Born Mitsuru Takesue (竹末 充, Takesue Mitsuru) on 13 May 1969 in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Dohzi-T is a Japanese rapper, singer and songwriter who first emerged on the scene in the late 1980s. His musical career began with the formation of the hip-hop group Zingo in the early 1990s, but it was his solo work the following decade that earned him widespread recognition. In 2001, Dohzi-T released his debut solo single, "Shōnen A" (lit. "Boy A"), and he soon became known for his association with well-liked singers such as Shota Shimizu and Hiromi Go. It would be a few more years before his debut full-length would see the light, with ONE MIC reaching number 33 on Japan's Oricon chart in 2007. Over the years, he has produced a string of solo and collaborative hits that have topped the Japanese charts, such as "Mō Ichi do..." with Beni, which reached number seven in 2008, his 12 Love Stories album, which went to number three in 2008 and the 2012 link-up with SA.RI.NA. He also released the 12 Love Stories 2 in 2011.
