TERIYAKI BOYZ

Teriyaki Boyz' foundation was like some kind of phenomenon. Each member made a name for himself long ago with Nigo being the founder of the popular fashion labels, A Bathing Ape and (B)APE SOUNDS while Verbal, was m-flo's rap genius and Ilmari and Ryo-Z were part of the urban group RIP SLYME. WISE worked as a solo MC and was also one half of WISE 'n' SONPUB.

Overseas, Japanese hip-hop hadn't gained much exposure until urban superstars like Pharrell Williams discovered and worked with the Teriyaki Boyz, providing them with a passport to international fame. Even European music programs aired their music videos, which is rather uncommon when it comes to Japanese acts.

Their debut album, BEEF or CHICKEN, was released in 2005 and Teriyaki Boyz were supported by Adrock (Beastie Boys), DJ Premier, Daft Punk, Neptunes and many more. The album reached #4 on the Oricon charts. In 2006, the live DVD, Official Delivery Icchou was released. However, their first step towards reaching a western audience was their resoundingly successful contribution to the movie "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift." Their song, Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious), became a sort of Japanese urban hymn for foreign fans. BEEF or CHICKEN was eventually released in Europe and the USA and their single, Heartbreaker, also hit stores in the UK.

2007 saw the group focusing on their career in Japan and they released their single, I still love H.E.R. (feat. Kanye West). On September 22nd they performed at the New York-Tokyo Music Festival in New York.

After working with urban superstar Kanye West in 2007, they continued with assistance from even more rap and hip-hop superstars in 2008. Their next single, ZOCK ON!, was a collaboration with Pharrell Williams and Busta Rhymes and Parrell even rapped in Japanese for the track. The single was released on March 19th and reached #16 on the Oricon charts.