LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Michael Africk, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of Handcraft Entertainment has announced the signing of Japanese British artist, model, and influencer Hana Kuro to a worldwide production/management deal. This is the second major signing for the J-Pop-focused company with a shared vision of building bridges that unite the biggest music markets and fans around the world.
Kuro’s passion for music, fashion, and culture has enabled her to grow her craft daily, and will soon be bringing her story to fans worldwide. Along with being a musician and influencer with millions of views on her social channels, Kuro has signed a partnership deal with Nutcase Milk and is in good company with fellow Japanese DJ and Entrepreneur Steve Aoki, Twitch Gamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, and Poker Legend Phil Hellmuth.
The multi-hyphenate finds synergy between seemingly disparate influences, fashioning her artistry into a vibrant and vital mosaic in the process. Sonically, Kuro brings an edge to the J-pop genre, vocally alternating between Japanese and English.
Attracting a strong social media audience and generating millions of views worldwide, Kuro introduces herself as an unpredictable and undeniable global voice through a series of upcoming singles, endorsements, and sponsorships.
“Everything is always a combination of things that I like,” she notes. “I’m half-Japanese, but I was brought up in the UK surrounded by Western culture. I’m a very open-minded person, and I try to fuse together different elements. Musically, I’m experimenting and creating my own sound.”
Kuro caught the attention of 6-time Japan Gold Disc-winning producer Africk who instantly recognized her ability to bring something special to J-pop. “Hana is an extraordinary talent. She has the “it” factor you are always looking for in an artist. Her voice has a unique sound and quality, and her personality and beauty are truly stunning. We could not be more thrilled at Handcraft Entertainment to introduce her and her music to the world.”
Africk’s first signing to the company was Anna Aya whose music is distributed by both Virgin Records globally and B-Zone in Japan. Aya’s first single “Someone Else”, written and produced by 9-time Diamond, Grammy-nominated producer Louis Bell (Post Malone, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber), and 6-time Japan Gold Disc Winner Africk (Mai Kuraki, Zard, Jordan Knight). It charted at #2 on Japan’s USEN Chart and #45 on the US radio Top 50.