<p>Electronic pop-rap group Far East Movement made their major-label debut in 2010. Founded in 2003, the outfit was originally a trio comprised of high school companions Kev Nish, Prohgress, and J-Splif, all of whom
... <p>Electronic pop-rap group Far East Movement made their major-label debut in 2010. Founded in 2003, the outfit was originally a trio comprised of high school companions Kev Nish, Prohgress, and J-Splif, all of whom had grown up in downtown Los Angeles. DJ Virman Coquia joined the lineup a few years later.</p>
<p>Far East Movement made their recording debut with the Audio-Bio mixtape in 2005, followed by a full-length album, Folk Music, in 2006. The band's big break arrived that same year, when the Folk Music track "Round Round" was featured on the soundtrack to the blockbuster film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Two years later, Far East Movement released their second indie album, Animal, and began earning more buzz for singles like "You've Got a Friend," "Lowridin," and "Girls on the Dancefloor," the last of which reached the Billboard charts. As a result, Far East Movement were offered a major-label recording contract with the Interscope Records subsidiary Cherrytree Records.</p>
<p>After touring overseas as the opening act of Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour and hitting the studio with the Stereotypes (the producers credited with "Girls on the Dancefloor"), Far East Movement made their major-label debut with "Like a G6," which topped the U.S. singles charts during the summer of 2010 and went either gold or platinum in four countries. They became the first Asian-American group to top the Billboard Hot 100. The song, along with the Top Ten follow-up "Rocketeer" (featuring Ryan Tedder), appeared on Free Wired, the band's full-length major-label debut, which was released later in the year. Dirty Bass followed in 2012, with the Justin Bieber collaboration "Live My Life" issued as the lead single.</p>
<p>Far East Movement spent the following years working on their fifth album, traveling between Asia and the United States and producing tracks with Asian artists. In 2016, the group -- by then a trio without J-Splif -- returned with Identity. The internationally inspired album included appearances by K-pop stars like Chanyeol (EXO), Jay Park, and Tiffany from Girls' Generation, as well as R&B artists like Tinashe, MNEK, and Macy Gray, and rappers like Soulja Boy and Big K.R.I.T. In 2018 the group issued the single "Bamboo," which featured Jason Zhang and Kina Grannis.</p>
<p>Jason Birchmeier<br />AllMusic.com</p>
