HONEST BOYZ®

HONEST BOYZ® (also known as HBZ) is a male Hip-Hop unit managed by LDH JAPAN and signed to LDH Records.

The unit was announced on April 15, 2016 as a project of long-term friends NAOTO and fashion designer NIGO, and currently consists of 4 LDH JAPAN related artists, with 3 of them taking the position of rappers, and the 4th member, NIGO, being the unit's producer and DJ.

The group's name is a homage to the Japanese Hip-Hop group "TERIYAKI BOYZ" that members NIGO and VERBAL were part of in the past.

Members[]

Current Members

VERBAL
NAOTO (Leader)
NIGO®
SWAY

Former Members

MANDY (2016-2024)

History[]

2016[]

On April 15, it was announced that a new Hip-Hop unit would be produced as a joint project of EXILE/Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS member NAOTO and fashion designer NIGO since they had been long term friends and often worked on designing clothes together. The group would be composed of 4 rappers: NAOTO, who was also the assigned leader, m-flo member VERBAL, EXILE/GENERATIONS member Sekiguchi Mandy and Gekidan EXILE/DOBERMAN INFINITY member SWAY. NIGO would act as the producer and DJ of the unit.^[1]^[2]

On June 25, the unit debuted with the digital single "PART TIME HERO". The song was used as the opening theme song for the drama Night Hero NAOTO, which stars member NAOTO.

2017[]

On November 7, they released their second digital single "YO!".

2018[]

On February 5, the unit released their third digital single "HeartBreakerZ" featuring CRAZYBOY.

On June 6, they released their fourth digital single "BEPPING SOUND" featuring HIROOMI TOSAKA.

In November, the unit released a music video for the unreleased song "TOKYO DIP" featuring American artist Pharrell Williams on their official YouTube channel. The collaboration came to be due to the friendship between NIGO and Pharrell, with Pharrell producing the song and participating on vocals. The music video, directed by NIGO, was shot in Shibuya and Nakameguro, and also features cameo appearances by Sano Reo and Iwata Takanori.^[3]

2019[]

On March 6, they released their first CD single "SAKURA" featuring the duo KOBUKURO.^[4] The single's title track is a reconstruction of KOBUKURO's hit song "Sakura" with a hip-hop approach.^[5]

In 2019, the unit provided the unreleased song "ELECTRICITY" featuring American Hip-Hop artist Lil Uzi Vert as the ending theme of the movie Detective Pikachu.

2020[]

In 2020, HONEST BOYZ® leader NAOTO started using the stage name "HONEST BOY" for his solo career as a rapper.^[6]

2024[]

On March 20, the unit released their first studio album HBZ digitally.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12] Prior to the release, the lead song "TOY BOY" featuring DEAN FUJIOKA was pre-released digitally on February 28.

On April 30, it was announced that Sekiguchi Mandy would graduate from the unit and depart from LDH JAPAN on June 25, 2024.^[13]

On October 2, they released their second CD single "ZUKUDANZUNBUNGUN", featuring comedian Satoshi Kaneda from YouTube collective Hannya..^[14] Prior to the release, the song "Chicken Hearts" featuring LIKIYA from MA55IVE THE RAMPAGE was pre-released digitally on August 28.^[15]

2025[]

On May 21, they released their fifth digital single "Popcorn" featuring choreographer RIEHATA as well as KID PHENOMENON members Endo Tsubasa and Yamamoto Kota.^[16]

On July 11, they released their first EP First Step digitally before releasing it as a cassette tape on August 15.^[17]

2026[]

On January 23, they will release their second studio album HONEST AVENUE digitally before releasing it as a vinyl on February 4.^[18]^[19]

Discography[]

Studio Albums

[2024.03.20] HBZ
[2026.01.23] HONEST AVENUE

Vinyl

[2024.05.08] HBZ
[2026.02.04] HONEST AVENUE

EPs

[2025.07.11] First Step

Singles

[2019.03.06] SAKURA feat. KOBUKURO
[2024.10.02] ZUKUDANZUNBUNGUN feat. Hannya.Kanada

Digital Singles

[2016.06.25] PART TIME HERO
[2017.11.07] YO! (要!)
[2018.02.05] HeartBreakerZ feat. CRAZYBOY
[2018.06.06] BEPPING SOUND feat. HIROOMI TOSAKA
[2020.08.07] O・Y (HONEST BOY)
[2020.08.07] YUM YUM (HONEST BOY)
[2020.10.23] TAKE ME HIGH (HONEST BOY)
[2025.05.21] Popcorn feat. RIEHATA, Endo Tsubasa & Yamamoto Kota from KID PHENOMENON

Pre-release Digital Singles

[2024.02.28] TOY BOY feat. DEAN FUJIOKA
[2024.08.28] Chicken Hearts feat. LIKIYA (MA55IVE THE RAMPAGE)

Vinyl

[2016.07.07] PART TIME HERO
[2017.11.07] YO! (要!)
[2018.02.05] HeartBreakerZ feat. CRAZYBOY
[2018.06.23] BEPPING SOUND feat. HIROOMI TOSAKA

Cassette Tape

[2025.08.15] First Step

Unreleased Songs

[2018] TOKYO DIP feat. PHARRELL WILLIAMS
[2019] ELECTRICITY feat. Lil Uzi Vert

References[]

External Links[]

[1] NAOTO、NIGO＆VERBALらとユニット「HONEST BOYZ」結成！

[2] ttps://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2070189/full/

[3] ttps://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2122749/full/

[4] ttps://natalie.mu/music/news/317513

[5] ttps://natalie.mu/music/news/313039

[6] ttps://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2168933/full/

[7] ttps://exfamily.jp/news-detail/29589/

[8] ttps://natalie.mu/music/news/552503

[9] ttps://www.tokyoheadline.com/727379/

[10] ttps://m.tribe-m.jp/news/detail?news_id=46194

[11] ttps://www.tokyoheadline.com/737685/

[12] ttps://realsound.jp/2024/02/post-1577600.html

[13] LDH JAPAN所属アーティスト関口メンディーに関するお知らせ

[14] ttps://m.tribe-m.jp/news/detail?news_id=47923

[15] ttps://m.tribe-m.jp/news/detail?news_id=48122

[16] ttps://m.tribe-m.jp/news/detail?news_id=50788

[17] ttps://m.tribe-m.jp/news/detail?news_id=51061

[18] ttps://barks.jp/news/1023283

[19] ttps://m.tribe-m.jp/news/detail?news_id=52425

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