I guess you can’t go wrong if your debut rap CD has Snoop Dog on back up vocals. Far East Movement (also known as FM), labeled as the first all-Asian group to make it into two top 10 American charts, accomplished that with their debut CD, “Free Wired” (Cherrytree/Interscope Records) which was released on October 12, 2010.
Snoop Dogg appears as a guest artist on “If I Was You”, where he departs from his typical style, according to the label, by integrating himself into the FM sound.
The song, “So What”, samples a group that has a huge influence on FM, The Beastie Boys’ and their smash “So What’cha Want”.
Snoop Dogg sings on the first hit single “Like A G6”, which is currently #1 on iTunes and #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The label claims that this is the first time that an all-Asian-American male group reached this level in the pop music industry.
Other artists on the CD lending their voices to group include Keri Hilson, Ryan Tedder of One Republic and Lil John. The CD is being sold in record stores and also online at iTunes audio under Far East Movement “Free Wired” EX Album.
According to the group’s biography, FM is a Los Angeles based pop-rap group that has built a solid fan base in the LA club circuit since 2003. Its members include Kev Nish (Nishimura); Prohgress (James Roh); J-Splif; and DJ Virman.
FM recorded and performed to build a strong underground fan base and had a breakthrough hit with “Round Round” after it was featured on The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift soundtrack in 2006, and is included in the video game of the same name. Their single, “Girls On The Dancefloor made it onto the Billboard charts in 2008 after it was featured in the film “Get Him To The Greek”, as well as MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew”, “CSI Miami” on CBS, and “So You Think You Can Dance” on FOX.
FM’s music has also been played on other television shows, “Gossip Girl, Entourage, ABC Family’s Lincoln Heights, the 2009 Miss America pageant. They were also featured performers at both the Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival in 2010.
FM signed with Interscope Records (subsidiary of Cherrytree Records) and before releasing Free Wired, they went on two world tours including as an opening act for Lady Gaga on her Monster Ball Tour. The group is said to blend elements of hip-hop, pop, electro and dance on its newest CD, “Free Wired.”
“Go Ape” is described as a club-banger that brings in Lil’ Jon of the Stereotypes for his crunk influence. The fast tempo dance love song, “Don’t Look Now” is also produced by the Stereotypes.
The tempo slows down with ‘Rocketeer’, a radio-ready pop ballad that features One Republic front man Ryan Tedder.
“It’s definitely outside the box for us, but we love to push our musical boundaries,” states J-Splif on the FM Web site (www.fareastmovement.com).
