NE-YO & MC Jin Take Japan With JP THE WAVY Deal
Originally published by AllHipHop Read the original
NE-YO and MC Jin’s Pacific Music Group is planting a flag in Tokyo and making Japanese rapper JP THE WAVY the new office’s first major signing.
The long-term 360 deal covers recorded music and management, with new releases planned for this fall. The agreement also includes audience growth, collaborations, touring opportunities and brand partnerships.
“This partnership gives me the platform to keep pushing my sound forward and connect with fans around the world,” JP THE WAVY said.
The move gives Pacific Music Group, known as PMG, a direct base in the world’s second-largest recorded music market.
Tomomi Takeshima and MiMi Shimada will co-lead PMG Japan. The company says the office will help Japanese artists enter other markets while bringing international acts to Japan and the wider Asian region.
JP THE WAVY broke through in 2017 with “Cho Wavy De Gomenne.” He later joined Good Gas for “Bushido” on the F9: The Fast Saga soundtrack.
PMG now wants to expand his reach across Asia, the United States and other Western markets without stripping away the sound and identity that built his audience at home.
The rapper becomes the latest piece of an aggressive regional expansion. PMG launched from Hong Kong in November 2025 with NE-YO, Indian singer Sonu Nigam, MC Jin and former Warner Music Asia co-president Jonathan Serbin.
AllHipHop covered the company’s launch and its plan to build a global path for Pan-Asian artists. MC Jin leads PMG’s Hip-Hop division, extending work that began after his seven straight wins on BET’s 106 & Park Freestyle Friday led to a Ruff Ryders deal.
PMG has moved quickly since then. Its Korean operation signed Tiffany Young as its first artist in April.
The company also became the exclusive Asia manager and global label for Timbaland’s AI artist TaTa Taktumi, then reached a September partnership with Kaskade covering Asian territories.
The Tokyo launch adds Thai R&B singer Fyeqoodgurl, Taiwan’s Nasi and Hong Kong artist Zolie Chan to PMG’s broader roster. The company says its labels now include electronic imprint Ghostone Records and Family Style Records, the Hip-Hop operation led by MC Jin.
PMG is entering the Japanese market, which grew 8.9% in wholesale recorded music revenue in 2025, according to IFPI.
For JP THE WAVY, the next test comes this fall when the first music under the agreement begins reaching listeners outside Japan.
