Born from a fortunate encounter between singer Yukiko “Yuki” Yamamoto and rapper
Chieko “Cico” Yamamoto in the late 90s, Bennie K was a pioneering hip-hop and
R&B outfit and one of the first urban contemporary acts to break into the
Japanese mainstream. The pair met by chance in Los Angeles in 1999 and teamed up
with DJ Hi-Kick upon their return to Japan for their 2001 debut singles “Melody”
and “School Girl,” both of which were included in their 2002 studio debut, Cube.
Despite the album’s poor commercial performance, Bennie K managed to insert
themselves in the country’s thrivi...