Think global, hiphop local

Shinjuku / Shibuya / Shinagawa / Ueno.
The city is vast, frenetic, teeming, impossibly
packed with man and machine, a mad
technological maelstrom, a bewildering cacaphony
of signs, sights, sounds, faces, fury, incalculable
events per second, blazing intensity, and euphoric
sensory overload.
The sheer density of simultaneous information is
far in excess of what the mere human nervous
system was designed to process.
The city exists more than a few steps into the
future. The city is Tokyo.
The time is now. The sound is Saikotunes.
Everyone listening to these sounds and reading
these words knows what a big difference music
can make in people's lives. It explodes language
and cultural barriers, introduces new thought
processes, and in general opens people's hearts
and minds.
But music is not only an end unto itself - it's an
influential means of change, a venue on the road
to enlightenment. New music exposes disparate
people to all sorts of previously unknown emotions,
incites revolutionary action, and gives ideas, hope,
and inspiration to the voiceless.
This is how we do it.
We are now almost through the first decade of the
new millenium, heading straight into the unknown,
and at this point in time there can no longer any
shadow of a doubt that the collaboration between
Steve Hopkins and Meyou is on fire. We have
evolved a very modern and highly successful
trans-pacific method of creating music. I hook up
tracks and write songs with English lyrics here in
Los Angeles CA., USA at my very own
hiphopkins media studio hh, upload them to my
server, Meyou rolls out of bed in Tokyo a few hours
later, downloads the songs, and commences to get
crackin' writing Japanese lyrics & raps.
On a good month Meyou comes here to Cali for a
minute, and I record her vocals. On a bad month
she stays in in Tokyo and gets by with with
recording - sans producer - at whatever
studio is available.
Not always ideal, but this way we actually have
minimal face time together, which contributes
greatly to our continued peaceful coexistence while
minimizing painful jet-lag horrors.
And so it goes…….

May 2006
King Records has released the latest Meyou “maxi
singles” On 27 April 2006. First up is the all time
heaviest-hitting Meyou track, “Tenka Musou” -
a song written about the legendary fourteenth
century samurai Musashi - a genuine fourteenth
century badass. She has a couple of guest rappers
Den & Butcher, and the track is straight knockin’! The other side is “Sukidesu’ which was NOT produced by Steve
Hopkins but was instead produced by one of
Japan’s most successful platinum selling
producers, Imai, who has a solid grasp on the
“J-pop” sound.
It’s a nice mellow vibe and is a good contrast to
the raw power of “Tenka Musou”. Expectations are
high for this maxi single since it is the most
complete single offering yet from Meyou and King
Records. The videos should be in heavy rotation
MTV Japan throughout the rest of the year.
October 2004
Meyou performed on the prestigious Japanese
television show, "Pop Jam" on Friday
October 8th. For those of you non- Nihonjin,
this is HUGE! The show is one of the
biggest and most popular in Japan and is
known to be a career-maker.
She performed the hit Meyou/hiphopkins song
Hana and rocked the house to the rafters.
This is one of those shows where the audience votes
on the performers, and Meyou topped the list.
She was also interviewed extensively beforehand
about her career as a hiphop trendsetter,
and was treated as the queen bee diva that
she truly is. With much more to come no doubt…..
September 2004
The major label debut album of Meyou on King Records was September 1, 2004. The CD is in wide release throughout Japan. There are eleven tight tracks on the CD, the majority & hottest among them being original hiphopkins productions, recorded and produced right here in Los Angeles, CA. USA @ studio hh. http://www.hiphopkins.com/studio/ Radio is already playing the singles and MTV Japan will be airing the videos in heavy rotation throughout the fall and winter season.
March 2004
There have been in excess of 150,000 downloads of the ringtone for the hit Steve Hopkins / Meyou song Hana. This is an unprecedented record high for a new artist, and a new benchmark of success for the mobile communications media. And it also shows that the Japanese public REALLY knows what time it is! I wrote Hana (originally called "The Sweetest Thing" - in English) back in 2000 when cell phones barely had even the cheesiest, plinkity-plink monophonic ringtones, and now we're blowin' it wide open in 04 with the Hana ringtone downloads! So next time you are in downtown Tokyo - or Osaka - or really ANYWHERE in Japan for that matter, and you hear that unmistakeable Hana melody, know that the person picking up her cellie is one of the coolest!

February 2004
Things are really starting to jump off!
The release date for the first single "Hana" and the B-side, "I'm Your Sea" is February 4, 2004. The single will be available in thousands of stores all across Japan including Tower Records and the Virgin Megastore. The video for Hana is already in heavy rotation on MTV Japan - right alongside Britney, Christina, and Jay Z. http://www.mtvjapan.com/cgi-bin/playlist/playlist.cgi?day=tomorrow The video can also be seen 24/7 on the giant outdoor public screens in Shibuya.
King Records is sponsoring a MASSIVE blowout, off-the-ringer release party (open to the public) on Wednesday February 4 2004 @ Club Pink Noise starting at 22:00 and continuing until sunrise - or maybe later...
Pink Noise is located in Futagotamagawa. Phone number: 03.3707.9911 There will be live performances by Meyou, HI-D (Def Jam Japan), 2Backka from Sould Out, Joey Slick and the Joint One Crew, and a special appearance by DJ Hiyoco. You can hear and see a short clip of the songs at: www.meyouseum.com

Summer 2003
REMIXES!!!
Saikotunes Records now also has available on 12" vinyl, some extremely tight, extended club remixes of some of Meyou's greatest hits, done by some of the hottest young DJ's and remixers that Japan has to offer.
Side A
1. Hana Latin Remix by Dj Hiyoco
2. Neko Notorious HIP breakbeat science by hiphopkins
Side B
1. Aigan Remix by Trackmaster of Soul'd Out
2. Move It Remix by Hammer of 2Bakka

April, 2003
R & C Japan / Yoshimoto corp. has released the new Meyou CD Infinity, as an import through Saikotunes Records. The CD is now available in stores all throughout Japan including Tower Records, the Virgin Megastore, and Tsutaya.

Cool Stuff
The popular youth oriented TV show, "Ryuha-R" is using "Move It" for the closing theme song.
All the way live! Meyou is hosting a live radio show every Wednesday night from 8 to 9 for Wet Wednesdays with the Joint One crew on Tokyo's No 1 Music radio station, InterFM 76.1
http://www.interfm.co.jp/
She talks, sings, performs, and spins the hiphop hits of the world, interspersed with the greatest Meyou hits from the R & C / Saikotunes CD, "Infinity".

December 28, 2002
Appearing in concert with full stage show and hiphop dancers at the Shamisen concert Hall Akasaka/Tokyo/Japan

Tickets available at the door.

December 19, 2002
Appearing in concert with full stage show and hiphop dancers at the Shamisen concert Hall Akasaka/Tokyo/Japan
Tickets available at the door.
December 4, 2002
Saikotunes Records signs major label nationwide distribution deal with R& C Japan.

The initial release will be the new Meyou CD, "Infinity" which is scheduled for the middle of December, 2002. Discussions are underway to select the first single.
April 12, 2002
Appearing live at the B-girl Summit
Roppongi/Tokyo This is an invitation-only after party.
March 29, 2002
Meyou Performs Live at "TokyoNight2002" in the Hollywood Athletic Club's "Fireside Room."
6525 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
18+, 7:00pm - 3:00am. Tickets at door or
www.tokyonight2002.com
March 28, 2002
CD release party at "Michael's Room"
1745 North Vermont Avenue
Los Feliz Village. 6 - 8 p.m.
Hors doevres. Casual hip attire.