Michael Africk | |
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Born | Boston, Massachusetts, US | August 20, 1975
Genres | |
Occupations | Singer-songwriter, record producer |
Years active | 1999–present |
Labels |
Michael Africk (born 20 August 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-platinum record producer and entrepreneur. After signing with Disney's Hollywood Records and releasing a solo album in 1999, he toured with N'Sync and Britney Spears. [1] [2] [3] He collaborated with Mai Kuraki as a producer, songwriter and featured performer on the album Delicious Way which debuted at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart and had the highest first week sales for a debut album in Japanese music history with 2,218,640 units sold and remains the sixth best selling album of all time in Japan. [4] He has collaborated on many chart topping singles and albums with Kuraki over the years, including the multi-platinum single Never Gonna Give You Up where he is also featured as a performer. [5] Africk has five number one albums and ten top three singles to his credit as a writer and producer, and has received 6 Japan Gold Disc Awards for album and/or song of the year.
In 2011, Africk released his second studio album with Japanese record label Northern Music/Being Music. The album was co-produced by Africk and Louis Bell. [6]
Since 2006, he has founded several entertainment and tech companies, including Handcraft Entertainment and Inmoji. [7] [8] [9]
Africk sang "Someone Like Me", the theme song for Disney's animated film Doug's 1st Movie . [1] The song was written by William Squier and Jeffrey Lodin, produced by Africk, Perry Geyer and Miguel Sa Pessoa, and featured the Boston Symphony Orchestra. [1] [10] In the same year, he released his 11-track self-titled album. [3] [11]
Africk was the opening act for N'Sync and Britney Spears, and toured in Japan. [2] [12] He composed the music for the Japanese anime series Secret of Cerulean Sand (2002). [13] "What Can I Do", his song for the final credits, features Mai Kuraki. [14]
Africk collaborated with Mai Kuraki for the song Baby Tonight, a single from the album Delicious Way. The album debuted at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart with 2,218,640 units sold, making it the highest first week sales for a debut album in Japanese music history and sixth overall. [4] He collaborated with Kuraki on other songs as a writer and/or producer, including Never Gonna Give You Up, Secret of my heart, Love Day After Tomorrow, Stay By My Side, and others from the same album. Never Gonna Give You Up, which features Africk as a performer was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). [5] He composed "Love One Another" with Kuraki for the benefit of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami victims. [15] The song, featuring his vocals, was released on his self-titled album and Kuraki's album Over the Rainbow in 2012.
In 2006, Africk started his tech career when he co-founded XLR8 Mobile. He would go on to found Dijit, Inmoji and Handcraft Entertainment as well. [16]
Africk founded Inmoji with Perry Tell in Boston in May 2014. [8] Inmoji is a software company offering a software development kit to messaging apps and an extension for smartphones that both create clickable icons that enable users to share their favorite brands, products, and experiences directly within the apps without leaving the message. [7] Inmoji raised $2.5 million in seed funding in 2015 and $6.5 million in Series A round in 2016. [17] [18]
Africk was named one of the 12 Top Tech Leaders To Watch In 2017 by Inc. [19]
Year | Title | Label |
---|---|---|
1999 | Michael Africk [11] | Hollywood Records |
2011 | Michael Africk II | Giza Studio |
Year | Title [37] | Writers | Producers | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | My Heart Belongs To You (Sexified) [38] | Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa | Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa | Hollywood Records |
2011 | Make It Loud | Michael Africk, Louis Bell, Jordan Knight [2] | Louis Bell [2] | Handcraft Music |
No... Yeah (featuring Sammy Adams) | Michael Africk, Sammy Adams, Matty Trump | Louis Bell | Handcraft Music - MusicBall / Souldiggaz | |
2012 | So Beautiful | Michael Africk, Louis Bell | Louis Bell, Michael Africk | Handcraft Music |
Year | Title | Label | Album |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | "Never Gonna Give You Up" (Mai Kuraki featuring Michael Africk) | Giza Studio | Delicious Way |
2010 | Boyfriend | Giza Studio | Future Kiss |
2011 | "Love One Another" (Mai Kuraki featuring Michael Africk) [39] | Handcraft Music/Cybersound Music | Over the Rainbow |
Year | Song | Album | Director |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Never Gonna Give You Up | Delicious Way | |
2011 | "You Were Right" (live) [40] | Michael Africk II |
Year | Award | Category | Work | Credit | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | 15th Japan Gold Disc Award | Pop & Rock Album of the Year | Delicious Way | Writer, Producer | Won |
Song of the Year | "Secret of My Heart" | Writer, Producer | Won | ||
2002 | 16th Japan Gold Disc Award | Pop & Rock Album of the Year | Perfect Crime | Writer, Producer | Won |
2003 | 17th Japan Gold Disc Award | Pop & Rock Album of the Year | Fairy Tale | Writer, Producer | Won |
2004 | 18th Japan Gold Disc Award | Pop & Rock Album of the Year | If I Believe | Writer, Producer | Won |
2005 | 19th Japan Gold Disc Award | Pop & Rock Album of the Year | Wish You the Best | Writer, Producer | Won |
Mai Kuraki is a Japanese pop and R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. After releasing her US debut single "Baby I Like" in 1999, Kuraki signed with Giza Studio and released her Japanese debut single "Love, Day After Tomorrow" in 1999. In 2000, she released her debut album, Delicious Way, which debuted at number-one and sold over 2.2 million copies in its first week. The album has spawned four top-three singles, "Love, Day After Tomorrow", "Stay by My Side", "Secret of My Heart", and "Never Gonna Give You Up". Eventually, the album sold over 3.5 million copies nationwide and became the best-selling album in Japan in 2000, and has been the ninth best-selling album in Japan of all-time.
One Life is the seventh studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on January 1, 2008. The album is Kuraki's first under the Northern Music label.
Diamond Wave is the sixth studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on August 2, 2006.
Fuse of Love is the fifth studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on August 24, 2005, over two years after If I Believe.
Delicious Way is the debut album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released by Giza Studio and Giza Inc. in Japan on June 28, 2000. The album was entirely co-written by Kuraki herself, with the help of Michael Africk and Yoko Blaqstone in some tracks, while production was handled by Kanonji. The album's background and development started in mid-to-late 1999 after her American debut single "Baby I Like", where East West Records and Giza Studio sent her back to Japan. To promote the album, four singles were released; "Love, Day After Tomorrow", "Stay by My Side", "Secret of My Heart", and "Never Gonna Give You Up".
Perfect Crime is the second studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on July 4, 2001, by Giza Studio.
Fairy Tale is the third studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on October 23, 2002 under Giza Studio label.
If I Believe is the fourth studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on July 9, 2003, only nine months after Fairy Tale.
Wish You the Best is the first compilation album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on January 1, 2004. The compilation won Pop Album of the Year at the 19th Japan Gold Disc Awards.
"Stay by My Side" a song recorded by Japanese singer Mai Kuraki. It was released on March 15, 2000, as the second single from Kuraki's debut studio album, Delicious Way (2000). It was written by Kuraki, Aika Ohno, and the Boston-based music production team, Cybersound. It is a gospel-infused J-pop and R&B song that talks about the protagonist's dream to be with her partner as long as possible.
"Reach for the Sky" is a song by Japanese singer songwriter Mai Kuraki, taken from her second studio album Perfect Crime (2001). It was released on November 8, 2000 by Giza Studio, simultaneously with her first video album First Cut. The song was written by Kuraki herself and Aika Ohno, while the production was done by Cybersound and served as the theme song to the 2000 Japanese TV program Audrey. The rearranged version of the song "Re:ggae Summer 2013 version" was released digitally on August 17, 2013.
All My Best is the second greatest hits album by Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter, Mai Kuraki. It was released on September 9, 2009, to commemorate her tenth anniversary in the music business. The album was issued in seven formats: a regular 2CD, a limited 2CD+DVD, a limited microSD, a USB flash drive, a MiniDisc, a compact cassette and an LP album. The album debuted at the top of the Japanese Oricon weekly album chart with sales over 137,050.
"Dancing" ("ダンシング") is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Mai Kuraki from her fifth studio album, Fuse of Love (2005). The song was written by Kuraki and her long-time collaborator, Akihito Tokunaga, and produced by Kuraki herself. The song served as Dwango's television commercial song. The single was released on 23 March 2005 through Giza Studio as the third single from Fuse of Love.
Future Kiss is the ninth studio album by Japanese singer and songwriter Mai Kuraki. It was released on 17 November 2010, by Northern Music. The album was originally scheduled to be released on 20 October 2010; however, it was pushed back to 17 November 2010.
Smile is the eleventh studio album by Japanese singer and songwriter Mai Kuraki. The album was released on February 15, 2017, by Northern Music. It is the follow-up to her 2014 compilation album, Mai Kuraki Best 151A: Love & Hope. The album was released on three editions: standard edition, fan club edition, and limited edition, which is accompanied with a bonus disc. Smile
"Togetsukyo (Kimi Omou)" (渡月橋 ~君 想ふ~, Togetsu-kyō Kimi Omou, lit. "Togetsu-kyō: Think of You") is a song by Japanese singer songwriter Mai Kuraki, taken from her fourth compilation album Mai Kuraki x Meitantei Conan Collaboration Best 21: Shinjitsu wa Itsumo Uta ni Aru! (2017). It was released on April 12, 2017 on physical format and April 19, 2017 on digital format by Northern Music and served as the theme song to the 2017 Japanese animated film Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter. "Togetsukyo (Kimi Omou)" is a Gagaku-inspired ballad. The song was written by Kuraki herself and her long-time collaborator Akihito Tokunaga. The song was later included on Kuraki's twelfth studio album Kimi Omou: Shunkashūtō.
"Boyfriend" is a song from Japanese singer Mai Kuraki and American singer-songwriter Michael Africk, taken from Kuraki's ninth studio album Future Kiss.
Secret of My Heart is the first English-language studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki, under the name Mai-K. It was released on January 10, 2002 under Giza USA. Secret of My Heart consists of two songs from the lead single "Baby I Like" and English versions of 8 songs from her debut album Delicious Way, which sold over 3.5 million copies in Japan. However, her fourth Japanese single "Never Gonna Give You Up" is included as the original version.
Kimi Omou: Shunkashūtō is the first concept album by the J-pop singer and songwriter Mai Kuraki. It was released on October 10, 2018, via Northern Music.
Forever for You is the second EP by the J-pop singer and songwriter Mai Kuraki. It was released on July 3, 2024, via Northern Music. The album marks Kudo's first album in over three years and first EP in over 6 years.
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