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bmsgTranslated from SKY-HI's interview series with Nikkei, "Be myself, for ourselves"
Original interview, 120th installment from December 25, 2024.
BE:FIRST announced on the last day of their nationwide tour (January 26, 2023), “In the not-so-distant future, we will become artists who perform in the dome.” It kickstarted our masterplan, and in March, 2024 they had their first Tokyo Dome live. It was my plan from the time I set up the company that they will be dome artists. When I launched THE FIRST that gave birth to them, I was told, “It would never work” and by their pre-debut there were many cold eyes judging them, saying they would just end up being a one-hit wonder. However, if the audition was successful, just thinking about how to avoid being a one-hit wonder wasn’t enough.
The reason being, BMSG is a company that operates on the philosophy of valuing people. We believe that an artist’s personal growth directly leads to their growth as an artist. I’ve been using the term, “Life FIRST” a lot, I feel like it fits well with [the company’s] philosophy. I seriously believe that, “In thinking about your personality and way of life correctly, it naturally leads to your growth as an artist.” In the case of BE:FIRST, we decided from the very beginning we will go firmly, step by step, from live houses, to halls, then arena, before holding a live at the domes. If I considered their popularity alone, it would have been totally possible to move their dome shows forward. However, if you try to capitalize on the popularity of the artist in order to gain immediate, short-term profits, you lose long-term profits and an opportunity for the artist to grow – the loss of the latter is especially fatal.
If you look at BE:FIRST’s trajectory in a few years’ time, it may seem like smooth sailing. Obviously, it is not a path someone else has taken, so I have had my share of frustrating and painful experiences. There has been as much pain and frustration as there has been happiness. After going through all of that, I’m sure those who watch them now can definitely tell – they are now dome artists – with a truly fun, bright, friendly, energetic and best atmosphere. I’m really proud of them for that.
I must preface by saying BMSG is not a company just to create boy groups, but the success of BE:FIRST is symbolic. There is no doubt about the numerical results, but the atmosphere during their activities, the support system creates a situation that supports the legitimacy and success of my statement at the time of BMSG’s establishment, and the company’s philosophy.
In terms of managing solo artists, I think – even more so than groups – requires a continued commitment to handle and care for their personal growth, more than business matters. Novel Core had his Budokan live in 2024 and will hold an arena live in 2025. Aile The Shota’s live at Tokyo Garden Theater in 2025 has also already been decided, but I think venu size should not be used as a [determiner for] status. Core talked about a Budokan live before BMSG was established, it was a memorial stage that fulfilled a dream I’ve had for several years. Nevertheless, the important thing is whether or not you are able to fight your own battles as an artist. Core must continue to do what only Core can do. Shota must do what only Shota can do. We need to continue to do what only each of us can do. The most important thing is to “Focus on how to win” and by extension, “Focus on how to live.” Of course, I am proud of the fact that they are growing steadily and appropriately considering their age and careers, but I would like to focus on helping them express themselves even more in the future.
In that sense, it is great to have something like BMSG POSSE, a crew of five solo artists, including myself; I can feel intense potential. I am proud we are able to do such a pure project as POSSE. It’s the exact opposite of today’s competitive society, the culture of cynicism, constant pressure to conform, and go, “Doing what you love with people you love, that’s all!” Objectively speaking, I feel that it has the potential to eliminate the negative atmosphere that pervades Japanese society as a whole. The solo artists are creating really good songs and have great live shows. As a president, I feel responsible in maximizing promotions and other things to make them hits.
I felt more like a “team leader” when I setted up the company. I don’t like calling artists as “IP” but the products we had after the company started were limited to works created by artists. When BE:FIRST debuted there were only Core and myself. Core’s a solo artist too, so how I should face him is different to [how I face] BE:FIRST. The only product I fully committed to was BE:FIRST’s work until the beginning of 2022. There was nothing else I wanted than to make BE:FIRST a success. As the president, my most important job was to make their work an overwhelming hit.
With the increase in staff and the appointment of a CxO (Chief Officer) in April, 2024, it has changed the way I am personally involved in management. I am acutely aware of the need to “express my vision clearly” instead of knowing everything about every artist. Around the time when we had about 20 employees, we had the opportunity to talk as a whole company once a week about what BMSG wanted to do, what BE:FIRST was going to do. There was a sense that everyone got the message. But at the scale now, even if we communicate every week, it is normal that the message may not be conveyed at the same level as before. That is why I feel I have to communicate the vision I have in a more precise, detailed manner.
(No No Girls will be shortened to NNG henceforth)
The fifth anniversary in 2025 has been considered a milestone since the establishment of BMSG. I have told them it would be a culmination of everything we have done and said, so I think the importance of this fifth year has been [thoroughly] communicated throughout the company. Depending on how hard we can work to spread the culture of BMSG to the general public over the course of its fifth year will have a significant impact in the future.
In terms of boy groups, this is the year each group will face their critical moment. I think there will simply be an increase in the number of projects I will touch on. Firstly, for BE:FIRST, it will be the year they establish a foothold overseas, in earnest. There are very few successful examples in Japan, other than anime-related projects where a strategy has been formulated for overseas development. This is also an area where my rules of experiences do not apply, but BE:FIRST must move forward under such circumstances. MAZZEL has truly transformed into a group that is making the most interesting things right now, so before “THE LAST PIECE” starts, I had to increase my commitment and clearly produce the songs and strengthen their backbone. After that is done, they will be ready to renew the atmosphere in the industry and be ready to do so.
Meanwhile, I know very well the importance of a good start, so I want to form a team and work hard on THE LAST PIECE, which is about to start. NNG has received a great response, but since the producer CHANMINA is preparing to give birth, we need to do our best to make the fire that CHANMINA started grow even bigger.
D.U.N.K., the dance and vocal project, is also starting Chapter 3, we’re inviting lots of artists from other agencies, so there is a lot of delicate communication that needs to be done. I want to increase the number of overseas collaborations for POSSE. I can feel the potential for this and there are songs that can be created for it. I also want to manifest as much as possible what the artists want to do, like THE GAME CENTER, which will / was held at Tokyo Dome on November 26th. Now that I am listing them off like this, there are so many things that need to be done. It’s not just the increase in the number of artists, but also that more and more people are paying attention to BMSG itself. It’s why we really need to work hard.
I think it’s when you can’t make a deep commitment that your first pass is really important. Just like in soccer, it’s about the strength of your pass and which leg you use. If you make a good pass, it sends a good message and the next player that receives it will be able to make a good move. From now on, team play will be required more and more, and I am once again determined to be a great captain for this organization.
In a nutshell, I want to “Do good to society”, but more precisely I want to say that, “Entertainment is born to do good to society and can actually do it.” I want to make it the norm in society.
One of the topics I included in my statement where I stated that “I want to change the music industry” was “The disconnect between the music industry and the real world.” As someone who felt a sense of catharsis when I saw American works, especially hip-hop, moving the world in response to the current state of society, even when important issues are occurring in the country. I always felt very uncomfortable that in Japan, songs that are disconnected from a situation are long hits, even when important national issues are occurring.
There was a trend, until recently, in the world that it was a taboo for celebrities to make political statements, even talks of poor business schemes are closely related to society. My stance as a rapper is influenced by social desires, like “I want to make society better, even if it’s just a little bit.” In US entertainment you can express this but while actually running BMSG, what I want to do is becoming more concrete. This is just a small example, but it is important to realize that a business model that relies on CDs will not create a future for Japan. It is necessary to radically improve the country while keeping in mind the consideration of fans of idol culture. I believe that this issue should be addressed and instilled by the country. I feel there is a clear possibility and potential of growth of a business model for the future beyond this, with evidence. I definitely want to instill a common understanding that entertainment is not for the benefit of anyone or anything, but for the better of society.
Please note I translate these for free and I'm not a professional, so they may not be super perfect.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
If you like my translations, you can consider tipping me on Ko-Fi!
Original interview, 120th installment from December 25, 2024.
BE:FIRST announced on the last day of their nationwide tour (January 26, 2023), “In the not-so-distant future, we will become artists who perform in the dome.” It kickstarted our masterplan, and in March, 2024 they had their first Tokyo Dome live. It was my plan from the time I set up the company that they will be dome artists. When I launched THE FIRST that gave birth to them, I was told, “It would never work” and by their pre-debut there were many cold eyes judging them, saying they would just end up being a one-hit wonder. However, if the audition was successful, just thinking about how to avoid being a one-hit wonder wasn’t enough.
The reason being, BMSG is a company that operates on the philosophy of valuing people. We believe that an artist’s personal growth directly leads to their growth as an artist. I’ve been using the term, “Life FIRST” a lot, I feel like it fits well with [the company’s] philosophy. I seriously believe that, “In thinking about your personality and way of life correctly, it naturally leads to your growth as an artist.” In the case of BE:FIRST, we decided from the very beginning we will go firmly, step by step, from live houses, to halls, then arena, before holding a live at the domes. If I considered their popularity alone, it would have been totally possible to move their dome shows forward. However, if you try to capitalize on the popularity of the artist in order to gain immediate, short-term profits, you lose long-term profits and an opportunity for the artist to grow – the loss of the latter is especially fatal.
Guaranteeing the legitimacy of [the company] philosophy
If you look at BE:FIRST’s trajectory in a few years’ time, it may seem like smooth sailing. Obviously, it is not a path someone else has taken, so I have had my share of frustrating and painful experiences. There has been as much pain and frustration as there has been happiness. After going through all of that, I’m sure those who watch them now can definitely tell – they are now dome artists – with a truly fun, bright, friendly, energetic and best atmosphere. I’m really proud of them for that.
I must preface by saying BMSG is not a company just to create boy groups, but the success of BE:FIRST is symbolic. There is no doubt about the numerical results, but the atmosphere during their activities, the support system creates a situation that supports the legitimacy and success of my statement at the time of BMSG’s establishment, and the company’s philosophy.
In terms of managing solo artists, I think – even more so than groups – requires a continued commitment to handle and care for their personal growth, more than business matters. Novel Core had his Budokan live in 2024 and will hold an arena live in 2025. Aile The Shota’s live at Tokyo Garden Theater in 2025 has also already been decided, but I think venu size should not be used as a [determiner for] status. Core talked about a Budokan live before BMSG was established, it was a memorial stage that fulfilled a dream I’ve had for several years. Nevertheless, the important thing is whether or not you are able to fight your own battles as an artist. Core must continue to do what only Core can do. Shota must do what only Shota can do. We need to continue to do what only each of us can do. The most important thing is to “Focus on how to win” and by extension, “Focus on how to live.” Of course, I am proud of the fact that they are growing steadily and appropriately considering their age and careers, but I would like to focus on helping them express themselves even more in the future.
In that sense, it is great to have something like BMSG POSSE, a crew of five solo artists, including myself; I can feel intense potential. I am proud we are able to do such a pure project as POSSE. It’s the exact opposite of today’s competitive society, the culture of cynicism, constant pressure to conform, and go, “Doing what you love with people you love, that’s all!” Objectively speaking, I feel that it has the potential to eliminate the negative atmosphere that pervades Japanese society as a whole. The solo artists are creating really good songs and have great live shows. As a president, I feel responsible in maximizing promotions and other things to make them hits.
It was just SKY-HI at the time of establishment, at BE:FIRST’s debut there were only a couple of employees, to now 80 staff. This, of course, changes what he does as president.
I felt more like a “team leader” when I setted up the company. I don’t like calling artists as “IP” but the products we had after the company started were limited to works created by artists. When BE:FIRST debuted there were only Core and myself. Core’s a solo artist too, so how I should face him is different to [how I face] BE:FIRST. The only product I fully committed to was BE:FIRST’s work until the beginning of 2022. There was nothing else I wanted than to make BE:FIRST a success. As the president, my most important job was to make their work an overwhelming hit.
With the increase in staff and the appointment of a CxO (Chief Officer) in April, 2024, it has changed the way I am personally involved in management. I am acutely aware of the need to “express my vision clearly” instead of knowing everything about every artist. Around the time when we had about 20 employees, we had the opportunity to talk as a whole company once a week about what BMSG wanted to do, what BE:FIRST was going to do. There was a sense that everyone got the message. But at the scale now, even if we communicate every week, it is normal that the message may not be conveyed at the same level as before. That is why I feel I have to communicate the vision I have in a more precise, detailed manner.
Towards the milestone of the 5th anniversary
(No No Girls will be shortened to NNG henceforth)
The fifth anniversary in 2025 has been considered a milestone since the establishment of BMSG. I have told them it would be a culmination of everything we have done and said, so I think the importance of this fifth year has been [thoroughly] communicated throughout the company. Depending on how hard we can work to spread the culture of BMSG to the general public over the course of its fifth year will have a significant impact in the future.
In terms of boy groups, this is the year each group will face their critical moment. I think there will simply be an increase in the number of projects I will touch on. Firstly, for BE:FIRST, it will be the year they establish a foothold overseas, in earnest. There are very few successful examples in Japan, other than anime-related projects where a strategy has been formulated for overseas development. This is also an area where my rules of experiences do not apply, but BE:FIRST must move forward under such circumstances. MAZZEL has truly transformed into a group that is making the most interesting things right now, so before “THE LAST PIECE” starts, I had to increase my commitment and clearly produce the songs and strengthen their backbone. After that is done, they will be ready to renew the atmosphere in the industry and be ready to do so.
Meanwhile, I know very well the importance of a good start, so I want to form a team and work hard on THE LAST PIECE, which is about to start. NNG has received a great response, but since the producer CHANMINA is preparing to give birth, we need to do our best to make the fire that CHANMINA started grow even bigger.
D.U.N.K., the dance and vocal project, is also starting Chapter 3, we’re inviting lots of artists from other agencies, so there is a lot of delicate communication that needs to be done. I want to increase the number of overseas collaborations for POSSE. I can feel the potential for this and there are songs that can be created for it. I also want to manifest as much as possible what the artists want to do, like THE GAME CENTER, which will / was held at Tokyo Dome on November 26th. Now that I am listing them off like this, there are so many things that need to be done. It’s not just the increase in the number of artists, but also that more and more people are paying attention to BMSG itself. It’s why we really need to work hard.
I think it’s when you can’t make a deep commitment that your first pass is really important. Just like in soccer, it’s about the strength of your pass and which leg you use. If you make a good pass, it sends a good message and the next player that receives it will be able to make a good move. From now on, team play will be required more and more, and I am once again determined to be a great captain for this organization.
What is the relationship between entertainment and society?
In a nutshell, I want to “Do good to society”, but more precisely I want to say that, “Entertainment is born to do good to society and can actually do it.” I want to make it the norm in society.
One of the topics I included in my statement where I stated that “I want to change the music industry” was “The disconnect between the music industry and the real world.” As someone who felt a sense of catharsis when I saw American works, especially hip-hop, moving the world in response to the current state of society, even when important issues are occurring in the country. I always felt very uncomfortable that in Japan, songs that are disconnected from a situation are long hits, even when important national issues are occurring.
There was a trend, until recently, in the world that it was a taboo for celebrities to make political statements, even talks of poor business schemes are closely related to society. My stance as a rapper is influenced by social desires, like “I want to make society better, even if it’s just a little bit.” In US entertainment you can express this but while actually running BMSG, what I want to do is becoming more concrete. This is just a small example, but it is important to realize that a business model that relies on CDs will not create a future for Japan. It is necessary to radically improve the country while keeping in mind the consideration of fans of idol culture. I believe that this issue should be addressed and instilled by the country. I feel there is a clear possibility and potential of growth of a business model for the future beyond this, with evidence. I definitely want to instill a common understanding that entertainment is not for the benefit of anyone or anything, but for the better of society.
Please note I translate these for free and I'm not a professional, so they may not be super perfect.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
If you like my translations, you can consider tipping me on Ko-Fi!
