Tohji
Birth nameYuki Ihara
Born (1996-02-05) February 5, 1996 (age 28)
London, United Kingdom
Genres
Years active2017-present

Tohji (born 5th February 1996) based in Tokyo, is a Japanese hip-hop artist. He is also active as a member of the crew "Mall Boyz" , which he formed with Gummyboy and others.[1]

Biography

edit

Born in London, England in 1996[1], Tohji moved to Japan at the age of 3. After moving, he lived in Yokohama City and Tokyo.[2]

Tohji’s new-wave music comes with a well-curated and idiosyncratic look. With chronically unkept hair, wraparound sunglasses, and tracksuits that are not so much worn as half-shrugged-on, the 27-year-old’s Y2K look is both potently nostalgic and cutting-edge. Recalling the vaporwave and mallsoft aesthetics of the early 2010s with its softly cyberpunkish flavour, it’s a look that is obscurely futuristic but also rooted in retro references: simultaneously familiar and hard to define.[3]

Visuals pay a very important part of Tohji's presence, in an interview with the Fader,[4] he has described himself as "the new Visual Beatles", in another interview with Office Magazine[5], when he was asked about this quote, he said, “I make a whole big swag.”

Tohji collaborates with international artists and invites them to perform in Japan, the artists he has worked with include the members of the Drain Gang, Mechatok, Yeule, Palmistry, Namasenda, etc.[6] He also works with Japanese artists — Le Makeup, Loota, Elle Teresa, Shaka Bose, E.O.U, etc. — and brings them to his overseas performances as a way of giving visibility to the Japanese scene.[6]

In February 2021, Tohji teamed up with a designer DETTO K, launched a new fashion VANILLANI, which sells all with one-size-fits-all garments.[7]

Between 2022 to 2024, Tohji has put on several parties in both Tokyo and London - in December 2023, he headlined Japan's biggest Boiler Room, he has also played in different London venues several times such as Colour Factory, Venue MOT, Fire, Phonox, etc.[8]

Discography[9]

edit
Albums
Title Year
angel 2019
KUUGA 2021
t-mix 2022
EP
Title Year
1996 2017
9.97 2018
broken cd 2022
Single
Title Year
I'm a godzilla duh 2017
on my own way 2019
Rodeo 2019
Oreo 2020
Propella *i feel ima propella “she” she wanna hit 2020
My Swag 2021
echo 2021
Twilight Zone 2022
ULTRA RARE 2022
one 2022
Aglio e olio 2023
Phenomeno 2024
frozen rain 2024
Collaboration
Artist Title Year
Shaka monk HEISEI - Black Hole (feat. Sleet Mage, Kaine dot Co & Tohji) 2018
Taeyoung Boy HOWL OF YOUNGTIMZ - FALL (feat. Tohji & Pablo Blasta) 2019
ULTRA KOREARS lastnight (feat. stei, TYOSIN & Tohji)
Kamui I am Special - Salvage (feat. Tohji)
DJ CHARI GAME - aero (feat. Tohji & gummyboy)
OKAMOTO'S ART (OBKR/ Yaffle Remix) [feat. Gottz, Tohji & Shurkn Pap]
Dreaming of Screaming Dreaming of Screaming - Red Oct (feat. Tohji, Grip King Jamie, DOT.KAI, SteffenYoshiki & stei)
Small bag Nariaki Tohji's Track
OKAMOTO'S 10'sBEST - ART (OBKR/ Yaffle Remix) [feat. Gottz, Tohji & Shurkn Pap] 2020
kZm DISTORTION - TEENAGE VIBE (feat. Tohji)
DJ CHARI & DJ TATSUKI GOKU VIBES (feat. Tohji, Elle Teresa, UNEDUCATED KID & Futuristic Swaver)
Sawaki Ridin' (feat. Tohji)
Mahne Frame SAMETIMES I TRY NOT TO CARE (feat. Tohji)
Bloodz Boi across the sea my dreams are born in silence (feat. Tohji & bod)
Mahne Frame Mad World - SAMETIMES I TRY NOT TO CARE (feat. Tohji)
DJ CHARI & DJ TATSUKI GOLDEN ROUTE - GOKU VIBES (feat. Tohji, Elle Teresa, UNEDUCATED KID & Futuristic Swaver)
Loota Love Sick / Melting Ice [Remix] - Love Sick (feat. Tohji) 2021
Yeule Glitch Princess - Perfect Blue (feat. Tohji) 2022
Shaka monk AHIRU - Moon Sun (feat. Tohji)
Loota Different Trains (feat. Tohji)
Himera Taco (feat. Tohji)
Mura Masa Demon Time - Slomo
Elle Teresa To My Bed 2023

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Octavia, Bürgel (8 April 2020). "Mall Boy in the Field: TOHJI Takes LoveSexDreams for a Spin in Regent's Park".
  2. ^ "Global VMEN: Tohji". 30 August 2020.
  3. ^ Clarke, Ashley Ogawa. "THE TWILIGHT ZONE, TOHJI".
  4. ^ Salvatore, Maicki (25 September 2020). "Tohji makes high-voltage anthems for tranquilized times".
  5. ^ Chris, Thomas (10 February 2021). "Tohji is Too Cool".
  6. ^ a b "Tohji: A Gate to a New Scene". June 2023.
  7. ^ Veronica, Wong (24 February 2021). "Japanese Rapper Tohji and Detto K Launch VANILLANI With One-Size-Fits-All Apparel".
  8. ^ "Resident Advisor - Tohji".
  9. ^ "Spotify - Tohji". Spotify.