Viper Hamato (singer, Songwriter and Producer)

[Guest PhasedWolf13]

The History of Viper Hamto started off with a simple intuition, wanting to chase a career in Music. Working Hard to find a label to sign him, Viper - along with his Brother (coincidentally named Raphael) started a label with only $2,000,000 and a small album budget.

 

Under both brothers agreeing over what name. It was named Hamato Records and began in October in 2003.

Having Partial Experience in watching other artists like Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Prince and George Michael to name a few. Viper began training himself in Vocal Ability, production and learning the drums. Having already learned Piano at a young age while in Japan. Viper had it quite easy in terms of what instruments he could learn.

 

Having been signed for 3 albums under a contract of $11 every album made, Viper had agreed to do this sacrifice in order to keep the record afloat until such time as investors took interest in his work as an artist, which began in Mid to late November.

 

[Guest PhasedWolf13]

Having now written a full-length Album, Viper was off to a crushing start, and the quality of the album went to show when the first single was put out.

 

"Cheater" is the first single consisting of 4:02 seconds in length, 5:10 in Album length due to radio restrictions. The Genre had consisted of R&B as Viper felt as if he could push himself out more instead of singing about "Lovely Dovey break-up songs that pop does all the time". Though a lot of reviews state that Viper is singing about a friend or girlfriend betraying him. the Lyrics "Somebody said/Give up instead/On How you feel/one Blow to the head is all you need" State otherwise of a darker meaning in which Viper stated his friends were in rough times during High School.

 

Due to the lack of promotion and Radio play, Viper Pushed out a Music Video for the Single either way and had done relatively well for the lack of both Promotion and Radio Play:

 

Charts

Japan:5 [128,074]

Russia:10 [28,662]

Egypt:9 [2,632]

Australia:10 [24,694]

New Zealand:13 [4,367]

United Kingdom:11 [137,547]

Austria:10 [5,255]

Canada:8 [44,649]

United States:9 [382,161]

 

Total Shown:578,041 WW:1,642,942

 

With the relative success of being his debut single, a lot of people had accused of false sales, though it was quickly shot down with it being there for another week before rapidly dropping down the charts two weeks later

 

Critcal Reception

Cheater consists of something that the likes of Michael Jackson touched, even though credits consist of Viper Hamato Writing and Producing with Dr.Dre beside him, the lyrical content is quite dark. But is something of almost Mariah Carey like writing at an amateur writing stage

 

Viper Hamato on SNL

Well, Cheater was written while I was in School, and even though I lived in Brooklyn, I had oddly enough had school all the way over in Hells Kitchen, and the stuff that I'd seen around in that school was something to almost scaring someone out of New York entirely unless your a Native or you've been here long enough to know what's going on in this city

[Guest PhasedWolf13]

And it was with that Shortly after that Viper Hamato had dropped his Debut album, in which people had been eagerly awaiting.

 

Burning Flag

10 Tracks, 50 Minutes

Genre: Pop

Release Date:10th of May, 2004

Exec. Producer: Viper Hamato

Label: Hamato records

 

Critical reception

Viper stated that Cheater was one of the darkest songs off of the Album, and it was. With the Cover of Earth Wind & Fires "Let's Groove" made with a more funkier R&B beat as Produced beside Dr. Dre Once again - The Album Consists of 50 Minutes worth of the proper R&B you'd hear and not The recent Rap/R&B crossovers from other Artists which is disappointing in it's least from factor. Viper's Debut album really consists of something with Potential, and we'll be happily awaiting the Sophmore Album

 

Commercial Sucess

Having more than 75,000+ Records In the US alone in the first week - Viper had found his niche in the tough industry of Auto-tuned and overprocessed Music with a Slam dunked "80's-90's Sound" 

 

Track List

1.Cheater

2.Love And Leaving

3.Rain Check

4.Monkey Business

5.Hey Little Lady (Interlude)

6.Let's Groove

7.The River

8.Photographic

9.It's Alright

10. Burning Flag

 

Charts

Japan:6 [49,175]

Russia:10 [10,096]

Egypt: 9 [1,668]

Australia:8 [15,463]

New Zealand:9 [2,624]

United Kingdom:9 [83,022]

Austria:12 [3,245]

Canada:11 [24,940]

United States:7 [392,099]

 

Total:582,332 WW:982,236

[Guest PhasedWolf13]

Having now been well over a month since the last single release for Viper's Burning Flag Project. Hamato records Marketing staff suggest that he release a new single from the album to keep up the hype of the album itself and to gain more of a bigger fanbase. Enter Viper's second single from the album "Monkey Business"

 

Monkey Business was a 5:10 track that consisted of a 40-second intro before starting with the song itself. The Songs intro was cut as well as the "Breakdown" section of the song which plays around with instruments and background vocals. The song consists of an R&B Background that was both Written by Viper and Produced by Dr. Dre under Viper's Guidance.

 

Though having more promotional success then cheater. Viper was still not up to the scratch of the Records promotional standard of what he should be doing.

 

The music video was shot in Brooklyn, Viper's home burrow and consisted of a celebrity being chased around by the press consistently. Though the song is about something else according to Viper - The song's title fits the music video well enough with the lyrical line "Your Business/is My Business"

 

Charts

Japan:7 [101,362]

Russia:6 [27,560]

Egypt:8 [2,889]

Australia:7 [25,074]

New Zealand:8 [4,641]

United Kingdom:9 [138,923]

Austria:4 [5,352]

Canada:9 [51,329]

United States:11 [409,134]

 

Total:766,264 WW:1,682,628

 

[Guest PhasedWolf13]

It was then after two months, under Vipers direction that he released "Burning Flag" which was then unknowingly last Single thinking it was his second last instead.

 

Being 4:39 in length and shortened down to 3:12 for the radio version, Viper put no effort whatsoever into the promotion for this single. Though pushing out a lyric video showed how much he enjoyed pushing this out as a single.

 

With critical reception calling this song one the weaker, repetitive songs on the album - Viper pushed it out in the hopes of it charting, in which it did relatively well for what the lyrical content was.

 

Having done relatively weak outside of Japan and the US, Viper had to pick up his game somehow. And that's when the changes to the label came

 

Sales

Japan:3 [136,489]

Russia:11 [30,680]

Egypt:12 [3,008]

Australia:15 [25,188]

New Zealand:13 [4,495]

United Kingdom:11 [155,647]

Austria:11 [5,900]

Canada:6 [58,342]

United States:7 [444,675]

 

Total:864,424 WW:1,850,583

[Guest PhasedWolf13]

Having now begun writing music for his new album due to Marketing refusing to let Viper release another song "Let's Groove" as a single off of the album, Viper's contract was terminated by Hamato Records and was insisted he takes up a more expensive contract by his manager. marketing and Investors now running only 24% of the company suggested that Viper be brought with a contract for $7,500,000 in which his brother agreed on and his manager agreed on happily, though Hamato wanted more. He was happy he was able to get more than a skimpy 11 for how much money he'd raked in for the company thus far.

 

And it was in December after 3 months of writing in different recording studios that Viper finally had his first hit song that was penned all the way back in October which would go on his Sophmore Album.

 

With the first single titled "The Continental" the song goes for 5:10 seconds with a conversation in the end which was cut from the single edit making it 3:10 seconds long. Having performed this song on Saturday Night Live and various other shows within Asia to help boost up his reputation and the hype for his next album. Viper pushed out the single on the 20th of December, 2004.

 

With a music video along with it, the Video was shot in Utah, about a couple who fall in love. Doing relatively well, the heads of Hamato records were very surprised with Hamato's rankings

 

Sales

Japan:1 [269,378]

Russia:4 [41,382]

Eygpt:4 [4,691]

Australia:6 [29,258]

New Zealand:7 [5,213]

United Kingdom:7 [223,984]

Austria:5 [12,491]

Canada:2 [138,412]

United States:3 [843,551]

 

Total: 1,568,360 WW: 3,115,780

 

Having his first Number One in Japan, Viper was relatively over the moon being barely a year into his work as a Singer and Performer.

 

Critical reception

Having the first new single off of Viper Hamato's New Album straight after the new one he'd just released seems a little too soon but promises in fact, though a little too soon - has made up for it by making a song with a catchy beat and harmonies that most pop singers would die for to make their songs all the more intricate. I've also got the gut feeling we'll see more of the harder and harsher Viper Hamato on this album vocal wise

 

And indeed they did, having worked for more than 3 months on his sophomore album. Viper Hamato released then released his next single from his now unknowingly named album "Side Effects"

[Dashan Sics]

Yes! I like your career. I can not wait to see more. ;D

[Guest PhasedWolf13]

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