Teriyaki Boyz are one of Japan's most famous hip-hop outfits. They were the first Japanese group to be signed by Def Jam Recordings, a hip-hop label run by Jay-Z. Teriyaki Boyz's debut release, Beef or Chicken, is a good album with catchy rhymes, and beats that flow smoothly. But there isn't enough zing to make it a hip-hop classic. The group is led by DJ Nigo, a trendsetter in Japan who created the hip street fashion label A Bathing Ape - aka Bape. DJ Nigo teamed up with four popular hip-hop MCs - including Ilmari and Ryo-Z from Rip Slyme - to form Teriyaki Boyz in 2004. Although the quintet is from Japan, the album was produced by some of the most sought-after international producers, including Adrock from Beastie Boys, DJ Shadow, Grammy winners The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) and French electronica outfit Daft Punk. The album fuses futuristic hip-hop sounds (Adrock's Eat INtro and Take OUTro) and old-school beats (School of Rock), resulting in rhythms that are infectious. There's also a 1980s influence, found in Moon the World. The lyrics are mostly in Japanese, with some intermittent English. The album has well-crafted tracks and high-quality recordings, but with its stellar lineup and generous budget, you can't help but expect more.
