After years of toiling in the underground and a string of releases on tiny independent labels, rock-rap group Asian2 finally broke into the Japanese mainstream in 2006 with the catchy single "Tooku." The five-piece is usually described in their home country as a "mixture" band in the vein of Ketsumeishi and Orange Range, two of Japan's biggest-selling acts of the mid-2000s. Like those two bands, Asian2 combines catchy, feel-good rhymes with a generally positive message and a variety of musical influences, including hip-hop and rock. ~ David Hickey