Wikipedia

Nigo

Nigö(ニゴー,Nigō,bornTomoaki Nagao( đuôi dài trí minh ) on December 23, 1970)is aJapanesefashion designer,disc jockey(DJ),record producerandentrepreneur.He is best known as the creator of the streetwear brand,A Bathing Ape(Bape), and currently serves as artistic director forKenzo.[2][3]Additionally he is a member of the Japanese groupTeriyaki Boyz,serving as their official in-house DJ since the group's 2005 debut.

Nigo
ニゴー
Nigo, 2006
Nigo, 2006
Background information
Also known as
  • Nigo®
  • Tomoaki Nagao
Born(1970-12-23)December 23, 1970(age 53)
OriginMaebashi,Japan
Occupations
Years active1993–present
Labels
Member of
Formerly ofTokyo Sex Pistols
Websitehumanmade.jp

Fashion background

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Nigo's venture into fashion started when he founded A Bathing Ape in 1993.[4]Hiroshi Fujiwarais considered his mentor.[4]He initially sold a few Bape Hoodies and T-shirts and camouflage print hoodies in a small store, items which became very popular among teenagers. In 2002, Nigo released the Bapesta sneaker,[5]which according to BBC presenterJonathan Ross,later became the "epitome of collectable footwear".[6]The sneaker resembles Nike'sAir Force 1design,[7]but instead of the swoosh on the side, it has Nigo's Bapesta logo, a star with a lightning bolt extending out of it. In the cover news of the April issue of the trend magazineWWDfor Japan, Bape's Boss Nigo (formerly known as Tomoaki Nagao) announced that he is about to leave and he will be leaving with Takahashi UC (Undercover) designer Jun Takahashi. Nowhere, established on April 1, 1993, no longer serves as the designer of Bape. In 2003, Nigo partnered withPharrell Williamsto create and launch the streetwear brandsBillionaire Boys Club[8]andIce Creamfootwear. Nigo himself also established his personal new company Nigold on April 4, 2009.[9]In 2010, he launched his new brand Human Made. In 2013, Nigo left Bape for good.[4]In 2014, Nigo became the creative director forUniqlo's UT brand.[2][10]In 2020, Nigo partnered with Luxury brandLouis VuittonalongsideVirgil Ablohto create a capsule collection.[11]In September 2021,Kenzoappointed Nigo as its new artistic director. In July 2023, Australian winery Penfolds appointed Nigo as its Creative Partner of two years.

Musical and entertainment background

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Nigo's first involvement with music was playing inpunkcover bandTokyo Sex Pistolswhile at university, alongside fellow fashion figures Hiroshi Fujiwara,Jun Takahashiand Hikaru Iwanaga.[4]Nigo collaborated withJames Lavelle,creating a compilation calledA Bathing Ape vs Mo Wax,which was released in Japan in 1997.[4]He would go on to join forces with Lavelle's project,U.N.K.L.E.,andScratch Perverts,to release the singleApe Shall Never Kill Ape,in 1998.[4]The following year saw the Japanese release of Nigo's debut album,Ape Sounds,on which he showcased a blend oftrip-hop,dub,indie rock,andpsychedelic pop.[4]The album featured contributions fromBen Lee,Money Mark,Shawn LeeandCornelius.[4]It was released internationally byMo Waxin 2000.[4]Nigo subsequently released a number of non-album singles, which included collaborations withRakimandFlavor Flav,as well as compilationsApe Sounds Remix,(B)APE Sounds,andReturn of the Ape Sounds.[4]

Soon after the establishment of Billionaire Boys Club, Nigo formedrapgroupTeriyaki BoyzalongsideIlmari,Ryo-Z,Verbal,andWise.[4]The group released the albumsBeef or Chickenin 2005 andSerious Japanesein 2009, respectively.

Nigo has been associated with popular rap and hip hop artists such asKanye WestandPharrell Williams.He is the DJ of Teriyaki Boyz and is also owner of Bape Sounds record label.[12]He also has anMTV Japanshow which he created calledNigoldeneye.[13]

Together withBiSmanager Watanabe Junnosuke, Nigo was the producer and manager for the female pop groupBillie Idle.[14]His involvement with the group began in 2014, when he directed a music video for BiS' song "Nerve",[15]and after the group disbanded, Nigo and Watanabe offered BiS members First Summer Uika and Hirano Nozomi the chance to join their new project, Billie Idle. The group debuted in 2014 with the album "Idle Gossip", for which Nigo is the executive producer.[16]Billie Idle would go on to release a further four albums before disbanding in 2019.[4]

On April 15, 2016, the Japanese companyLDHannounced that a new Hip-Hop unit namedHONEST BOYZ®would be produced as a joint project of Nigo andEXILEandTam đại mục J SOUL BROTHERSmemberNAOTOsince they had been long term friends and often worked on designing clothes together. The group would be composed of 4 rappers: NAOTO, who was also the assigned leader,M-flomember VERBAL,EXILEandGENERATIONSmember Sekiguchi Mandy and Gekidan EXILE andDOBERMAN INFINITYmemberSWAY.Nigo would act as the producer and DJ of the unit. The group's name is a homage to "TERIYAKI BOYZ" that Nigo and VERBAL were part together. On June 25, the unit debuted with the digital single "PART TIME HERO". The song was used as the opening theme song for the drama Night Hero NAOTO, which stars member NAOTO. On November 7, 2017, they released their second digital single "YO!". On February 5, 2018, the unit released their third digital single "HeartBreakerZ" featuring CRAZYBOY. On June 6, they released their fourth digital single "BEPPING SOUND" featuringHIROOMI TOSAKA.In November of the same year, the unit released a music video for the unreleased song "TOKYO DIP" featuring American artist Pharrell Williams on their official YouTube channel. The collaboration came to be due to the friendship between Nigo and Pharrell, with Pharrell producing the song and participating on vocals. The music video, directed by Nigo, was shot in Shibuya and Nakameguro, and also features cameo appearances by Sano Reo and Iwata Takanori. On March 6, 2019, they released their first CD single "SAKURA" featuring the duo KOBUKURO. The single's title track is a reconstruction of KOBUKURO's hit song "Sakura" with a hip-hop approach. In 2019, the unit provided the unreleased song "ELECTRICITY" featuring American Hip-Hop artist Lil Uzi Vert as the ending theme of the movieDetective Pikachu.On March 20, 2024, the unit released their first studio album HBZ digitally. Prior to the release, the lead song "TOY BOY" featuringDean Fujokawas pre-released digitally on February 28.

On January 28, 2022, Nigo andASAP Rockyreleased the song "Arya", serving as the lead single for Nigo's album,I Know Nigo!,released viaVictor Victor WorldwideandRepublic Recordson March 25, 2022. It marks Nigo's first solo album since 2005'sNigo Presents: Return of the Ape Sounds.[17]I Know Nigo!was co-executive produced by Nigo alongside Pharrell Williams. Williams and Nigo had first collaborated nearly two decades earlier, whenthe Neptunescontributed production toBeef or Chicken.The album's second single, titled "Want It Bad", was released in collaboration with American musicianKid Cudi.The album includes guest appearances fromTyler, the Creator,Clipse,Gunna,Teriyaki Boyz,ASAP Ferg,Pusha T,Lil Uzi Vert,and the latePop Smoke.

Art collector

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Nigo met artistKawsin 1996 and became an early supporter of his work. In 2005, he commissioned him a painting and Kaws painted the Kaws Album.[18]The painting was sold in 2019 for $14.8 million at Sotheby's in Hong Kong among other artworks. The total of the sales of his art collection was $28 million.[19][20]

He also worked withFutura,Stash,Hajime Sorayama,and André Saraiva.[21]

Miscellaneous

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  • Nigo speaks little or no English and uses a translator whenever he does interviews.[22]
  • Nigo has a cameo appearance in theTakashi Murakamishort filmAkihabara Majokko Princessshown at the "Pop Life" exhibition atTate Modernin London.

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title Details Peak chart positions
AUS
[23] 		BEL
(FL)
[24] 		CAN
[25] 		NZ
[26] 		US
[27] 		US
R&B/HH
[28]
Ape Sounds — — — — — —
I Know Nigo! 89 170 21 29 13 6

Singles

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As lead artist

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List of singles with chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
NZ
Hot
[29] 		US
Bub.
[30]
"Arya"
(withASAP Rocky) 		2022 8 — I Know Nigo!
"Want It Bad"
(withKid Cudi) 		20 —
"Hear Me Clearly"
(withPusha T) 		— —
"More Tonight"
(withTeriyaki Boyz) 		— —
"Heavy"
(withLil Uzi Vert) 		23 14
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other charted songs

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List of charted songs, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
CAN
[31] 		NZ
Hot
[32] 		US
Bub.
[33] 		US
R&B/HH
[34]
"Lost and Found Freestyle 2019"
(withASAP RockyandTyler, the Creator) 		2022 89 12 6 40 I Know Nigo!
"Come On, Let's Go"
(with Tyler, the Creator) 		— 7 4 35

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^"Nigo Signs to Steven Victor's Victor Victor Worldwide, Plans Release for New Album".Complex Networks.
  2. ^abLemola, Hasse (November 18, 2016)."NIGO on the Intersection of Streetwear & Fast Fashion".Hypebeast.RetrievedJanuary 13,2017.
  3. ^"Nigo | HYPEBEAST".hypebeast.RetrievedMarch 1,2020.
  4. ^abcdefghijkl"Nigo".Spotify.RetrievedApril 16,2023.
  5. ^"Bathing Ape Bapes History | SneakerFiles".SneakerFiles.RetrievedJuly 4,2018.
  6. ^"Bape - A bathing ape - Nigo interview with Jonathan Ross".Archived fromthe originalon September 17, 2008.RetrievedOctober 8,2008.
  7. ^"A Look Back at the Best BAPESTAs Ever Released".Hypebeast.RetrievedJuly 4,2018.
  8. ^"POLLS: Can Pharrell Really Save Billionaire Boys Club and IceCream?".Hypebeast.January 29, 2016.RetrievedJuly 27,2020.
  9. ^"Bape".Archived fromthe originalon January 28, 2013.
  10. ^Cochrane, Lauren (January 21, 2014)."Nigo: 'Uniqlo is streetwear too'".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.RetrievedMarch 1,2020.
  11. ^"Here's a Look at the Upcoming Louis Vuitton x NIGO® Capsule Collection".Complex.RetrievedJuly 27,2020.
  12. ^"Genius | Song Lyrics & Knowledge".Genius.RetrievedJuly 27,2020.
  13. ^"sothebys".
  14. ^"BILLIE IDLE®".Billie Idle(in Japanese).RetrievedJuly 23,2016.
  15. ^Vice Japan (June 4, 2014),BiS / nerve directed by NIGO® ( 2.5D × VICE ),archivedfrom the original on December 21, 2021,retrievedJuly 23,2016
  16. ^Idle Gossip,Space Shower Music,retrievedJuly 23,2016
  17. ^Helfand, Raphael (January 28, 2022)."Nigo and A$AP Rocky share" Arya ", a time capsule from the near past".The Fader.RetrievedJanuary 31,2022.
  18. ^"KAWS Shatters Auction Record with $14.8 Million USD Painting".Hypebeast.April 2019.RetrievedJuly 27,2020.
  19. ^"Sotheby's Was Hoping This Kaws Painting of 'The Simpsons' Would Sell for $1 Million. It Just Went for $14.7 Million".artnet News.April 1, 2019.RetrievedMarch 1,2020.
  20. ^"Millennials in Hoodies Spend $28 Million on Simpsons Art".Bloomberg.April 1, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 7,2020.
  21. ^"NIGO's Sotheby's Auction Just Brought in More Than $28 Million".Highsnobiety.April 1, 2019.RetrievedMarch 1,2020.
  22. ^Sanchez, Karizza."Kid Cudi & Nigo Talk Streetwear, Music & Kids See Ghosts 2".Complex.RetrievedJuly 27,2020.
  23. ^"The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 4 April 2022".The ARIA Report.No. 1674.Australian Recording Industry Association.April 4, 2022. p. 6.
  24. ^"Nigo – I Know Nigo!"(in Dutch).Ultratop.RetrievedApril 3,2022.
  25. ^"Canadian Albums: Week of April 9, 2022".Billboard.RetrievedApril 5,2022.
  26. ^"NZ Top 40 Albums Chart".Recorded Music NZ.April 4, 2022.RetrievedApril 2,2022.
  27. ^"The Billboard 200: Week of April 9, 2022".Billboard.RetrievedApril 5,2022.
  28. ^"Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Week of April 9, 2022".Billboard.RetrievedApril 5,2022.
  29. ^Peaks on the NZ Hot Singles Chart:
  30. ^"Lil Uzi Vert Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100".Billboard.RetrievedApril 6,2022.
  31. ^"Tyler, the Creator Chart History: Canadian Hot 100".Billboard.RetrievedApril 5,2022.
  32. ^"NZ Hot Singles Chart".Recorded Music NZ.April 4, 2022.RetrievedApril 2,2022.
  33. ^"Tyler, the Creator Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100".Billboard.RetrievedApril 5,2022.
  34. ^"Tyler, the Creator Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs".Billboard.RetrievedApril 5,2022.
  35. ^"NIGO® Wins Fashion Designer of the Year Award! ── 2020" GQ MEN OF THE YEAR 2020 "announced!".GQ Japan.November 23, 2020.RetrievedNovember 23,2020.
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