"E"qual

Born in Nagoya in 1978. When he was a junior high school student, he co-founded rap group with his friends and started his music career. With DJ HAZU’s support, he made the first stage at local club. After graduating junior high school, he was introduced TOKONA-X by his senior associate and co-founded MASTERS OF SKILLZ with him in 1996. He joined “FOR DA BAD BOYS & LADIES”which is from ILLMARIACHI (formed by DJ HAZU and TOKONA-X )’s first album 『THA MASTA BLASTA』 as the first official recording in 1997. Then in 1999, he released self produced single, “M.O.S.” as MASTERS OF　SKILLZ. Through these careers, his name, "E"qual was gradually known all over Japan. MASTERS OF SKILLZ changed its name to M.O.S.A.D. and showed their real value. After impressive performance for Gaki ranger and OZROSAURUS in 2001, he released the first album 『THE GREAT SENSATION』 in 2002. "E"qual showed his leadership in this album, producing12tracks out of 16 tracks. In 2003, he joined CEYREN’s“GET IT STARTED”from compilation album『HARLEM ver. 2.0』and made contract with HARLEM RECORDINGS. In 2004, he released solo-debut-album,『Get Big "The Ballers"』which was produced with his fellow in Nagoya. This self-produced album and his partner, TOKONA-X’s 『TOKAI×TEIO』which was released around the same opened new hip hop era in Japan. Recovered from pain of TOKONA-X’s death, he shifted to major field, by releasing EP『GODATSU GAME』in 2005. His albums 『The Rock City〜M.O.S.A.D.'s Town〜』and 『7 Days』will show you that his original and sophisticated style of expressing street’s thrill are in progress. One of major hip hop magazines in Japan, BLAST awarded this album as best Japanese hip hop album in 2006. Later in 2006, he released album called "7 Days" which focuses on using only one microphone and stick to simple and bouncy track making. Only after 6 months later, he released album called "THE SPECIAL BALL" under name of BALLERS for the first time,keep working actively.


1978年生まれ、名古屋出身。中学生のこ゠ã«ä»²é–“ãŸã¡ã¨ãƒ©ãƒƒãƒ—ãƒ»ã‚°ãƒ«ãƒ¼ãƒ—ã‚’çµæˆã—ã¦éŸ ³æ¥½æ´»å‹•ã‚’開始。DJ HAZUのサポートを得て地元のクラブのステー゠¸ã«ç«‹ã¤ã‚ˆã†ã«ãªã‚‹ã€‚ä¸­å­¦å’æ¥­å¾Œã«ã¯å…ˆè¼©ã®ç´ ¹ä»‹ã§TOKONA-Xと運命的な出会いを果たし、1996å¹ ´ã«ã¯å½¼ã¨å…±ã«MASTERS OF SKILLZを結成。1997年にDJ HAZUとTOKONA-XからなるILLMARIACHIのファースト・㠂¢ãƒ«ãƒãƒ ã€ŽTHA MASTA BLASTA』収録の“FOR DA BAD BOYS & LADIES”において事実上初めてのレコーディン グを経験すると、1999年にはMASTERS OF　SKILLZとして自主制作シングル“M.O.S.â€ã‚’ç ™ºè¡¨ã€‚これらの作品を契機とし て"E"qualの名前と実力は日本中へと浸透してだ„く。その後、MASTERS OF SKILLZはM.O.S.A.D.とグループ名を改めて徐々にだã®çœŸä¾¡ã‚’発揮。2001年に餓鬼レンジャーやOZRO SAURUSらの作品で印象的なパフォーマンスを披 露すると、2002年には待望のファースト・アム«ãƒãƒ ã€ŽTHE GREAT SENSATION』を発表。"E"qualは全16曲中12曲でプロ㠃‡ãƒ¥ãƒ¼ã‚¹ã‚’担当するなど事実上のリーダーと㠁—てグループを牽引していく役割を果たした㠀‚2003年になるとコンピレーション『HARLEM ver. 2.0』収録のCEYREN“GET IT STARTED”への参加を経てHARLEM RECORDINGSとソロ契約を交わし、2004å¹´ã«ã¯åå¤å ±‹ã®åŒèƒžï¼BALLERSと作り上げたソロ・デビュー ・アルバム『Get Big "The Ballers"』をリリース。全面セルフ・プロデュ㠃¼ã‚¹ã«ã‚ˆã‚‹åŒä½œã¯ã€ã»ã¼æ™‚期を同じくして世㠁«æ”¾ãŸã‚ŒãŸç›Ÿå‹TOKONA-Xの『トウカイ×テイオー 』と共に日本ヒップホップ新時代の幕開けを 高らかに告げることになった。そのTOKONA-Xã®æ ­»ã‚’乗り越え、2005年に入ってからはEP『ごう㠁 ã¤ã‚²ãƒ¼ãƒ ã€ã‚’引っ提げて活動の場をメジャ㠃¼ã¸ã¨ç§»è¡Œã€‚ストリートのスリルを洗練され㠁Ÿå½¢ã§ä¼ãˆã‚‹ç‹¬è‡ªã®ã‚¹ã‚¿ã‚¤ãƒ«ã¯ã€ŽThe Rock City〜M.O.S.A.D.'s Town〜』で更に進化。「BLAST AWARD 2006」誌では年間ベストジャパニーズヒップム›ãƒƒãƒ—アルバム1ä½ã«é¸ã°ã‚Œã‚‹ãªã©é«˜ã„è©•ä¾¡ã‚’å ¾—た。後の2006年には、スキルを重視した1本ムžã‚¤ã‚¯ã¨ã‚·ãƒ³ãƒ—ãƒ«ã‹ã¤ãƒã‚¦ãƒ³ã‚·ãƒ¼ãªãƒˆãƒ©ãƒƒã‚¯åˆ ¶ä½œã«ã“だわったアルバム『7 Days』を発表。わずか半年後には、初のBALLERSå ç¾©ã§ã®ä¸‰éƒ¨ä½œã‚¢ãƒ«ãƒãƒ ã€ŽTHE SPECIAL BALLã€ã‚’ãƒªãƒªãƒ¼ã‚¹ã™ã‚‹ãªã©ã¨æ„æ¬²çš„ã«æ´»å‹•ã‚’é€ ²ã‚ã¦ã„る。