Home Made Kazoku


Home Made Kazoku is a Japanese hip-hop trio from Nagoya, formed in 1996. They are signed to Ki/oon Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music.

Biography

Home Made Kazoku is a trio, consisting of members Micro, Kuro, and DJ U-Ichi. The band was originally formed in 1996 under a different name. The band was in a state of flux with regard to membership until 2001, when they settled on becoming a trio with the name Home Made Kazoku. From 2001 to 2003, the band performed in various Nagoya nightclubs. In early 2004, the band was chosen to be part of a country-wide tour known as the Japan Club Tour. During the tour, the trio gained a large portion of their Japanese fanbase, and were also signed on by the recording company, Ki/oon Records.
Vocalists Micro and Kuro are originally from the United States. Micro spent a portion of his childhood in Kentucky, while Kuro stated that he lived in the U.S. until he was twelve in Chicago, Illinois.
Shortly after being signed on by a recording company, the group released an album containing the song "Home Sweet Home," which became one of the most requested songs on Japanese radio stations for the rest of the year. In July 2004, Home Made Kazoku released their first single, Summer Time Magic. Summer Time Magic ranked 15th on the Oricon record charts for nearly 10 weeks.
After a series of singles, including Thank You!!, which was used as the second ending theme for the anime Bleach, and Shōnen Heart, as well as the second opening theme for the anime Eureka Seven, the band's first full-length album was released "Rock the World". "Rock the World" entered the Oricon charts. The record was in fifth place on the Oricon chart for its first week, and would stay in top 20 for the next eight weeks. Rock the World sold 191,744 copies and became the 78th best selling album of 2005.
After their first album, the group went on several tours and concomitantly released several singles. They also released their second and third albums, "Musication" and "Familia".
Of special note, tickets to their second tour were sold out within the span of one hour, a record in Japanese music. In January 2007, it was announced that they would perform the first ending theme to the anime Naruto: Shippūden entitled Nagareboshi Shooting Star which entered the Oricon charts at 10th place. One of the member, Micro, was featured on the Abingdon Boys School song "Lost Reason" as it appeared on their self-titled album.
Home Made Kazoku has performed for a promotional commercial for a product called "Walky Walky" with their song "Easy Walk". In addition, Home Made Kazoku's single, No Rain No Rainbow, is the movie theme for the second Naruto Shippūden movie.
In 2011, Home Made Kazoku returned to Naruto Shippuden for the third time with the song "FREEDOM", which was the 17th ending theme.
The band played their first show in the USA at Otakon 2010 in Baltimore, MD, and returned for Otakon 2013 alongside T.M. Revolution.
Their official blog on August 2016 that the trio will go on indefinite hiatus by the end of the year. According to the comment by group member Micro, the group is taking a hiatus to "grow individually and take on new challenges." The group's three members will then pursue solo careers.

Style

Home Made Kazoku usually displays a very up-beat mood in their music, sometimes described by fans as "feel-good music". The pace of the songs may vary from moderately slow and calm to moderately fast and energetic. Following a trend within Japanese pop, the group makes use of English phrases within the music. This use is rather extensive, as nearly every song contains some amount of English. Most songs utilize the language in the refrain as well as in isolated instances throughout a song.
The subject matter of the music usually concerns love, family, peace, harmonious communication with others, fun, and summer festivities. Additionally, most of the music videos seem to take place in the spring or summer, hearkening back to their up-beat mood and liveliness.
When asked what they want listeners to take away from hearing their music, they responded saying that no matter where you come from or the color of your skin, we are all one big family. When asked which American artist they would most like to collaborate with, the group showed interest primarily in hip-hop and pop artists. Micro would most like to work with The Black Eyed Peas, Kuro with Stevie Wonder and U-ICHI with Jay-Z.

Discography

Albums

  1. H.M.K.U
  2. Mainichi ga Eiga no you na Hitokoma ～Life Is Beautiful～
  3. Home Sweet Home
  4. Rock the World
  5. musication
  6. Familia
  7. Home
  8. Circle
  9. AKATSUKI
  10. 3RISE
  11. Laughin' Road

    Compilations

  12. Heartful Best Songs
  13. # Thank You!!
  14. # Oboeteru
  15. # Hero
  16. # Koi no Decibel
  17. # Salvia no Tsubomi
  18. # Kimi ga Kureta Mono
  19. # Itsumo Itsudemo
  20. # Futari ga Ii ne
  21. # Yonaita ni Kaita Rabu Retā
  22. # Manabi no Ma do
  23. # Merry-go-Round
  24. # Nagareboshi: Shooting Star
  25. # Life goes on & on
  26. # Home Sweet Home
  27. # Homesick
  28. # Encore Symphony
  29. Family Tree~Side Works Collection Vol. 1~
  30. 1.Wait For Me
  31. 2.I Say Yeah
  32. 3.abingdon boys school-Lost Reason
  33. 4.FLOW-Night Parade
  34. 5.Sowelu-Let's Go Faraway
  35. 6.SOFFet-Minus To Plus
  36. 7.HB-Haru No Hakuchuumu
  37. 8.Noriyuki Makihara-Honno Sukoshi Dake
  38. 9.TUT-1026-yume tabi
  39. 10.LITTLE-Gradation
  40. 11.FUN HOUSE
  41. 12.Shimoneta & DJ Taki-Shit-Funky Technician
  42. 13.KAME &L.N.K.-Shi GO TO Jin
  43. 14.Aikotoba Wa Abracadabra

    Singles

  44. Summer Time Magic
  45. # Summer Time Magic
  46. # Mr. Tough Guy
  47. # Oooh!Yeah!
  48. Aikotoba
  49. # Aikotoba
  50. # Hero
  51. # Home Party
  52. Thank You!!
  53. # Thank You!!
  54. # Home Sweet Home
  55. On the Run
  56. # On the Run
  57. # Live On Direct pt.2
  58. # Adrenaline
  59. Shōnen Heart
  60. # Shōnen Heart
  61. # Sora to Umi no Deau Tokoro
  62. # Shōnen Heart
  63. Joyride
  64. # Joyride
  65. # Manabi no Ma do
  66. # Life Work!
  67. # Joyride
  68. Salvia Bud/You'll Be Alright With Noriyuki Makihara
  69. # Salvia no Tsubomi
  70. # You'll Be Alright with Noriyuki Makihara
  71. # Nani ga ta desu ka?
  72. # Salvia no Tsubomi
  73. # You'll Be Alright with Noriyuki Makihara
  74. Aikotoba wa Abra Cadabra/Manatsu no Dance Call
  75. # Aikotoba wa Abra Cadabra Home Made Kazoku vs. Komekome Club
  76. # Manatsu no Dance Call
  77. # Precious Season
  78. # Aikotoba wa Abra Cadabra Home Made Kazoku vs. Komekome Club
  79. # Manatsu no Dance Call
  80. I Say Yeah!
  81. # I Say Yeah!
  82. # I Say Yeah!
  83. # I Say Yeah!
  84. # I Say Yeah!
  85. Everybody Needs Music
  86. # Everybody Needs Music
  87. # Silver Town
  88. # Tera Incognita Shirarezarutochi
  89. # What's Going On
  90. Kimi ga Kureta Mono
  91. # Kimi ga Kureta Mono
  92. # Never Enough
  93. # Salvia no Tsubomi Liga Oriente Remix
  94. Nagareboshi Shooting Star 1st Naruto Shippūden Ending Theme
  95. # Nagareboshi Shooting Star~
  96. # Yonaka ni Kaita Love Letter
  97. # Nagareboshi Shooting Star
  98. Oboeteru
  99. # Oboeteru
  100. # Rise & Shine
  101. # Everybody Needs Music
  102. Easy Walk
  103. # Easy Walk
  104. # Iron Soul
  105. # Viva Jibun
  106. No Rain No Rainbow
  107. # No Rain No Rainbow
  108. # Frontier
  109. # I Wish
  110. Come Back Home
  111. # Come Back Home
  112. #
  113. # Easy Walk
  114. YOU 〜あなたがそばにいる幸せ〜
  115. # YOU 〜あなたがそばにいる幸せ〜
  116. # Fun House ft. Kame, Tut-1026, & Hoze
  117. # Clap! Clap!
  118. Tomorrow featuring Kusuo
  119. # Tomorrow featuring Kusuo
  120. # Mukaikaze
  121. # Looking for You
  122. # Silver Town
  123. L.O.V.E.
  124. # L.O.V.E.
  125. # Step by Step
  126. # Shōnen Heart
  127. Nukumori
  128. # Nukumori
  129. # Mirai Ōrai
  130. # Nukumori
  131. FREEDOM
  132. # FREEDOM
  133. # No Rain No Rainbow
  134. # FREEDOM
  135. # FREEDOM
  136. Kohaku Iro ni Somaru Kono Machi wa
  137. # Kohaku Iro ni Somaru Kono Machi wa
  138. # Across the Universe
  139. Kibun wa Marude Jackpot!
  140. # Kibun wa Marude Jackpot!
  141. # Oiegei feat. Min'na-san
  142. Love is... feat. Ms.OOJA
  143. # Love is... feat. Ms.OOJA
  144. # メモリーレーン
  145. Kimi Ga Ita Kara
  146. # Kimi Ga Ita Kara
  147. # SUMMER BORN!!!!
  148. # Sun Shade Love
  149. # N.A.M.A
  150. # Kimi Ga Ita Kara
  151. # N.A.M.A.
  152. Hashiri Tsuzukeru
  153. # Hashiri Tsuzukeru
  154. # Syncopation
  155. # Hajimari No Kane
  156. # N.A.M.A. Remix
  157. # Hashiri Tsuzukeru-Instrumental-
  158. # N.A.M.A. Remix-Instrumental-
  159. Yokorenbo
  160. # Yokorenbo
  161. # You Choose
  162. # Kodona
  163. # N.A.M.A.

    DVDs