“A resolute and unmistakably business savvy CEO. Filled with optimism and faith in Singapore’s music arena, he leads the 1OR8FACTION artistes in embarking on a musical revolution” (Rachel Ooi Hype Magazine)
London, Dusseldorf, Tokyo, Singapore, Los Angeles – all of these cities have bred Monkey King to become what he is- A bilingual, Japanese rapper with aspirations to take ‘Asian Rap’ to the world stage.
Born in England, and moving around countries such as Germany, Japan, and Singapore has given Monkey King a musical style that epitomizes the ‘hybrid’ Asian: Mix-Cultured, Ambitious, and Street Smart. Whether rapping about reincarnation, throwing up Japanese sake, or breaking away from his troubled past, the Monkey King’s focus seems to be keeping his music honest and motivational.
Recording mix-tapes at home and selling them in the streets of London and Tokyo, the Monkey King has performed regularly at clubs around Shinjuku, Shibuya, Roppongi, and Yokohama. His bilingual rap group ‘Sky-Fu’ released a series of 5 street mix-tapes, headlining the HMV Rap Compilation CD, and finalists in the Sony International Artist Search auditions in 2005.
With ambitions to branch out to the rest of Asia, Monkey King relocated to Singapore, where he founded the independent record label ’1 OR 8 FACTION’; consisting of Singaporean DJ’s and rappers from Japan and Korea. His radio charting single ‘We Gonna Get There’ and HMV distributed album ‘The Day Before The Decade’ has elevated his career from an independent rapper to a renowned lyricist and performing artist.
Monkey King has performed at renowned festivals such as Singapore’s Mosaic Music Festival, the first Asian Hip-Hop fest at the Impact Arena Bangkok (headliner Nas, Zeebra, Thaitanium) and for brands such as Audi, Lacoste, Maybelline at fashion shows, launch parties, and nightlife venues across South-East Asia. With a strong club-going fan-following; the Monkey King has appeared on publications such as the New Paper, Straits Times, RazortTV, FHM, Juice, Cleo, MensFolio, and IS Magazine to name a few.
