is a Japanese singer, songwriter, musician, music producer, and radio personality. He has produced six million-seller records and thirty-three Top 40 singles during his career. Kubota is currently part of

Sony Music Japan , often abbreviated as SMEJ or simply SME, and also known as Sony Music Japan for short (stylized as ''SonyMusic''), is a Japanese music arm for Sony. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, SMEJ is directly owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation and is ...

. In addition, he has composed and written songs for many singers including

Hiromi Iwasaki is a Japanese female singer who debuted in 1975. Her younger sister Yoshimi Iwasaki is also a singer. In 1981 she was awarded the Silver Prize at the Tokyo Music Festival for her song "Koimachigusa". Her representative songs are "" — "Roman ...

Misia Misaki Itō, commonly known as and stylized as MISIA, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. Born in Nagasaki, Misia moved to Fukuoka at the age of 14 to pursue a recording career. There, she continued her secondary education and briefly attended ...

Toshinori Yonekura born October 21, 1972, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer originally from Toyonaka, Osaka. Known as "Yone" to fans, Toshinori made his major label debut with the single "Mikan no Android" in 1992 on Geneon Entertainment. Aside f ...

Kyōko Koizumi (born February 4, 1966) is a Japanese singer and actress. She is signed to Victor Entertainment. Career In 1981, Kyoko Koizumi participated and won the Star Tanjo! programme and released her 1st single in March 1982. She gained her first num ...

, and many other recording artists. Kubota's musical genre has varied throughout his career including R&B,

Go-go Go-go is a music subgenre, subgenre of funk music with an emphasis on specific rhythmic patterns, and live audience Call and response (music), call and response. Go-go was originated by African-American musicians in the Washington, D.C. area du ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

, old skool,

psychedelia Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, and pop. His artistic influences include

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...

, and

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (born March 15, 1943), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the ...

.Toshi Kubota Interview
Hip Online. Retrieved 19 May 2012 Kubota has pioneered in the sound "

Japanese hip hop Japanese hip hop is hip hop music from Japan. It is said to have begun when Hiroshi Fujiwara returned to Japan and started playing hip hop records in the early 1980s. Japanese hip hop tends to be most directly influenced by old school hip hop, ...

" and "Japanese soul", an amalgam of funk, pop, R&B and go that has influenced many other musicians. Kubota has a tenor and falsetto vocal range and is known for his signature songs "Dance If You Want It", "Missing", " Love Rain (Koi no Ame)", "You Were Mine", "Give You My Love", and " La La La Love Song", which was the theme song of the television drama ''

Long Vacation ''Long Vacation'' (, also known as ) is a Japanese television drama series from Fuji Television, first shown in Japan from 15 April to 24 June 1996. The show's high ratings in Japan made Takuya Kimura popular in the Asia-Pacific region and is k ...

''. Kubota has a total of seventeen studio albums and ten compilation albums. He is among the all-time best-selling Japanese music artists, having sold over 16 million records worldwide to date.

Early life

Toshinobu Kubota was born in

Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...

, Japan. At a young age, he came in possession of

's ''

Songs in the Key of Life ''Songs in the Key of Life'' is the eighteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder. A double album, it was released on September 28, 1976, by Tamla Records, a division of Motown. It was recorded primarily at Crys ...

'' album. In high school, Kubota formed a high school band. After high school, he went to Tokyo to study economics. During that time, he began performing music at night clubs.Toshi Kubota (Amazon.com)
Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 May 2012

Musical career

1981–1982: Beginnings

Kubota got his start in 1981 when he met Haneda Ichiro at Komazawa University where they started the band Hottentots. A year later, he entered the Eastwest'82 contest and won the Best Vocalist award. By winning the contest, Kubota earned a record deal for his band to release their own music. He also started to appear as a guest vocalist for various albums for artists like Matsuoka Naoya. By the mid-1980s, Kubota began to compose for various artists like Iwasaki Hiromi, Koizumi Kyoko, and Tahara Toshihiko.

1986–1989: ''Shake it Paradise'' and subsequent releases

In June 1986, he finally debuted as a singer with the single "Shitsui no Downtown". The single charted at number 53 on the Oricon Singles chart. In September 1986, Kubota released his first album, '' Shake It Paradise''. The album reached number 22 on the Oricon charts. The album also spawned the singles "Ryuusei no Saddle" and "Missing". In December 1986, Kubota released a single, "Time", which charted at number 35 on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart. In February 1987, Kubota released a single "Goddess", which charted at number 21 on the Oricon Singles chart. In April 1987, Kubota released his second album, ''

Groovin' "Groovin" is a single released in 1967 by American rock band the Young Rascals that became a number-one hit and one of the group's signature songs. It has been covered by many artists, including the Young Rascals themselves in other languages. ...

'', which spawned the singles "Randy Candy", "Psychic Beat", "Daiyamondo no Inutachi", "Kitakaze to Taiyō", and "Eien no Tsubasa". In October 1987, Kubota released a single "Cry on Your Smile", which reached number 8 on the Oricon Singles chart. In February 1988, Kubota released the single "You Were Mine", which reached number 3 on the Oricon Singles chart. The single also sold over 100,000 units in Japan, reaching gold certification status. In September 1988, Kubota released his third album, ''

Such A Funky Thang! ''Such a Funky Thang!'' is the third album of Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota, released on September 30, 1988. The album peaked at number one and was certified million.

''. The album reached number 1 on the Oricon Albums charts and sold over a million copies. The album spawned the single "Dance If You Want It", which charted at number 2 on the Oricon Singles chart. In May 1988, he released his video-DVD ''Super Duper Vol. 1''. In July 1988, he released his concert DVD ''Keep on Dancing''. In January 1989, the second single "Indigo Waltz", which featured American-singer Lynn Davis, was released. The album's third single, "High Roller", charted at number 11 on the Oricon Singles chart. In October 1989, Kubota released his first

best-of A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

album, '' The Baddest''. The album charted at number 1 on the Oricon chart and sold a million copies. The album's lead single "Give You My Love", which also featured Lynn Davis, reached number 3 on the Oricon Singles chart.

1990–1995: Various albums and career breakthrough

In July 1990, he released his fourth studio album, ''

Bonga Wanga ''Bonga Wanga'' is the fourth studio album of Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota, released on July 15, 1990. Under the label, Kubota released his first single, "Be Wanabee" in October 1990, followed by "Mama Udongo" in March 1991. The lead single "B ...

''. In October 1990, he released the single "Be Wanabee", which reached number 16 on the Oricon Singles chart. In December 1990, Kubota released a single, "Our Song". In March 1991, Kubota released a duet single, "Forever Yours", with

Alyson Williams Alyson Williams (born May 11, 1962) is an R&B singer who had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some notable tracks include "Just Call My Name", "Sleep Talk", "My Love Is So Raw" and "I Need Your Lovin". Career The daugh ...

. The song was Kubota's first English language single. In December 1990, he released his second DVD ''Super Duper Vol. 2''. In September 1991, Kubota released his fifth album, '' Kubojah: Parallel World I'', which peaked at number 1 on the Oricon charts. The album spawned the singles "Keep on Jammin'" and "Honey B", which charted at number 15 on the Oricon Singles chart. The album's third single, "Amaoto", charted at number 33 on the Oricon Singles chart. In July 1991, he released his concert DVD, ''Bonga Wonga Tour 91''. In March 1992, Kubota released his fifth video album, ''Super Duper Vol. 3''. In July 1992, he released his sixth album, ''

Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 times ...

''. The album charted at number 3 on the Oricon Albums chart. The album featured the singles "Mayonaka No Taiyou" and "Let's Get A Groove: Yo! Hips". After the release of the singles, Kubota went on the "Funkin' On Neptune Tour". In 1993, Kubota went to New York to work on his music. In May 1993, Kubota released the single "Yume with You", which charted at number 5 on the Oricon Singles chart. On the same day, he released another single, "Orquesta Futari", which charted at number 13 on the Oricon Singles chart. In September 1993, Kubota released his second best-of album, ''

The Baddest II ''The Baddest II'' is a compilation album of Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota is a Japanese singer, songwriter, musician, music producer, and radio personality. He has produced six million-seller records and thirty-three Top 40 singles during ...

''. The album peaked at number 1 on the Oricon charts. In November 1994, Kubota released the lead single "Yoru ni Dakarete (A Night in Afro Blue)" from his upcoming seventh album. The song charted at number 5 on the Oricon Singles chart. In December 1994, he released the singles "Za-Ku-Za-Ku Digame" and "Sunshine, Moonlight". The single "Za-Ku-Za-Ku Digame charted at number 17 on the Oricon Singles chart. In January 1995, he released his seventh album, ''

Bumpin' Voyage ''Bumpin' Voyage'' is the seventh studio album of Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota is a Japanese singer, songwriter, musician, music producer, and radio personality. He has produced six million-seller records and thirty-three Top 40 singles d ...

'' and his video album ''Super Duper Vol. 4''. The album reached number 1 on the Oricon Albums chart. In July 1995, he released the single "Niji no Grand Slam", which charted at number 11 on the Oricon Singles chart.

1995–1998: Transition to American music and subsequent releases

In September 1995, Kubota released his eighth album, ''

Sunshine, Moonlight ''Sunshine Moonlight'' is the eighth studio album of Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota, released on September 5, 1995. The album credited under the name, Toshi Kubota. This was also Kubota's first English-language album. The album's musical style ...

'', which was his first English album. The album reached number 1 on the Oricon Albums chart and sold over a half of million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, " Funk It Up", was released along with the song "Nice & EZ" in the United States. The singles charted at number 91 on the Oricon Singles chart. The follow-up single, "

Just the Two of Us Just or JUST may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Just (surname) * Just (given name) Arts and entertainment * ''Just'', a 1998 album by Dave Lindholm * "Just" (song), a song by Radiohead * "Just", a song from the album ''Lost and Found'' by Mudvayne ...

", a duet with

Caron Wheeler Caron Melina Wheeler (born 19 January 1963) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and musician. Born and raised in London, she performed in various singing competitions as a teenager and began her recording career as one of the found ...

, was also released in the United States. The single reached number 30 on the Oricon Singles chart. In May 1996, he released the single " La La La Love Song", a duet with model

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...

, which became his best selling single and sold over a million copies. The song also charted at number 1 on the Oricon Singles chart. In October 1996, he released the second single, "Body-Cation", from his upcoming album. The single charted at number 12 on the Oricon Singles chart. In December 1996, he released his concert DVD, ''Super Duper Vol. 5 from New York'' and his ninth album, '' La La La Love Thang''. The album reached number 2 on the Oricon Albums chart. In late 1996, he went on the first international tour known as the "Oyeees! Tour". In February 1997, Kubota released the single "Cymbals", which charted at number 19 on the Oricon Singles chart. In March 1997, he released the concert DVD ''Toshinobu Kubota Concert Tour 96: Oyeees!''. In 1998, he released another single, "Ahhhhh!", which charted at number 5 on the Oricon Singles chart.

1999–2000: ''Nothing But Your Love'' and ''As One''

In July 1999, Kubota released the singles "Soul Bangin'" and "The Sound of Carnival". "Soul Bangin'" charted at number 25 on the Oricon Singles chart, while "The Sound of Carnival" reached number 15. In September 1999, he released another single, "Messengers' Rhyme: Rakushow, it's your Show!", which featured guest vocals from Naomi Shimizu. The single reached number 9 on the Oricon Singles chart. On 21 June 2000, Kubota released the single "Nothing But Your Love" which charted at number 97. On 28 June 2000, he released his tenth album, ''

Nothing But Your Love ''Nothing But Your Love'' is the tenth studio album of Japanese singer, Toshinobu Kubota (credited under Toshi Kubota), released on June 28, 2000. Background On June 21, 2000, Kubota released the single "Nothing But Your Love" which charted at ...

'', which was his second English album. The album reached number 7 on the Oricon Albums chart. Later that year, Kubota released the second single, "Masquerade". In September 2000, he released his eleventh album, '' As One'' and began the "Nothing But As One Tour". The album reached number 5 on the Oricon Albums chart. In November 2000, he released the single "Always Remain" from the album ''As One''. The single reached number 66 on the Oricon Singles chart. The album's second single, "Polyrhythm", charted at number 22 on the Oricon Singles chart. In October 2000, he released his ninth video album, ''Super Duper Vol. 6''.

2001–2003: ''United Flow''

In November 2001, Kubota released the lead single "Candy Rain" from his upcoming album. The single peaked at number 19 on the Oricon Singles chart. In February 2002, Kubota released the second single, "Respect (This & That)", which charted at number 49 on the Oricon Singles chart. In April 2002, he released the album ''

United Flow ''United Flow'' is the twelfth studio album by Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota, released on April 10, 2002. The album sold over 68,000 units in Japan. Release and the charts It was released in 2002 on Columbia Records. It charted pretty hig ...

'', which charted at number 9 on the Oricon Albums chart. In July 2002, he released his third compilation album, '' The Baddest: Only for Lovers in the Mood''. In December 2002, he released his fourth compilation album, ''

The Baddest III ''The Baddest III'' is a compilation released by Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota, on December 4, 2002. The album charted at number 3 on the Oricon Weekly Albums chart and stay on the charts for a total of eighteen weeks. The album also sold over ...

'', which charted at number 2 on the Oricon Albums chart. In May 2003, he released his tenth video album, ''Super Duper Vol. 7 The Baddest III on Films''. On 10 December 2003, Kubota released his Christmas maxi-single "Our Christmas". The single charted at number 10 on the Oricon Singles chart.

2004–2007: ''Time to Share and For Real?''

In September 2004, Kubota released his thirteenth album, ''

Time to Share ''Time to Share'' is the thirteenth album from Japanese musician Toshinobu Kubota, released on September 21, 2004 under his alias "Toshi." It was Kubota's third English album. Background and recording ''Time so Share'' was recorded at a multi ...

'', which charted at number 25 on the Oricon Albums chart. This was Kubota's third English album. The album featured the singles "Breaking Through", "Living for Today", "Hold Me Down", and "Shadows of Your Love". In the same year, Kubota appeared on the American television show ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...

'', becoming the first Japanese singer to appear on the show. In April 2005, Kubota released the lead single "A Love Story" from his album " For Real?", which charted at number 43 on the Oricon Singles chart. In August 2005, he released the second single, "Club Happiness", which charted at number 40 on the Oricon Singles chart. In November 2005, he released the third single, "Beside You", which charted at number 25 on the Oricon Singles chart. In March 2006, he released his fourteenth album, ''For Real?'', which charted at number 13 on the Oricon Albums chart. In July 2006, he released a duet single with SunMin called "Keep Holding U", which was featured on the soundtrack of the movie Nihon Chinbotsu. The single charted at number 16 on the Oricon Weekly Single chart. In August 2007, Kubota released the concert DVD ''Live 2006 We For Real'', which chart at number 43 on the Oricon DVD chart.

2007–2010: ''Timeless Fly and Love & Rain: Love Songs''

In 2007, Kubota began working on his fifteenth album. In August 2007, he released a single called "Magic", which featured rapper

Kreva Kreva ( be, Крэва, ; lt, Krėva or Krẽvas; pl, Krewo; russian: Крéво) is a township in the Smarhon District of Grodno Region, Belarus. The first mention dates to the 13th century. The toponym is derived from the name of the Krivich ...

. In March 2008, Kubota released another single, " Flying Easy Loving Crazy", a duet song with

. "Flying Easy Loving Crazy" was the second in a series of collaborative singles released by Kubota. The song, featuring Japanese R&B singer

, with whom Kubota had worked in the past, was written and composed by Kubota. It served as image song for the Japanese promotional campaign of the

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...

production ''

Dralion ''Dralion'' (pronounced Drah-lee-on) was a touring production by the Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. The show combined elements of traditional Chinese circus with Western contemporary circus, complementing the "East-meets-West" ...

'', ''Daihatsu Dralion'' in Japan. The B-side of the single features the song "Babylon Lovers," which is performed by Kubota alone. "Flying Easy Loving Crazy" debuted on the

Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...

Daily Singles chart at number 10 and peaked at number 18 on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart, with 6,071 copies sold in its first week. The single charted for six weeks and sold a total of 10,505 copies. In January 2010, Kubota released the singles " Tomorrow Waltz" and "

Star Light ''Star Light'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Hal Clement. It is the sequel to one of Clement's earlier books, ''Mission of Gravity''. The novel was serialized in four parts in '' Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact Magazine'' fro ...

". The single "Tomorrow Waltz" charted at number 33 on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart. In February 2010, he released his fifteenth album, '' Timeless Fly''. The album peaked at number nine on the Oricon Albums chart. Shortly after the release of the album, Kubota began the " Timeless Fly Tour" in Japan. Kubota also toured on the "Hall Tour 2010". In June 2010, he released the single " Love Rain (Koi no Ame)", which charted at number three on the Oricon Singles chart and sold over 21,000 copies in its first week. In November 2010, he released his fifth compilation album, '' Love & Rain: Love Songs''. The album peaked at number eleven on the Oricon Albums chart.

2011–2012: ''Gold Skool''

In July 2011, Kubota release the single " Nagareboshi to Koi no Ame". The single charted on number 24 on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart and sold over 2,727 copies in the first week of its release. In August 2011, he released his sixteenth album, '' Gold Skool''. The album charted at number three, selling over 33,000 copies in its first week of release. In September 2011, Kubota released the second single " Koe ni Dekinai". The single charted number 20 on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart and sold over 3,287 copies in its first week of release. In October 2011, Kubota began the "Gold Skool Tour". On 7 October 2011, the concert tour began at Misato City Culture Hall in Saitama, Japan. The toured lasted for twenty dates. The tour concluded on 25 December 2011, when he performed at Fukuoka City Hall for the second time during the tour. In January 2012, Kubota began his "Party Ain't A Party! Toshinobu Kubota 25th Anniversary! Tour", which celebrated his twenty-five years in the music industry. The toured only lasted for six dates. The toured concluded at National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. In May 2012, Kubota released the concert DVD ''Party Ain't A Party!'', which charted at number 5 on Oricon DVD charts.

2013–present: ''Kubossa, L.O.K. and 30th Anniversary''

In May 2013, Kubota released the dual single "Bring me up!/ My Cherie Amour". On 15 May 2013, Kubota announced that his seventeenth album, ''Kubossa: Parallel World II'', would be released in July 2013. Kubota's ''In the Universe Tour'' began in August 2013. In 2014, Kubota began recording his eighteenth album. In November 2014, Kubota began the "L.O.K Tour 2015" for his upcoming album. In January 2015, Kubota announced that his eighteenth studio album "L.O.K." will released on 18 March 2015. The album's title is an acronym for "Lots of Kisses". In March 2016, Kubota released a DVD called ''L.O.K Supa Dupa'', the DVD showed his national tour which had shown over 40+ shows. In June 2016, Kubota announced his 30th anniversary, he said that he will be making special preparations for this year.

Artistry

Kubota incorporates guitar, piano, percussion, into a majority of his song and often writes about love, heartbreak, and the celebration and humor of life. He has cited several musicians as his inspirations, including

, and

. Kubota's style is rooted in vintage soul music. He heavily incorporates classical piano and drums with R&B, soul, and pop music. He began experimenting with other genres, including reggae, go-go, psychedelic soul, funk, and rock music, in his latter albums, Kubojah: Parallel Word I, Bonga Wanga, Bumpin' Voyage, and

. Karen Hunter of ''

New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...

'' stated "He speaks with an accent, but sings in pure funk. Toshi Kubota, the Japanese soul sensation, blends the old sounds of

Sam Cooke Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred ...

, Stevie Wonder and even

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

with an up-to-date smoothed-out funk a la

D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...

." ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine states "Kubota's favored '70s retro-glam ward-robe emphasizes the mood of the music he loves".He Likes It Like That
Time Magazine. Retrieved 3 August 2012. Kubota has vocal range of a tenor and falsetto, which spans three octaves. Often referred to as "Funky Kubota", Kubota has been commended as having a strong, raw and impassioned voice; others feel that his voice is a "sake-voiced rhythm" at time and that he pushes his voice out of its natural range. Kubota is listed as one of Japan's best-selling artists, having sold over 16 million records worldwide.

Personal life

In 1989, Kubota left Japan to move to New York, where, as of 2004, he resides. In October 2004, Kubota married a 31-year-old woman working for a Norwegian company.Japan Entertainment News – 16 October 2004
Japan Entertainment News. Retrieved 11 August 2012 Their first son was born on 24 December 2004.

Discography

Studio albums

* '' Shake It Paradise'' (1986) * ''

'' (1987) * ''

Such A Funky Thang! ''Such a Funky Thang!'' is the third album of Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota, released on September 30, 1988. The album peaked at number one and was certified million.

'' (1988) * ''

'' (1990) * '' Kubojah: Parallel World I'' (1991) * ''

'' (1992) * ''

'' (1995) * ''

'' (1995) * '' La La La Love Thang'' (1996) * ''

'' (2000) * '' As One'' (2000) * ''

'' (2002) * ''

'' (2004) * '' For Real?'' (2006) * '' Timeless Fly'' (2010) * '' Gold Skool'' (2011) * ''Kubossa: Parallel World II'' (2013) * ''L.O.K.'' (2015) * ''3周まわって素でLive!~THE HOUSE PARTY!~'' (2017) * ''Beautiful People'' (2019)

Tours

* Shake It Paradise Tour (1986) * Groovin' Tour (1987) * Keep on Dancing Tour (1988) * I Need Your Funky Thang! Tour (1989) * Bonga Wanga Tour (1991) * Funkin' On Neptune Tour (1992) * Évry'ting Cook An Curie! Tour (1993) * Oyeees! Tour (1996) * Nothing But As One Tour (2001) * Mo'Bounce to the Ounce: Soul Party Tour (2003) * Toshi Kubota & Angie Stone Tour (with

Angie Stone Angela Laverne Brown (born December 18, 1961) known professionally as Angie Stone, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as member of the hip hop trio The Sequence. In the early 1990s ...

) (2005) * We For Real? Tour (2006) * Unity Tour (with

) (2007) * Timeless Fly Tour (2010) * Hall Tour 2010 (2010) * Gold Skool Tour (2011) * 25th Anniversary Toshinobu Kubota Concert Tour 2012: Party Ain't A Party (2012) * In the Universe Tour (2013) * L.O.K. Supa Dupa Tour (2015)

TV appearances

* ''Chance'' (1993, Fuji TV, Episode 12) * ''No Tomorrow'' (2010, Episode ''Kyūyū'') as the street musician

Awards and nominations

, - , 1989 , "Indigo Waltz" ,

MTV Video Music Awards Japan The MTV Video Music Awards Japan (MTV VMAJ for short) are the Japanese version of the MTV Video Music Awards. Like the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States, in this event artists are awarded for their songs and videos through online votin ...

: International Viewer's Choice Award , , - , 1996 , "Funk It Up" ,

: International Viewer's Choice Award , , - , 2006 , "Kimino No Soba Ni" ,

: Best Video from a Film , , - , 2008 , "Magic" (Toshinobu Kubota meets Kreva) ,

: Best Collaboration VideoMTV JAPAN ANNOUNCE NOMINEES FOR MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2008
. Viacom Asia. Retrieved 10 August 2012 ,

References

External links

* *

at

Toshinobu Kubota
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kubota, Toshinobu 1962 births Japanese expatriates in the United States Living people People from Shizuoka (city) Musicians from Shizuoka Prefecture Komazawa University alumni English-language singers from Japan Hip hop singers Japanese dance musicians Japanese male pop singers Japanese multi-instrumentalists Japanese philanthropists Japanese record producers Japanese rhythm and blues singers Japanese male singer-songwriters Sony Music Entertainment Japan artists 20th-century Japanese male singers 20th-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese male singers 21st-century Japanese singers