mflo is love

M-flo Rocks Seoul Party Scene Despite Delay

Japanese hip-hop superstars m-flo By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Japanese hip-hop superstars m-flo rocked the Seoul party scene with two sold-out concerts on Friday and Saturday, as part of the ``m-flo Tour 2007 Cosmicolor.'' This was the duo's first concert in Korea since their ``Beat Space Nine'' tour in 2005. The Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel's Kayagum Hall was packed with fans who were eager to see m-flo perform in Seoul. However, Saturday's concert was marred by a delay that caused fans to wait 2 hours and 45 minutes for m-flo's performance. At a press conference at the W Hotel on Saturday afternoon, m-flo's rapper Verbal and producer Taku Takahashi expressed excitement at performing before Korean fans once again. ``Korean fans are very enthusiastic. We're very pleased to see many Korean fans at our concerts, so we are always coming here. At our concert (on Friday), we saw some Japanese fans, and Korean fans clap their hands. We are pleased to see that Korean fans are welcoming Japanese fans. Through music, I think people can understand each other more deeply,'' Verbal said. When asked how they feel at the popularity of Japanese pop culture in Korea, Taku said he was happy to know that Koreans are appreciating their music. Verbal laughed, saying that he saw many fans at the airport but it turned out they were waiting for Japanese actor Tamaki Hiroshi. M-flo is known for their unique collaborations with top Japanese artists such as Koda Kumi, Amuro Namie and Crystal Kay, as well as Korean artists like Boa, Wheesung and Clazziquai. Taku said they liked working with these Korean singers because they have powerful voices, strong characters and good musical style. On Saturday evening, fans were dismayed at the delay in m-flo's performance. Tickets for the ``club event'' indicated the show would start at 10 p.m., but fans were lining up as early as 7:30 p.m. When the gates opened at 10 p.m., fans were surprised by the announcement that m-flo would perform at 12:45 a.m. This prompted dozens of fans to storm out of the concert to demand a refund from the organizers, 02 Productions and S.M. Entertainment. Fans complained that they had to stand while waiting for m-flo's performance, since guards refused to let them sit on the floor. Perhaps sensing the crowd's growing restlessness, Verbal came out at 12:15 a.m. to appease the fans. He asked the crowd to wait for a few more minutes and enjoy the music by the DJs. A representative from the concert organizers appeared before the crowd to apologize for the delay, attributing it to technical difficulties. When m-flo finally took the stage, fans forgot all about the long wait and greeted them with loud screams. M-flo made up for the delay with an energetic show, performing with Korean singers Wheesung and Alex of Clazziquai. Wheesung, who is recently making a comeback, sang ``I'm Da 1,'' from m-flo's ``Beat Space Nine album.'' Alex performed ``Love Me After 12 a.m.,'' which is included in the ``Cosmicolor'' album. In contrast, m-flo's concert on Friday went off without a hitch. M-flo opened the show with a performance of ``Summer Time Love,'' with J-pop singers Emi Hinouchi and Ryohei. Rapid fire rapping from Verbal, excellent mixing from Takahashi, as well as colorful visuals and thumping dance beats all combined to energize the concert crowd, who kept screaming and jumping throughout the nearly 3-hour show. Most of the songs were from their latest album ``Cosmicolor.'' Verbal, who is ethnically Korean but grew up in Japan, addressed the crowd in a mix of English, Japanese and Korean. M-flo also performed with J-pop singers Yoshika and Emyli, on songs such as ``Loop in my Heart,'' ``Love Song'' and ``Let Go.'' Former m-flo member Lisa also reunited with Verbal and Takahashi on stage, to perform songs from their earlier albums.