generasia:Featured article for 2010 week 21

SoulJa

SoulJa is a Japanese R&B and Hip-Hop singer-songwriter who is most known for his collaboration singles with Aoyama Thelma, "Koko ni Iru yo" and "Soba ni Iru ne".

In 2005 he got his first break in the music scene, where his song First Contact was used as the "Men's Beauteen" CM song starring Odagiri Joe, and in November released it as a single with a limited press of 1,200 copies. The single sold out, and several months later the single was repressed with a new version and new tracks.

He debuted in 2007 with the single "DOGG POUND", but it was not until his collaboration single with then unknown R&B singer Aoyama Thelma which brought him success. They released a collaboration single, "Koko ni Iru yo", which became a long-charting hit and eventually sold over 100,000 copies. The answer-song to this single, released as Aoyama's second single, reached #1 on Oricon charts and even outsold the original.

His latest single, released on May 26, 2010, is titled Hanasanaide yo. It is the third collaboration to date that he has done with Aoyama Thelma.