by Hazard (courtesy Planet Urban, www.planeturban.com.au)

One of the world’s biggest consumers of Hip Hop music and culture (outside of the U.S. and France), and the hub of technological innovations, Japan is poised to make a global splash in the field of beats of rhymes with the international release of Serious Japanese by the Teriyaki Boyz.

First making a splash in 2006 with the ultra-catchy but rather kitschy Tokyo Drift, the title track of the third film in the Fast and the Furious franchise, the quartet of Ilmari, Ryo-Z, Verbal and Wise, alongside A Bathing Ape creator, DJ and producer Nigo, are far more rooted in the traditions of Hip Hop music than their candy-coated, anime-tinged world launching pad may have suggested.

The origins of the biggest export in the history of Japan’s Hip Hop scene go back over a decade ago, to the formation of the group Rip Slyme in 1994, one of the Orient’s first major rap success stories. Formed by Ilmari and Ryo-Z, with members Pes, Su and DJ Fumiya joining later, the crew became known for their party-starting true school retro flavour, drawing inspiration from Gang Starr, De La Soul and other ‘golden era’ outfits, with touches of J-Pop added to the mix.

Being called a ‘toy’ in the Hip Hop scene is certainly derogatory (a term which alludes to somebody being fraudulent or a pretender), however in the case of Rip Slyme an exception can be made, as the name ‘Slyme’ was taken from a popular children’s toy, with Rip being culled from their respective initials. Off the back of winning ‘Young MCs in Town’, a local talent contest, the natives of Kanagawa (part of the Greater Tokyo Area) released their debut recording, Lips Rhyme in 1995.

Although it was followed by 1998’s Talkin’ Cheap, Rip Slyme didn’t create many waves outside of the Hip Hop community until their signing with the Warner Music Group in 2000, dropping Mata Au Hi Made in 2001, propelled by the popular single Stepper’s Delight, a tribute to the Sugarhill Gang’s iconic Rapper’s Delight, further establishing their old school style on a larger scale.

2002-3 saw the crew expand even further into the popular music pantheon, being awarded ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Best Hip Hop Group’ at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan, in addition to dropping their first truly big-budget album, in the form of Tokyo Classic. Going on to become Japan’s first rap album to sell over one million copies, the album found them painting from a James Brown-like palette of funk, on tracks like Funktastic and Rakuen Baby (which both collected MTV trophies in 2003). Meanwhile, the single Galaxy became the theme song for Hiroya Oku’s anime series Gantz. The group, which still exists today, have since released a ‘Best Of’ album and five other projects (the last being 2007’s Funfair).

The other members of Teriyaki Boyz are no strangers to the Hip Hop scene either and have earned their stripes along the way. Verbal, who relocated to the United States following high school, to study at the prestigious Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston, first broke in as part of the group N.M.D., alongside schoolmate Taku Takahashi.

Hoping to get noticed by a talent scout or executive by performing in clubs and on television after returning home to Japan, the duo hit their first break thanks to a chance meeting with Asakawa Masaji (director of management for the company Artimage and DJ for the group GTS). Oddly enough, they were invited to produce a reworking of The Way We Were, originally recorded by Barbara Streisand. Originally intended as a GTS recording, with a guest verse by Verbal, it was released on vinyl in 1998 and featured on a compilation project, titled The Intergalactic Collection, moving around 1000 units independently.

Following the decent success of their first official label recording, Verbal and Takahashi brought former school friend and budding musician Lisa a.k.a. Unika (Elizabeth Sakura Narita) in to collaborate on what would become their second single, Been So Long, officially changing their group name to M-Flo (or Mediarite Flow). Signing to Rhyhtm Zone, a sub-label of Avex Trax, the newly rechristened trio dropped The Tripod EP in 1999, landing at #7 on the Oricon charts (the Japanese equivalent of America’s Nielsen Soundscan charts). Been So Long was licensed by gaming giant Konami to be featured in the Beatmania IIDX 3rd Style video game, releasing their full length debut Planet Shining in 2000, hitting #6 on the Oricon chart.

Riding on the wave of acclaim and success of the singles How You Like Me Now? and Come Again (which sold 389,760 units, becoming one of the top 50 highest-selling singles in Japan for 2001), the group released album number two, Expo Expo, reaching #3 on the charts. Following the release of 2002’s Gran Sonik remix project, Lisa announced her departure from M-Flo to pursue a solo career. Finding a temporary new third member, Verbal and Takahashi recorded the singles Reeewind! and I Like It, with Zainichi R&B singer Crystal Kay. The two singles, which both reached the #10 spot were credited as ‘M-Flo loves Crystal K.’

Astromantic (2004) and Best Space Nine (2007), as the titles may suggest, found M-Flo heading in a more musically expansive direction, working with some of the top jazz, electronic and pop producers Japan has to offer. They have also released a total of 11 remix and compilation albums, including the highly popular M-Flo Inside series. Despite a considerable absence as a group, the members are adamant that they will return, possibly with Lisa back in the fold, for a new project in 2009.

The final lyrical piece of the Teriyaki Boyz puzzle, Wise (who raps in both Japanese and English) was born to a Japanese father and American mother, attending high school in the United States. Active on the Japanese scene since 1997, Wise’s first single Alive was released in 2006 and he made a major splash with the track Shine Like Star, with his debut solo project Children of the Sun following in 2007. In addition to his solo work and affiliation with the creative group Kazenohito, Wise has also recorded as one half of the duo Wise ‘N’ Sonpub, with beat-maker Sonpub, dropping the Dakid album in 2005.

The man that instantly comes up in the minds of many when they think of the Teriyaki Boyz, is Tomoaki Nagao, known in the music and clothing world simply as Nigo. Before everybody and their dog was sporting Nigo’s trademark BAPE clothing (or at the least a cheap knock-off of it), the business was operated out of what was essentially a hole in the wall, selling t-shirts, sneakers and the now-famous camouflage hoodies.

For someone that has amassed what could be considered an international empire with his A Bathing Ape clothing line and partnership with Pharrell Williams (which has produced both the Billionaire Boys Club clothing line and Ice Cream shoes), the MTV Asia Awards recipient speaks little to no English, requiring the aid of a translator to conduct foreign interviews. The enterprising DJ/producer, who is the subject of the MTV Japan series Nigoldeneye, has also launched the BAPE record label, which has acquired a U.S. distribution deal via The Neptunes’ Star Trak Entertainment.

Featuring an all-star international cast of collaborators, including Mark Ronson, Just Blaze, DJ Shadow and Dan the Automator, Beef or Chicken?, the first official project from Teriyaki Boyz (which began essentially as a super-group of successful solo performers joining forces), followed up from their water-testing efforts on the Tokyo Drift soundtrack, bubbling to the surface with unlimited potential. Despite peaking at #4 on the Oricon chart, a position it held for eight weeks straight, and distribution through Def Jam Records, Beef or Chicken? did not receive a wide international release, but created enough of a buzz and lived up to their initial potential.

Before listeners around the world could even finish looking at the menu for their order of Beef or Chicken?, the quartet dropped the wonderfully optimistic and fun-loving Hip Hop love letter, I Still Love H.E.R., produced by and featuring BAPE and Teriyaki supporter Kanye West. Thanks in equal part to Mr. West and their diligent hard work, the Teriyaki Boyz are looking to fully conquer the U.S. and global market with their second group album, Serious Japanese.

Originally made available in Japan on January 28, Serious Japanese is scheduled to drop on Star Trak Entertainment in March, and will also be simultaneously released in Europe and Asia. With Serious Japanese, the BAPE sporting rap crew will be the first Japanese hip hop act to get a major label American release, and will be only the third act from any genre of Japanese music, after J-Pop artists Kyu Sakamoto and Puffy.

The 14-track release features appearances from such major names as Kanye West, Chris Brown, Pharrell Williams, and Busta Rhymes.