Riku
Maeda Riku (前田 陸, 마에다 리쿠), known professionally as Riku, is the main rapper of NCT WISH, the Japan-focused unit that closed out NCT's long expansion plan under SM Entertainment. Born in Fukui on June 28, 2003, he entered the company through the 2022 SM Global Audition and moved quickly enough through training to become one of the most distinct performers on NCT Universe: LASTART.
Riku's appeal sits in precision. He is not built around noisy swagger. He gives NCT WISH a tighter rhythmic edge, then sharpens it with clean stage detail and quick shifts in expression. That balance has been part of the group's identity since the February 2024 debut single Wish and carried through WISHFUL, poppop, COLOR, and Ode To Love. Even during the 2024 hiatus that briefly pulled him out of activities, the official messaging around the group made clear that his place in the lineup remained intact.
Back at full strength, Riku now reads as one of the members most responsible for NCT WISH's performance snap. He links SM's training polish to the easier chemistry that makes the team work in Japan and beyond.
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