Yuki Chiba: Full Profile — KOHH, ‘Team Tomodachi,’ and a Billboard Hot 100 Run in Japanese
Yuki Chiba is a rapper born April 22, 1990, in Oji, Kita-ku, Tokyo. He debuted as KOHH with the 2012 mixtape YELLOW T△PE, making his name by handing over the everyday life of the housing projects he grew up in — in an unvarnished first person.
His 2015 feature on Keith Ape’s “It G Ma” put him at the center of an Asia-born viral phenomenon, and appearances on Frank Ocean’s Blonde and Hikaru Utada’s “Boukyaku” made him one of the earliest artists to prove that Japanese-language rap could stand next to the global first tier. He won Best Japan Act at the 2017 MTV EMAs, drew his own line under the project in 2020, and retired the KOHH name at the end of 2021.
Profile
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Yuki Chiba (千葉雄喜) |
| Also known as | KOHH, Koh (コー) |
| Hometown | Oji, Kita-ku, Tokyo |
| Born | April 22, 1990 |
| Labels / crews | Warner Music Japan / 300 Entertainment, King Records, Nasty Hood / independent |
| Social | X / Instagram / YouTube |
Where Yuki Chiba Stands Now
After widening his range into writing and music-video direction, he returned in February 2024 under his birth name with “Team Tomodachi” (チーム友達). The song set off a TikTok-driven chain of remixes that pulled in rappers from every region of Japan, and the follow-up “Mamushi” with Megan Thee Stallion peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 — opening a route to the world that never leaves the Japanese language behind.
Even after a 2025 Nippon Budokan solo show and a deal with Warner Music Japan / 300 Entertainment, he keeps crossing borders with the underground’s trust intact. He is, in a very literal sense, the current coordinates of Japanese-language rap.
Signature Songs & Works
- “Binbo Nante Ki ni Shitenai” (貧乏なんて気にしてない) (2014) — As KOHH. The lead track from his first album MONOCHROME; it spread from YouTube, far outside terrestrial TV, and became his early calling card
- “It G Ma” (Keith Ape feat. JayAllDay, Loota, Okasian, KOHH) (2015) — A worldwide viral hit lining up Korean and Japanese rappers; the international breakthrough that put KOHH’s Japanese verse in front of overseas listeners
- “Nikes” (Frank Ocean) (2016) — KOHH appears on the version included on the physical edition of Blonde — an exceptional placement for a Japanese rapper on a top-tier US release
- “Team Tomodachi” (チーム友達) (2024) — The comeback single under his birth name, produced by Koshy. It exploded via TikTok and spawned a region-by-region remix chain with DJ RYOW, Jin Dogg, ¥ellow Bucks, Watson, SKY-HI and more
- “Mamushi” (Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba) (2024) — Debuted at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to No. 36. Reported as the first Hot 100 entry for a song with Japanese lyrics since 1963; its video won Best Trending Video at the 2024 MTV VMAs
- “Annyeonghaseyo” (アニョハセヨ) (2026) — With Korean producer Lil Moshpit. The chant-style hook went viral once again, extending into a Korean Remix with Sik-K and Jay Park and a Chanmina remix
Collaborations & Network
Confirmed collaborators include Keith Ape, Loota, Frank Ocean, Hikaru Utada, Mariah Carey, Megan Thee Stallion, Will Smith, Murda Beatz, Koshy, and King Giddra.
Labels and groups he has been closely tied to: Warner Music Japan / 300 Entertainment (label, 2025–), King Records (label, 2025), Nasty Hood / independent (2012–2021).
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| April 22, 1990 | Born in Oji, Kita-ku, Tokyo, to a Korean father and a Japanese mother; the paternal family name “Koh” (高) later inspires the stage name KOHH. His younger brother is the rapper LIL KOHH |
| November 2012 | Debuts as KOHH with the mixtape YELLOW T△PE; the 2013 follow-up YELLOW T△PE 2 draws attention through radio and beyond |
| 2014 | Releases his first album MONOCHROME. The lead track “Binbo Nante Ki ni Shitenai” spreads on YouTube and draws coverage from overseas media including VICE |
| January 2015 | Features on Keith Ape’s “It G Ma” alongside Loota and others. The video, lining up rappers from Japan and Korea, becomes a global viral hit — the decisive turning point that makes KOHH internationally known. Releases the albums Kuchinashi (梔子) and DIRT the same year |
| 2016 | Appears on “Nikes” on the physical edition of Frank Ocean’s Blonde. In September, features on “Boukyaku feat. KOHH” from Hikaru Utada’s Fantôme, crossing major works at home and abroad. Wins BEST HIP HOP ARTIST at the SPACE SHOWER MUSIC AWARDS |
| 2017 | Wins Best Japan Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards |
| 2018 | Appears on Mariah Carey’s “Runway (feat. KOHH)” (a bonus track on the Japanese edition) |
| January 2020 | At “KOHH Live in Concert” (LINE CUBE SHIBUYA), announces that the next album will be his last; releases the final album worst that April |
| December 2021 | Closes the KOHH name with a two-man show with The Cro-Magnons. Afterward centers his life outside music: a serialized column in the literary magazine Bungakukai, music-video direction, and running a shop in his home neighborhood of Oji |
| February 13, 2024 | After roughly three years of silence, returns under his birth name with “Team Tomodachi.” It explodes on TikTok, and regional remixes featuring DJ RYOW, Jin Dogg, Young Coco and others chain into a scene-wide phenomenon |
| June 28, 2024 | “Mamushi feat. Yuki Chiba” appears on Megan Thee Stallion’s album MEGAN, produced by Koshy, who also produced “Team Tomodachi” |
| July 30, 2024 | “Mamushi” is released as a single and debuts at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100, later peaking at No. 36 — his first Hot 100 entry |
| September 11, 2024 | Performs “Mamushi” with Megan Thee Stallion at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards; the video wins Best Trending Video |
| November 1, 2024 | Releases “TEAM TOMODACHI (REMIX)” featuring Will Smith |
| March 26, 2025 | Releases the album Okumanchoja (億万長者, “Billionaire”) — 16 tracks with Koshy, Diego Ave, Bankroll Got It and others, his first CD release under his birth name |
| May 26, 2025 | Releases “Maybach,” a collaboration with Murda Beatz — producer for Drake, Travis Scott, Cardi B and others — with a video shot in LA |
| July 3, 2025 | Holds his first Nippon Budokan solo show as Yuki Chiba, “Chiba Yuki — STAR LIVE.” King Giddra appears as guest act, Murda Beatz as special guest DJ, and “Team Tomodachi” becomes a mic relay with the remix cast |
| September 3, 2025 | Signs a record deal with Warner Music Japan and 300 Entertainment, building the machinery to carry Japanese hip-hop to the global market |
| January 28, 2026 | Releases “Annyeonghaseyo” with Korean producer Lil Moshpit. It spreads worldwide on TikTok, with a Korean Remix featuring Sik-K, BLASÉ and Jay Park |
| May 6, 2026 | Releases the single “Ma Iiya” (まーいいや). The next day it is adopted as the theme song for the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s “Amazing Thailand” campaign — a case study in Japanese rap’s reach across Asia |
| July 15, 2026 | Releases “Annyeonghaseyo (Chanmina Remix)” with a joint music video |
(The timeline lists only events with confirmed sources.)
Key Interviews & Primary Sources (Japanese)
- What does Yuki Chiba’s major deal change? Warner Music on carrying Japanese hip-hop to the world — Rolling Stone Japan (2025)
- WHO IS YUKI CHIBA? An exclusive feature, including a conversation with Naomi Watanabe — SWITCH (2025)
- Yuki Chiba declares he will no longer perform KOHH-era songs: “KOHH is gone” — Natalie (2024)
- Yuki Chiba on what led him to retire the KOHH name — miyearnZZ Labo, radio transcript (2022)
Main References
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8D%83%E8%91%89%E9%9B%84%E5%96%9C
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuki_Chiba
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamushi_(song)
- https://natalie.mu/music/artist/11320
- https://natalie.mu/music/news/631049
- https://natalie.mu/music/news/625343
- https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/yuki-chiba-loco-babytron-hot-100-first-debut-1235727544/
- https://hq.rostr.cc/insider/news/yuki-chiba-signs-with-warner-music-japan-300-entertainment
- https://tower.jp/article/feature_item/2025/03/03/0706
- https://fnmnl.tv/2024/06/22/160306
