generasia:Featured article for 2010 week 21

SoulJa

SoulJa is a Japanese R&B and hip-hop singer-songwriter who is best 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 when his song "First Contact" was used as the Men's Beauteen CM song starring Odagiri Joe. In November, it was released on an album of the same name with a limited press of 1,200 copies. The album sold out, and several months later it was repressed with new tracks.

SoulJa made his major debut under Universal Music in 2007 with the single "DOGG POUND", but it was not until his collaboration single with then unknown R&B singer Aoyama Thelma that he found success. They released a collaboration single, "Koko ni Iru yo", which became a long-charting hit and eventually sold over 100,000 copies. An answer song, "Soba ni Iru ne", was released as Aoyama's second single. It reached #1 on the Oricon weekly chart and 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.