Hailing from Sendai in the north-eastern Tohoku region of Japan, DJ Mitsu The Beats cut his
teeth as a hip-hop battle DJ, perfecting his technique with countless hours of practice
before eventually teaming up with 2002 DMC World Champion DJ Kentaro.

At the turn of the millennium he formed the hip-hop group GAGLE with his younger brother
MC Hunger and DJ Mu-R, taking beat production duties and acting as “side MC”. The group
burst onto the Japanese hip-hop scene with their debut EP Bust The Facts on Next Level
Recording and have since recorded three full length albums, the latter two – 2005’s Big
Bang Theory and 2007’s 3 Peat – for major label Columbia Music Entertainment.

Having turned heads internationally with his world class productions for GAGLE, Mitsu
teamed up with Jazzy Sport productions to conceive a solo album featuring collaborations
with likeminded artists from across the globe and the musical spectrum, including American
rappers Phonte and Big Pooh from Little Brother, r&b artist Dwele from Detroit, soul diva
Lady Alma from Philadelphia, and New Zealand’s own keyboard king Mark de Clive-Lowe.
The resulting record, New Awakening, released by PlanetGroove in 2003, explored hip-hop,
neo soul and a West London-influenced club sound, earning the respect of hip-hop heroes
Pete Rock and DJ Spinna and major airplay from tastemaking DJs including the BBC’s Gilles
Peterson and Benji B.

Two volumes of remixes were commissioned from artists as diverse as Waajeed from
Platinum Pied Pipers, Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Rich Medina and Phil Asher, and fellow rising
Japanese stars Grooveman Spot and Breakthrough. The success of his debut album opened
further doors offshore for DJ Mitsu The Beats, with remix and production work flooding in
and invitations to perform overseas at events like Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival in
Sète, France. One of only a handful of Japanese DJs making waves outside their homeland,
Mitsu’s supreme DJ skills have been flexed in clubs worldwide and on mix CDs for Blue Note
Records, BBE and the excellent Extra Feeding series out of Japan.

In 2009, DJ Mitsu The Beats returns with his second solo album A Word To The Wise,
another international affair boasting guest spots from Elzhi from Slum Village, Black Spade,
Stones Throw artists Wildchild & Georgia Ann Muldrow, and Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood
Recordings jazz signing Jose James, with Korean MCs Dynamic Duo also featured and a
repeat appearance from frequent visitor to Japan Mark de Clive-Lowe. The release of his
new album again sees DJ Mitsu The Beats repping hard for Japan at home and abroad.