Miss Monday

Miss Monday ranks among Japan's foremost hip-hop figures, delivering rap alongside vocals in a style that fuses elements of rap, R&B, and reggae. Born in 1976, she launched her recording career in 2000 by joining the independent I.D. Records and releasing two singles that received favorable notices without strong sales. Those recordings nevertheless drew interest from the Japanese division of Epic Records, resulting in a contract; her initial single for the label, "Monday Freak," reached the charts and boosted her visibility. Several additional charting singles preceded the arrival of her debut album, Free Ya, in 2002. A more refined musical direction shaped her following projects, Natural in 2003 and Miss Rainbow in 2005. Following her departure from Epic after the 2007 hits collection Footstamp, Vol. 1, she aligned with For Life Records and released her fourth album, Kiss the Sky, later that year. Love and the Light appeared in 2009.