NITRO MICROPHONE UNDERGROUND
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STRAIGHT FROM UNDERGROUND
STILL SHINE
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One may say that Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-Tokyo is a sacred ground for hip-hop music. And it was here in Udagawa-cho, where the 8 MCs, BIGZAM, DABO, DELI, GORE-TEX, MACKA-CHIN, SUIKEN, S-WORD and XBS inevitably met, through various activities & stage performances. Although the prototype of Nitro Microphone Underground (N.M.U.) had already started to form its shape slowly around 1996; it was through active participation on stage with other artist like Muro and Kaminari, and/or the production of analogue sources which they had started around this time, that the Unique 8 MC style really gave birth to the true Nitro Microphone Underground.
In 1999, when N.M.U. released their first album, which was titled [Nitro Microphone Underground], from the Indies label, 20,000 limited copies were sold out immediately. In result, the same album was re-packaged and re-released from the major record label, Def Jam Japan / Universal music in the following year. The album remained on [Original Confidence] chart for 20 straight weeks, and sold 150,000 copies. Naturally, N.M.U...s first ..monster album.. with its overwhelming force and aggressive pursuit for the rap-game fascinated the streets of Japan.
In the mean time, as they toured around the country and performed at 20 different places and events like [Fuji Rock Festival, 2000], that same year, the entire band of N.M.U. MC..s gradually became known to the public. ..This year, the hip-hop periodical [Blast] awarded [the best album of the year] and [the best group of the year] to N.M.U., and out side Japan, U.S. major hip-hop magazine [Source] remarked N.M.U...s activities in its magazine, as well.
In 2001, their activities even grew outside the music industry. Three members of N.M.U., Gore-Tex, S-Word and XBS as co-directors set up the street apparel brand ..nitrow (now a.k.a. nit raid)... The active involvement and contribution to the street culture by N.M.U. had made new waves in Japan..s hip-hop counterculture, the fashion industry, and naturally, these initiations made by N.M.U. were supported not only by the hip-hop listeners and fashion gurus, but also by many artists, listeners and consumers over various different music genre and industries.
In 2002, after individual activities and solo performances, the 8 MCs finally founded their own record label [Nitrich], and released their limited single, [Nitric / Spark ad L] in 2003. With absolutely no promotional activities, the single sold 30,000 limited copies in a blink. The remarkable rapid progress by N.M.U., which definitely disregarded the standard procedure of the industry, astonished not only their fans but also Japan..s whole music industry.
On New Year..s Day, 2004, N.M.U. released EP [Uprising] from Columbia Music Entertainment through acehigh records. In August same year, released [Straight From Underground] marked 4th in [Original Confidence] chart. N.M.U. showed their unbeatable status and height of their perfection. In the following year, 2005, N.M.U. released their first official film work [Nitro Reflections], and sold 25,000 copies. This is an exceptional number for a music video sale. This year, finally all the 8 MCs of N.M.U. made solo-debuts from major music labels.
The story that broke out from ..hard to earn.. Tokyo back streets has just dashed into the major scene, on its way to conquer the whole industry, yes, ..straight from the underground..!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fdrOhWeOKc
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