Nigo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nigo
ニゴー |
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Nigo in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tomoaki Nagao (長尾 智明) |
| Also known as |
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| Born | December 23, 1970 |
| Origin | Maebashi, Japan |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels |
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Nigö (ニゴー, Nigō, born Tomoaki Nagao (長尾 智明) on December 23, 1970) is a Japanese fashion designer, disc jockey (DJ), record producer, and entrepreneur. He is famous for creating the streetwear clothing brand A Bathing Ape (Bape).
Nigo is the artistic director for the fashion company Kenzo. He is also a member of the Japanese music group Teriyaki Boyz, where he is the official DJ.
Contents
Career in Fashion
Nigo's journey into the world of fashion began in 1993. He opened a small store in Tokyo and founded his first brand, A Bathing Ape (Bape). His mentor was another famous designer, Hiroshi Fujiwara.
At first, Nigo sold a small number of T-shirts and hoodies. His camouflage print hoodies became very popular with teenagers.
Famous Bape Designs
In 2002, Nigo launched the Bapesta sneaker. This shoe became a must-have item for sneaker collectors. The design was similar to Nike's Air Force 1 shoe. But instead of Nike's "swoosh" logo, it had Nigo's Bapesta logo. The logo is a star with a lightning bolt shooting out of it.
New Fashion Projects
In 2003, Nigo worked with American musician Pharrell Williams. Together, they launched the clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream footwear.
Nigo started a new company called Nigold in 2009. A year later, he launched another brand called Human Made. He left Bape in 2013 to focus on his new projects.
In 2014, Nigo became the creative director for the UT brand at Uniqlo. He also worked with the luxury brand Louis Vuitton in 2020. In September 2021, the famous fashion house Kenzo hired Nigo as its new artistic director.
Music and Entertainment Career
Nigo's interest in music started in college. He played in a punk rock cover band called Tokyo ... Pistols with other future fashion designers.
In 1997, he worked with musician James Lavelle on a music collection. He later released his own album in 1999 called Ape Sounds. The album mixed different music styles like trip-hop and indie rock. It featured artists like Ben Lee and Cornelius.
The Teriyaki Boyz
Nigo is the DJ for the popular Japanese rap group Teriyaki Boyz. The group also includes rappers Ilmari, Ryo-Z, Verbal, and Wise. They released their first album, Beef or Chicken, in 2005. Their second album, Serious Japanese, came out in 2009.
Nigo has worked with famous American artists like Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. He also had his own show on MTV Japan called Nigoldeneye.
Producing Other Music Groups
From 2014 to 2019, Nigo was a producer for the Japanese pop group Billie Idle. He helped guide the group and was the executive producer for their first album, "Idle Gossip."
In 2016, Nigo helped create a new hip-hop group called HONEST BOYZ®. He acts as the group's producer and DJ. The group has released several songs and worked with artists like Pharrell Williams.
Recent Music Album
On March 25, 2022, Nigo released a new solo album called I Know Nigo!. It was his first solo album in over 15 years. Many famous artists appeared on the album. These included ASAP Rocky, Kid Cudi, Tyler, the Creator, and Lil Uzi Vert.
Art Collection
Nigo is also a major art collector. He met the artist Kaws in 1996 and was one of the first people to support his work. In 2005, Nigo asked Kaws to create a painting for him. This painting, called the Kaws Album, sold for $14.8 million in 2019. The sale of his entire art collection earned a total of $28 million.
Fun Facts
- Nigo does not speak much English. He uses a translator when he gives interviews.
- He made a brief appearance in a short film by artist Takashi Murakami. The film was shown at the Tate Modern art gallery in London.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS |
BEL (FL) |
CAN |
NZ |
US |
US R&B/HH |
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| Ape Sounds | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| I Know Nigo! |
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89 | 170 | 21 | 29 | 13 | 6 |
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Hot |
US Bub. |
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| "Arya" (with ASAP Rocky) |
2022 | 8 | — | I Know Nigo! |
| "Want It Bad" (with Kid Cudi) |
20 | — | ||
| "Hear Me Clearly" (with Pusha T) |
— | — | ||
| "More Tonight" (with Teriyaki Boyz) |
— | — | ||
| "Heavy" (with Lil Uzi Vert) |
23 | 14 | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN |
NZ Hot |
US Bub. |
US R&B/HH |
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| "Lost and Found Freestyle 2019" (with ASAP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator) |
2022 | 89 | 12 | 6 | 40 | I Know Nigo! |
| "Come On, Let's Go" (with Tyler, the Creator) |
— | 7 | 4 | 35 | ||
Awards
- 2005 Style Award, MTV Asia Awards
- 2020 Fashion designer of the Year Award, GQ Japan Men of the Year 2020
Fun Facts About Nigo
- Nigo often uses a translator when he does interviews because he speaks little English.
- Nigo made a small appearance in a short film by Takashi Murakami. The film was called Akihabara Majokko Princess. It was shown at an art exhibition in London.
See also
In Spanish: Nigo para niños
- Star Trak Entertainment
- N*E*R*D
