Norikiyo

NORIKIYO

Given name :

Date of birth: December 12, 1979

Label: Yukichi Records

About BAD HOP

Norikiyo, a rapper from Sagamihara, began his music career in 1999 with the rap group SD JUNKSTA, founded with Bron K and TKC. At that time, he used the name K-NERO as a producer and had already released three albums on CD. However, it was not until 2005 that NORIKIYO became one of the most prominent rappers in the Japanese underground scene thanks to his participation in the compilation CONCRETE GREEN in collaboration with Seeda and DJ ISSO.

The success of this collaboration led NORIKIYO to release his first solo album, EXIT, in 2007. The album was highly anticipated by critics and fans, with the participation of several names from the Japanese underground rap scene. It was ranked third in THE SOURCE magazine for the best Japanese rap of 2007 and won the title of best album of the year with EXIT. In 2008, NORIKIYO released two other projects, a compilation called DJ ISSO PRESENTS RE ROLLED UP 28 BLUNTS and his second album OUTLETS BLUES, entirely produced by Bachlogic. After that, he made many guest appearances but never released any work under his name.

However, NORIKIYO continued to gain notoriety with his engaged lyrics that describe his life and experiences as a Japanese person. In 2014, he released his sixth album with his group, which received unanimous critical acclaim and sparked constant requests for a film. Still active, NORIKIYO has released more than five projects between 2015 and 2019, including Heisei Express. This album propelled him among the most listened-to rappers and is considered one of the references of Japanese rap. He also collaborated with rapper Aklo to release another New Drug project in the same year.

Despite all his achievements, Norikiyo has never lost sight of his underground roots and is an influential artist in the Japanese rap scene. His music is a testament to his life experiences and convictions, allowing his fans to connect with him deeply and authentically.