understanding or respect for its history. Imagine how that would feel from the other group’s perspective. Culture isn’t a costume to be used for your own personal gain. Hip hop is more than the “cool gestures” or outfits/hair styles. To say Korean hip hop is “more real” than American…the originators of the genre is an interesting take.

Ninia

Please react to boracity " respect your juniors, mock your seniors " video. It is really interesting, gives more insight. Thanks for reaction 💜

floo

D-DAY

katie⁷

Can't wait!!

Noha⁷

You really don’t like dynamite huh

Gatha Naranath

I agree I can totally see why these videos make it seem like they are doing okay and not struggling so much. But the thing with the kpop industry is there are hundreds of groups debuting every year. And maybe only a few % stay around for a couple of years. BTS was big hits last chance. They were going bankrupt. It looks all rosy and stuff in this video but if u watch the hardships videos there’s just a lot hidden behind the scenes. Things we don’t realize. Because at the end of the day. BTS has to smile for us and the camera.

floo

I cant waittt for the concert so excited🤩

Lamya

Dday 😮‍💨⛺️🧘🏻‍♀️

deesi

this episode had funnier clips than the 'funny moments' video

Siiii

Pls react to Bts jimin legendary fancams compilation,Bts jungkook the golden maknae, Bts jungkook the main vocalist ,Bts jungkook live tsx

Tami

Overly excited for today

bailey

It’s been a bad week, ready for my Friday night to be LIT ;)

floo

Early drop 🙏🙏🙏🙏 on my kneees

mina

camping🏕🏕🏕

raiourz

Early drop pls 😭😭

floo

Who's rewatching the concert before the drop ?🤣

vay’

where do yall watch the concert?

raiourz

👀👀👀👀

Fatima Matar

🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦

floo

Link that someone sent on the chat

Chlo

In 2014 - JK - 16 yrs old at the time (18 in Korean age). V & Jimin - 18 yrs old (20 in Korean age). RM & J-Hope - 19 yrs old (21 in Korean age) Suga - 20 yrs old (22 in Korean age ) Jin - 21 yrs old (23 in Korean age)

Pluto

Cyper 1 - 4 reaction please

Ezel⁷ ⊙⊝⊜

Just because they won some awards doesn’t mean they were successful, they had no money. Did u not watch the video, they literally say they were dependent on this album. Watch RESPECT YOUR SENİORS MOCK YOUR JUNIORS BY BORACITY MAGAZINE

Kioku

OMG FANTASTIC BABY CHANNEL DEBUT!! IT'S A SIGN.......REACT TO BIG BANG!

Chlo

Deep down Coolio probably did have a soft spot for V, at the end of the day V was a cheeky, innocent kid excited to be in America, they all were. They were naive but determined to learn from some of the best whatever they could. One of my favourite moments has to be Iris with V & Jk. She adored them and gave them great advice which most definately boosted their confidence in singing and being comfortable with their voices.

Amber Wilmot

I get what you guys are saying but it’s still VERY IMPORTANT for all of them to learn this. One of the reasons they become the very best that they are. They all have to learn every skill it’s how you make the BEST! 😏💜💜💜

keyla

exactly it was crazy to say it wasn't his place like YES IT IS? he is black artist n very much his culture idk what that was abt kinda outta touch

Ana Paula

I know many fans don't like *American Hustle Life*, and I agree that there are definitely some quite unnecessary parts. However, it's worth remembering that the series is over ten years old and comes from a time when content like that was common. What matters most is that this period was a time of significant growth for them, and I think the series itself is quite interesting and entertaining.

kirix

They’re hilarious I’m crying

Sydney

Will you guys be watching more episodes??

cyane davis

No we love coolio and American hustle life. And special shout out to Tony

.

The staff are behind the scenes translating for them. They have an understanding of what’s being said