MadeinTYO doesn’t have a typical rapper backstory. As the son of a Naval Officer, he moved frequently – traveling from base to base – until his family landed in Tokyo for the duration of his high school years. Inspired by his brother, artist 24hrs, MadeinTYO drew from the foreign culture around him and began to take music seriously. He uploaded his first song to Soundcloud at the age of 22, and a movement was born.

Today, the multi-artist has shared “Thinking To Myself”, a reflection of a more mature MadeinTYO as an established artist and father. The single comes alongside a music video filmed in Tokyo, Japan where he grew up in his teenage years and attended high school. At the time of the music video, MadeinTYO was the second U.S. artist to return to Tokyo, Japan since the border was reopened post covid. The video features IMMA, a well-known Tokyo-based virtual Instagram model. MadeinTYO reminds us of his lyrical versatility and ability to bring us back to his earlier rapping days.

“Thinking To Myself” is his latest work since a collaborative album with UnoTheActivist, Yokohama, that was released at the end of 2021. The album reflects on how Japan has influenced them and the project was named after a train station in Japan that MadeinTYO frequented growing up. The duo toured the album in February and March of this year around North America. The project followed his 2020 album Never Forgotten, which featured artists including J Balvin, Chance The Rapper, Smino, Toro y Moi, Young Nudy, Ty Dolla $ign, Cam’ron, LUCKI, BJ the Chicago Kid, Wiz Khalifa, and the late Chynna. Never Forgotten followed Tokyo’s 2018 album Sincerely, Tokyo and his deluxe project You Are Forgiven which included hit single “Uber Everywhere.”

Purchase “Thinking To Myself” by MadeinTYO HERE