Umehara Masaru (梅原大), known by his pseudonym U.M.E.D.Y., was a Japanese rapper and notable figure in the underground hip-hop scene of Japan, who began working with Hello! Project in 1999. He is also a former producer of the hip-hop units EDU[1] and SPICY CHOCOLATE, and the former MC of the R&B unit Sin.
U.M.E.D.Y. passed away on December 21, 2017 from glioblastoma.[2]
Biography[]
Umehara Masaru was born on September 6, 1971 in Japan.[3] As a child, he mostly listened to Japanese pop music but became interested in rap music as a teenager after he listened to an album by the American hip-hop group RUN-DMC.
He graduated from Fukushima Prefectural Asaka High School in 1990 and the University of Tsukuba in 1993, where he majored in sports psychology. He was a member of the Koriyama International Swimming Club[4] and the editor of the magazine Monthly Swimming Life. It was during his college years that he met DJ Etsu and the two began throwing parties where they would perform together, which eventually led to the pair organizing their first live at a shopping center scouting talent such as Baby Setsu, Miss Monday and Yuka (later known as the group "NOW") to perform as supporting acts.
After their first live, Umehara and DJ Etsu formed the hip-hop group EDU, which also featured Umehara's brother Taka-C and the trio performed at small venues for little-to-no-pay. In December 1994, the group struck success when they won a televised hip-hop competition and signed an exclusive recording contract with Avion, a subsidairy of Victor Entertainment, and soon afterwards released their debut album which sold approximately 20,000 copies. However their success came at a price, as Taka-C disagreed with the mainstream direction of the group and left, which ultimately led to their disbandment. In the years following EDU's disbandment, Umehara remained active as both a rapper and music producer, and began working as a manager for Miss Monday.
He provided rap vocals, chorus vocals, and arranged rap lyrics for Hello! Project songs since 1999. He stopped working with Hello! Project in late 2000 after "Ren'ai Revolution 21" to focus on Miss Monday's career, but returned after ten years, beginning with "Odorou yo."[5]
U.M.E.D.Y. produced a total of 17 albums for SPICY CHOCOLATE,[3] and he received a 57th Annual Grammy Awards nomination for THE REGGAE POWER, their 2014 collaboration album with rappers SLY & ROBBIE.[6]
His wife, R&B singer Miss Monday, notified fans via Facebook that he had passed away on December 21, 2017 after battling glioblastoma since 2012.[2] They had been married since September 10, 2010[7] and welcomed a son on November 28, 2015.[8] Beginning with Choux Cream Rockets' 2018 song "Yonaka Douga Bakari Miteru", Miss Monday has been teaming up with Tsunku to arrange rap lyrics. In 2019, she arranged the rap lyrics for Morning Musume's song "Seishun Night", marking her first work with Hello! Project.
Profile[]
- Birth Name: Umehara Masaru (梅原大)
- Stage Name: U.M.E.D.Y.
- Birthdate: September 6, 1971[3]
- Date of Death: December 21, 2017 (aged 46)
- Western Zodiac:
Virgo - Eastern Zodiac: Pig (Boar in Japan)
Hello! Project Credits[]
Berryz Koubou[]
- Loving you Too much (Rap arrangement)
℃-ute[]
- The Curtain Rises (Rap arrangement)
Hello Pro Kenshuusei[]
- "Koi Shitai Shintou" (Rap lyrics)
Kobushi Factory[]
- Kitto Watashi wa (Rap arrangement; posthumous)
Morning Musume[]
- Chikyuu ga Naiteiru (voice)
- Funwari Koibito Ichinensei (rap arrangement, additional rap)
- Jealousy Jealousy (23 Ver.) (rap)
- Jealousy Jealousy (rap arrangement)
- Ren'ai Revolution 21 (rap, voice)
- Ren'ai Revolution 21 (updated 23 Ver.) (rap)
- Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru (chorus)
- Silver no Udedokei (rap arrangement, rap)
- TIKI BUN (chorus)
- Waraenai Hanashi (chorus)
- Wasurerannai (rap)
- Watashi no Dekkai Hana (rap arrangement)
- What's Up? Ai wa Dou na no yo~ (rap arrangement, rap)
- WHY (rap arrangement, rap)
S/mileage[]
- Odorou yo (Rap lyrics)
Taiyou to Ciscomoon / T&C Bomber[]
- Tsuki to Taiyou - more cool remix (Rap)
- Magic of Love (M.C.)
- Introduction (MC)
- Hey You! (Rap)
- Sunrise Sore Demo Hi wa Noboru (Arrangement, MPC, MC)
- Be My LOVE (Rap)
- Office Love (Rap)
- YES! Shiawase (Rap, MC)
Other Credits[]
Ayumikurikamaki[]
- Jet Kumastar (Composition, arrangement)
- Shake Shake Shake (Composition)
- Honey Honey Honey (Composition, arrangement)
- Starlight Jamboree (Composition)
- WAR CRY (Composition, arrangement)
- Shinyu Forever (Composition, arrangement)
- Mori Mori Mori (Composition, arrangement)
- Suteki na Sekai (Composition, arrangement)
- KILLA TUNE (Composition)
- What's my name? (Composition)
- Jibun Kakumei (Composition, arrangement)
- Tabidachi no Uta (Composition, arrangement)
- Dancin Good!!! (Composition, arrangement)
- SUGOROKU (Composition, arrangement)
- Goma Slipper (Composition, arrangement)
- Kizuna Mix (Composition, arrangement)
- Hanko Seimei (Composition, arrangement)
- Nakigao Egao (Composition, arrangement)
- Mirai Trail (Composition, arrangement)
ClassicaLoid[]
- Maryoku no Aria (Rap)
EE JUMP[]
- Haru da yo! (Rap arrangement)
Hirata Shoichiro[]
- GIRIGIRI DADDY (Rap, lyrics)
Megaryu[]
- Anata wo Omou to Feat. SPICY CHOCOLATE & Tiara (Lyrics, composition)
Miss Monday & Gury[]
- Badboy flygirl (Lyrics, composition, arrangement)
NICE GIRL Project! Kenshuusei[]
- Bokura no Sedai (Rap lyrics)
Sin[]
- GUILTY (Rap)
- Mind A.L. (Air Line) (Rap)
- I Want You Back (Rap)
- control (Rap)
- in da house (Composition, arrangement, rap)
- ROOTS (Rap)
- Side seat (Rap)
SPICY CHOCOLATE[]
- Ureshi Namida feat. Che'Nelle & MACO (Composition)
SPICY CHOCOLATE x Ken-u[]
- Kono Machi Part II feat. AK-69 (Lyrics, composition)
- Kono Machi Part III feat. MACCHO for OZROSAURUS (Lyrics, composition)
- Kono Machi part IV feat. RUDEBWOY FACE (Lyrics, composition)
SPICY CHOCOLATE and SLY & ROBBIE[]
- Anything and Everything feat. Bitty Mclean (Lyrics, composition)
- Chatty Woman feat. Gramps Morgan (Lyrics, composition)
- Crazy Jamaican Love feat. KGN21 & RYO the SKYWALKER (Lyrics, composition)
- Dancin' Time feat. Mr.Vegas & CHEHON (Lyrics, composition)
- I Will Be There For You feat. Shaggy (Lyrics, composition)
- Let Me Love You feat. Ce'cile (Lyrics, composition)
- Off Love feat. Al (Lyrics, composition)
- Party Time feat. Jason Sweetness & Future Fambo (Lyrics, composition)
- Pray For The World feat. Sizzla Kalonji (Lyrics, composition)
- SHIBUYA DREAM feat. Miss Monday, SIMON & Biggy (Lyrics, composition)
- Star Across The Sky feat. Romain Virgo (Lyrics, composition)
- Wasn't So Bad feat. Alaine (Lyrics, composition)
- ZUTTO feat. T.O.K. (Lyrics, composition)
Uru[]
- 5years ft. fox capture plan (Composition)
References[]
- ↑ "EDU / ラヴ・ソングス [廃盤]" (in Japanese). CDJournal.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.facebook.com/umedy/posts/1591742437559269
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://www.instagram.com/p/BdJ11R8gx2Q/
- ↑ "Masaru Umehara: About" (in Japanese). Facebook.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/hasiehasiehasie/status/26340470962
- ↑ "BIOGRAPHY - SPICY CHOCOLATE" (in Japanese and English). Universal Music Japan.
- ↑ "ご報告。" (in Japanese). Miss Monday Official Blog. 2010-09-10.
- ↑ "無事に生まれました。" (in Japanese). Miss Monday Official Blog. 2015-12-08.