m-flo

With their combination of hip-hop and club music and an assured pop sensibility, M-flo have clocked up considerable sales in Japan since debuting in 1999. If there's a formula to their music, it's one that goes beyond the narrow R&B/hip-hop template of their compatriots, taking in a variety of influences that include jazz, soul, 2-step, and drum'n'bass. It also helps that the catchy, singalong rhymes and fashion sense of M-flo rapper Verbal mark him out as one of the more credible talents in Japanese hip-hop. M-flo were originally a trio, made up of Verbal, turntablist/producer Taku, and vocalist Lisa. In recent years, M-flo have broadened their reach by collaborating with many of the biggest names in Japanese pop and R&B, such as Maki Nomiya from Pizzicato Five, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Boa, and Crystal Kay.