Riku

Riku (리쿠), born Maeda Riku (前田陸), is a Japanese rapper, singer and dancer, and the main rapper of the SM Entertainment boy group NCT WISH, the sixth and final sub-unit of NCT. Born on June 28, 2003, in Fukui, Japan, Riku grew up with two older sisters and later moved to Korea to train as an idol.

Riku’s connection to the entertainment world runs in the family — his cousin is former Morning Musume member and current cosmetics entrepreneur Takahashi Ai, alongside whom he appeared in a brand commercial in 2021. In 2022, Riku passed SM Entertainment’s Global Audition and began training in earnest, joining the label’s trainee system for roughly a year before stepping into the spotlight.

He first became known to K-pop fans through the 2023 SM survival show NCT Universe: LASTART, where he stood out for his freestyle dance ability, sharp rap delivery and stage charisma, ultimately earning the highest average ranking among the show’s eleven contestants. That performance secured his place in the debut line-up of NCT WISH.

NCT WISH released the pre-debut single “Hands Up” in October 2023 before officially debuting on February 21, 2024, with “WISH.” Since then, Riku has continued to anchor the group’s rap line through releases such as “Steady,” “Wishful,” “Poppop,” and “Color,” while building a reputation among NCTzen for his laid-back, endearing personality and nickname “Kuri,” meaning chestnut.