Biography
Backed by endorsements from Kanye West and Pharrell, the Japanese rap collective Teriyaki Boyz set out to bring their country's hip-hop culture to international audiences throughout the 2000s. Their star-studded first album, Beef or Chicken, appeared on Def Jam in 2005, while the track "Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious)" from the 2006 film of the same name brought them broader notice. Following the 2009 Delicious Japanese mixtape and their second album Serious Japanese, the group stayed silent for more than ten years before resurfacing on member Nigo's 2022 release I Know NIGO!.
Japanese trendsetter, entrepreneur, DJ, and producer Nigo (Tomoaki Nagao) of A Bathing Ape brought the crew together, uniting MCs Ilmari (Keisuke Ogihara) and Ryo-Z (Ryouji Narita) of Rip Slyme, Verbal from the hip-hop/club duo m-flo, and solo artist Wise (Kameyama Seiji). Nigo first introduced Teriyaki Boyz on his 2004 compilation Nigo Presents: (B)Ape Sounds, where the DJ Shadow-produced "Kamikaze 108" appeared. For the debut album he recruited an all-star roster of producers drawn from both the American underground and mainstream, among them Just Blaze, Cut Chemist, the Neptunes, DJ Premier, and Dan the Automator.
After signing with Def Jam, Beef or Chicken reached Japan in 2005, led by the Daft Punk-produced "Heartbreaker." The act answered questions about their longevity by placing two songs on the soundtrack to the 2006 movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and releasing the Kanye West-produced single "I Still Love H.E.R." the next year. That track featured on the 2009 follow-up Serious Japanese, which drew contributions from Towa Tei, Jermaine Dupri, Big Sean, Cornelius, Mark Ronson, Ad-Rock, and others.
Although the project lay dormant for over a decade, the members stayed active in their main endeavors: Rip Slyme put out three albums during the 2010s before splitting in 2018, m-flo issued four full-length projects, Wise continued as a solo performer, and Nigo pursued his fashion career through A Bathing Ape and Kenzo. Nigo's 2022 album I Know NIGO! reached the Top 15 on the Billboard 200 and contained the unexpected Teriyaki Boyz reunion cut "Morë Tonight."
Japanese trendsetter, entrepreneur, DJ, and producer Nigo (Tomoaki Nagao) of A Bathing Ape brought the crew together, uniting MCs Ilmari (Keisuke Ogihara) and Ryo-Z (Ryouji Narita) of Rip Slyme, Verbal from the hip-hop/club duo m-flo, and solo artist Wise (Kameyama Seiji). Nigo first introduced Teriyaki Boyz on his 2004 compilation Nigo Presents: (B)Ape Sounds, where the DJ Shadow-produced "Kamikaze 108" appeared. For the debut album he recruited an all-star roster of producers drawn from both the American underground and mainstream, among them Just Blaze, Cut Chemist, the Neptunes, DJ Premier, and Dan the Automator.
After signing with Def Jam, Beef or Chicken reached Japan in 2005, led by the Daft Punk-produced "Heartbreaker." The act answered questions about their longevity by placing two songs on the soundtrack to the 2006 movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and releasing the Kanye West-produced single "I Still Love H.E.R." the next year. That track featured on the 2009 follow-up Serious Japanese, which drew contributions from Towa Tei, Jermaine Dupri, Big Sean, Cornelius, Mark Ronson, Ad-Rock, and others.
Although the project lay dormant for over a decade, the members stayed active in their main endeavors: Rip Slyme put out three albums during the 2010s before splitting in 2018, m-flo issued four full-length projects, Wise continued as a solo performer, and Nigo pursued his fashion career through A Bathing Ape and Kenzo. Nigo's 2022 album I Know NIGO! reached the Top 15 on the Billboard 200 and contained the unexpected Teriyaki Boyz reunion cut "Morë Tonight."