BTS member J-Hope is sharing the "meaningful" history behind his collaboration with one of his idols.
The South Korean singer-rapper sat down with iHeartRadio's Z100 in New York for a lengthy chat, including sharing some insight into what inspires his creativity.
"I usually get a lot of inspiration from everyday life. Everything I see and feel become a source of inspiration and I try to put those into my music and dance," he said, adding how being in New York City also serves as inspiration and even reminder of past collaborations. "I mean literally everything from New York inspires me. And it also reminds me of the day when I shot the ['on the street'] music video with J. Cole. So coming back here, it reminds me of those days and it feels new all over again."
He went on to explain how much the collaboration meant to him given he had been a fan of J. Cole for years, and how it was even more memorable because he was about to start his time serving in the military.
"When it comes to collaborating, it needs to be the artist that I really love, so J. Cole used to be the idol of my younger days," he said. "So when I was working on 'on the street,' I really wanted to work with him. Because it was one of my last projects before going into the military, it felt more meaningful. I was eager to make this project right, and J. Cole's recording came at just the perfect time... He was just so nice and so professional and great at what he does. I was even more blown away."
J-Hope dropped his latest single "Mona Lisa" on Friday (March 21), his first new solo music since his March 2024 EP Hope on the Street Vol. 1. Earlier this year, he teamed up with rapper Don Toliver for "LV Bag," his first new song since he was discharged from the army in October 2024. He also collaborated with singer Miguel for "Sweet Dreams," which dropped earlier this month.