Lyrics Born

• Name — Lyrics Born • Birth Name — Tsutomu William Shimura • Alias — Asia Born, Macka Dang Dang, LB • Born — 2 September 1972 • Birthplace — Tokyo, Japan • Origin — Berkeley, California, U.S. • Genre — Alternative hip hop, funk • Occupation — Rapper, singer, producer • Years Active — 1993–present • Label — Quannum Projects, Epitaph, Decon • Website — www.lyricsborn.com

Shimura was born in Tokyo to a Japanese father and an Italian mother. His family moved to the USA and he was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and later Berkeley, California. He attended Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida.

Shimura changed his stage name from Asia Born to Lyrics Born in 1995, citing the desire to ensure that he won fans based on his merits as a rapper rather than his ethnicity. His first studio album, Later That Day, was released on Quannum Projects in 2003. In an article published by Rolling Stone in 2022, Later That Day was listed as one of the "200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time." Lyrics Born's collaborations with Lateef the Truthspeaker on Latyrx records often see them trading lyrics back and forth in quick succession. Lyrics Born and Lateef's methodology for writing this type of lyric is described by Lateef in the book How to Rap: "With Latyrx stuff, when we have parts that we're writing that we're both going to be trading off, we write them together for the most part. I'll sit there and write a rhyme, like I'll write a line or two and then we'll break up who's gonna say what, and he'll write a line or two and we'll break up who's gonna say what. It's a very organic process." In 2023, Lyrics Born's most popular song "Callin' Out" was mentioned as one of the "100 Greatest West Coast Hip-Hop Songs of All Time" by Rolling Stone.

• Lyrics Born • Later That Day... (2003, Quannum Projects) • Everywhere at Once (2008, Epitaph Records) • As U Were (2010, Mobile Home Recordings/Decon Media) • Real People (2015, Mobile Home Recordings) • Quite a Life (2018, Mobile Home Recordings) • Mobile Homies Season 1 (2022, Mobile Home Recordings) • Vision Board (2022, Mobile Home Recordings) • Goodbye, Sticky Rice (2024, Mobile Home Recordings) • Latyrx (Lyrics Born with Lateef the Truthspeaker) • The Album (1997, Solesides) • The Second Album (2013, Latyramid) • Quannum MCs (Lyrics Born with Chief Xcel, DJ Shadow, Gift of Gab & Lateef the Truth Speaker) • Quannum Spectrum (Quannum Projects, 1999)

• Guest appearances • Blackalicious – "Deep in the Jungle" from Melodica (1994) • Blackalicious – "Release" from Blazing Arrow (2002) • Diverse – "Explosive" from One A.M. (2003) • Tommy Guerrero – "Gettin' It Together" from Soul Food Taqueria (2003) • Lifesavas – "Emerge" from Spirit in Stone (2003) • Haiku D'Etat – "Top Qualified" from Coup de Theatre (2004) • Blackalicious – "Give It to You" from The Craft (2005) • DJ Z-Trip – "The Get Down" from Shifting Gears (2005) • The Mighty Underdogs – "Ill Vacation" from Droppin' Science Fiction (2008) • Joyo Velarde – "Strong Possibility" from Love & Understanding (2010) • Lateef the Truthspeaker – "Hardship Enterprise" from Firewire (2011) • Suburban Legends – "Can't Stop It" from Day Job (2012) • Lotus – "Cannon in the Heavens" from Monks (2013) • Production credits • Blackalicious – "Do This My Way" from Nia (1999) • R. L. Burnside – "Goin' Down South" and "Someday Baby" from A Bothered Mind (2004) • Tracks appear on • "I Changed My Mind" on Quannum Spectrum (1999) • "Send Them" on Solesides Greatest Bumps (2000)