TOC and DJ KATSU, the founding members of the Japanese hip-hop outfit Hilcrhyme, first connected in 2001 at Nettaiya, a rap night in Niigata organized by the latter. ∙ Hilcrhyme’s second major-label single, “Shunkashuutou,” was a massive hit, selling more than 100,000 copies, while ringtone sales and cell phone downloads both topped 1 million. ∙ The group was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2009 Japan Record Awards, and won New Artist of the Year honors at the Japan Gold Disc Awards the following year. ∙ Fueled by the success of “Shunkashuutou” and the follow-up single “Mō Bye Bye,” their 2010 major-label debut album, Recital, reached No. 2 on the Japanese charts. ∙ Their 2010 single “Loose Leaf,”—also the theme of the live-action version of the manga Flunk Punk Rumble—was a No. 7 Japanese hit and became one of Hilcrhyme’s signature songs. ∙ Following DJ KATSU’s departure in 2018, TOC continued the group as a solo project, returning to the stage and releasing a new self-titled album the following year.