m-flo

Japanese hip-hop trio M-Flo (エムフロウ, Emu Furō, stylised as m-flo) formed in 1997 and initially comprised rapper Verbal, turntablist and producer Taku Takahashi, and vocalist Lisa. As a trio, they introduced their sound with a string of singles in 1999 before unleashing their debut full-length Planet Shining in 2000, which finished at number six on Japan's Oricon charts that year. They changed tack for the 2001 follow-up LP Expo Expo, favouring vocals and production over Verbal's rapping and reaching number three in Japan for their efforts. Lisa quit the group the following year and m-flo persevered as a duo, flying the J-urban flag with elements of house, R&B, and hip-hop fuelling the band's 2004 album Astromantic, which rocketed to number two in Japan and led them to win the Best Asia Hip Hop Artist gong at the Mnet Asian Music Awards that year. They achieved their personal best to date the following year with fourth studio album Beat Space Nine (2005), which reached the summit of the Oricon chart and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. Cosmicolor landed two years later but it would be five more years before their next album surfaced; 2012's Square One, which was sandwiched between the compilation LPs MF10: 10th Anniversary Best (2009) and Universe (2017). The group's ninth studio album, Kyo, followed in 2019 and reached number 34 in Japan. The "RUN AWAYS" single came in 2020.

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