Japanese hip-hop group m-flo will perform in Seoul Aug. 17-18.

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Japanese hip-hop duo m-flo will give fans a taste of its fresh brand of hip-hop with a concert-party at the Seoul Walkerhill Hotel on Aug. 17 and 18.

The ``m-flo loves Korea & We love m-flo'' concert is part of the group's 2007 Cosmicolor tour, which started in Japan last month. M-flo, composed of Japanese DJ Taku Takahashi and Japanese-Korean rapper Verbal, is one of the most popular and influential hip-hop groups in Japan.

The concert starts at 8 p.m., Aug. 17 at Kayagum Hall at the Seoul Walkerhill Hotel. Japanese R&B singers such as Emyli, Yoshika, Emi Hinouchi, Ryohei, and Lisa will perform during the concert.

From 10 p.m. until 3 a.m., the concert turns into a summer night party featuring Korean singers Whee Sung and Alex from Clazziquai. Whee Sung had already collaborated with m-flo on ``I'm Da 1,'' from the ``Beat Space Nine'' album, while Alex was featured in ``Love Me After 12am,'' from the ``Cosmicolor'' album.

M-flo is known for creating a unique style of hip-hop with Japanese pop music. Taku and Verbal met as students in an international school in Tokyo, but it was after a few years when they formed the group with vocalist Lisa.

In previous interviews, Verbal explained the group's name m-flo stands for ``mediarite-flo.'' Mediarite was a pun on meteorite, but since it was too long, they shortened it to m-flo.

M-flo has released five albums and 22 singles throughout their career. After Lisa left the group in 2002, m-flo started using different featured vocalists in their albums. Top J-pop stars such as Utada Hikaru, BoA, Crystal Kay and Chemistry have lent their vocals to m-flo's songs.

Verbal, who is ethnically Korean but born in Japan, is also a producer for his own record label Espionage Records. He is also known for his distinctive fashion style. Taku is also a popular producer and DJ and has his own label Tachytelic Records.

M-flo has worked with several Korean artists in the past such as hip-hop duo Jinusean and jazz electronica group Clazziquai.

Last March, m-flo released ``Cosmicolor'' featuring Amuro Namie, Koda Kumi, Monkey Majik, Doping Panda, Edison Chen and Clazziquai's Alex. It is the third and last of its ``m-flo loves'' albums, which feature a different artist singing in each song.

Aside from the concert-party in Seoul, m-flo will also have a special fan meeting on Aug. 18.
Concert tickets will be sold on www.interpark.com (1544-1555) starting July 19. Tickets are priced at 66,000 won. For information, call (02) 338-8313.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr