Bio
Verbal debuted in 1999 as a member of the multi-platinum Japanese Hip Hop/ R&B group m-flo. In 2003, Verbal and his band-mate Taku reinvented m-flo as a producer-duo group, where they featured different artists on each song, and coined the phrase "loves™" to replace the term "featuring". The new "m-flo loves™..." project made noise on the Japanese charts, and m-flo was back on the scene once again. The albums "Astromantic", "Beat Space Nine", and "Cosmicolor" were all in the Top 10 ("Beat Space Nine" charted #1), an unprecedented phenomenon in Japan for a "producer-unit".
Alongside m-flo, Verbal formed the group Teriyaki Boyz, a Japanese all-star Hip Hop group, with the fashion brand "A Bathing Ape" producer Nigo(r). Their 2005 debut album "Beef or Chicken" was produced by Daft Punk, The Neptunes, etc., and placed 4th on the national charts. Following the album, they were featured on the soundtrack of the film "Tokyo Drift", and released 2 singles thereafter. Their second album "Serious
Japanese" will be released worldwide in early 2009.
Besides music, Verbal's passion for jewelry led him to create his own brand Antonio Murphy & Astro™ in 2004. Originally intending to make jewelry for himself and friends, the word quickly spread, and eventually celebrity clients such as his friend Kanye West contacted him for special pieces. In 2008, he launched his second line Abush™, creating a buzz around the world.
Alongside m-flo, Verbal formed the group Teriyaki Boyz, a Japanese all-star Hip Hop group, with the fashion brand "A Bathing Ape" producer Nigo(r). Their 2005 debut album "Beef or Chicken" was produced by Daft Punk, The Neptunes, etc., and placed 4th on the national charts. Following the album, they were featured on the soundtrack of the film "Tokyo Drift", and released 2 singles thereafter. Their second album "Serious
Japanese" will be released worldwide in early 2009.
Besides music, Verbal's passion for jewelry led him to create his own brand Antonio Murphy & Astro™ in 2004. Originally intending to make jewelry for himself and friends, the word quickly spread, and eventually celebrity clients such as his friend Kanye West contacted him for special pieces. In 2008, he launched his second line Abush™, creating a buzz around the world.
