Biography
Nigo first rose to prominence for designing streetwear that powered globally recognized labels including BAPE and Billionaire Boys Club, although he has also worked extensively as a DJ, hip-hop producer, and label head. Ape Sounds, his opening full-length, fused trip-hop, dub, indie rock, and mellow psychedelic pop before Mo Wax issued it worldwide in 2000. He subsequently assembled the Japanese hip-hop supergroup Teriyaki Boyz, whose recordings featured joint tracks with the Neptunes, Kanye West, Daft Punk, Busta Rhymes, and further contributors. Returning to music in the early 2020s, he delivered singles alongside A$AP Rocky, Kid Cudi, and Pusha T that paved the way for his long-awaited follow-up album, 2022’s I Know Nigo.
Mentorship came from Hiroshi Fujiwara, the acknowledged founder of Japanese street fashion who had helped establish hip-hop within the country throughout the 1980s. During university the pair performed together in the punk cover band Tokyo Sex Pistols with fellow future designers Jun Takahashi and Hikaru Iwanaga. Nigo established BAPE, also known as A Bathing Ape, in 1993, drawing its name and imagery from the film Planet of the Apes. He began hosting celebratory parties that attracted Japanese creators such as Cornelius together with international figures including James Lavelle, an early champion of the brand. Their joint 1997 project A Bathing Ape vs Mo Wax appeared solely in Japan. Lavelle’s U.N.K.L.E. and Nigo next issued the 1998 single “Ape Shall Never Kill Ape” featuring Scratch Perverts, after which Ape Sounds reached Japanese stores in 1999 and arrived internationally the following year. Guests on the album encompassed Ben Lee, Money Mark, Shawn Lee, and Cornelius. Additional standalone singles later surfaced, among them pairings with Rakim and Flavor Flav. Remix material and further tracks were gathered on Ape Sounds Remix and the Shadow of the Ape Sounds series, while Nigo also compiled the Japanese hip-hop collections (B)APE Sounds and Return of the Ape Sounds.
In 2003 Nigo launched the streetwear label Billionaire Boys Club together with Pharrell Williams. Shortly afterward he formed the rap collective Teriyaki Boyz with Rip Slyme’s Ilmari and Ryo-Z, M-Flo’s Verbal, and Wise. Their 2005 debut Beef or Chicken contained productions by the Beastie Boys’ Ad-Rock, DJ Premier, Daft Punk, DJ Shadow, and additional beatmakers. Nigo created the MTV Japan program Nigoldeneye, which debuted in 2006. The group supplied the theme for that year’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and later released singles with Kanye West, Pharrell, Busta Rhymes, and Chris Brown; those tracks appeared on 2009’s Serious Japanese, which also included Big Sean and Towa Tei.
Throughout the 2010s Nigo focused chiefly on fashion, founding Human Made in 2010, departing BAPE in 2013, and assuming a creative director role at Uniqlo in 2014. He managed and produced the girl group Billie Idle, assembled in 2015, which issued five studio albums before disbanding in 2019. After completing a capsule collection for Louis Vuitton and taking the artistic director post at Kenzo in the early 2020s, he issued his first new music in over a decade. The 2022 singles “Arya” with A$AP Rocky, “Want It Bad” with Kid Cudi, and “Hear Me Clearly” with Pusha T preceded the album I Know Nigo, which added appearances from Lil Uzi Vert and Tyler, the Creator.
Mentorship came from Hiroshi Fujiwara, the acknowledged founder of Japanese street fashion who had helped establish hip-hop within the country throughout the 1980s. During university the pair performed together in the punk cover band Tokyo Sex Pistols with fellow future designers Jun Takahashi and Hikaru Iwanaga. Nigo established BAPE, also known as A Bathing Ape, in 1993, drawing its name and imagery from the film Planet of the Apes. He began hosting celebratory parties that attracted Japanese creators such as Cornelius together with international figures including James Lavelle, an early champion of the brand. Their joint 1997 project A Bathing Ape vs Mo Wax appeared solely in Japan. Lavelle’s U.N.K.L.E. and Nigo next issued the 1998 single “Ape Shall Never Kill Ape” featuring Scratch Perverts, after which Ape Sounds reached Japanese stores in 1999 and arrived internationally the following year. Guests on the album encompassed Ben Lee, Money Mark, Shawn Lee, and Cornelius. Additional standalone singles later surfaced, among them pairings with Rakim and Flavor Flav. Remix material and further tracks were gathered on Ape Sounds Remix and the Shadow of the Ape Sounds series, while Nigo also compiled the Japanese hip-hop collections (B)APE Sounds and Return of the Ape Sounds.
In 2003 Nigo launched the streetwear label Billionaire Boys Club together with Pharrell Williams. Shortly afterward he formed the rap collective Teriyaki Boyz with Rip Slyme’s Ilmari and Ryo-Z, M-Flo’s Verbal, and Wise. Their 2005 debut Beef or Chicken contained productions by the Beastie Boys’ Ad-Rock, DJ Premier, Daft Punk, DJ Shadow, and additional beatmakers. Nigo created the MTV Japan program Nigoldeneye, which debuted in 2006. The group supplied the theme for that year’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and later released singles with Kanye West, Pharrell, Busta Rhymes, and Chris Brown; those tracks appeared on 2009’s Serious Japanese, which also included Big Sean and Towa Tei.
Throughout the 2010s Nigo focused chiefly on fashion, founding Human Made in 2010, departing BAPE in 2013, and assuming a creative director role at Uniqlo in 2014. He managed and produced the girl group Billie Idle, assembled in 2015, which issued five studio albums before disbanding in 2019. After completing a capsule collection for Louis Vuitton and taking the artistic director post at Kenzo in the early 2020s, he issued his first new music in over a decade. The 2022 singles “Arya” with A$AP Rocky, “Want It Bad” with Kid Cudi, and “Hear Me Clearly” with Pusha T preceded the album I Know Nigo, which added appearances from Lil Uzi Vert and Tyler, the Creator.
Albums
Singles
