Photos used with permission from bip! and Giza, Inc.

      She is one of the hottest young singers from Japan and her name is Mai Kuraki. With singles such as "Love, Day After Tomorrow", "Stay by my Side" and "Secret of My Heart" debuting at #1, it was a surprise by her fans that Mai would be attempting an English CD single to be released in the United States.    

"Baby, I Like" is the American recording debut of Mai K. a 17-year old high school student who hails from Japan.  The maxi-CD single was released in December 1999 courtesy of BIP!Com, an online entertainment company launching into the online record company space.       The urban-flavored pop/dance single, entitled "Baby, I Like" has already created a stir overseas where it was released by Bip!Com with initial overwhelming response for the single at Virgin Megastore, Tower Records and HMV.  A Japanese language version of the single was released in Japan in conjunction with her Japanese company Giza/J-Disc.

      Japanese singers such as Seiko Matsuda and Toshi Kubota have released singles or albums in the U.S. and have had years of being established in their homeland. Mai K. will be the first young singer to release a CD single but she is with good company.

      Working on the CD single is legendary record producer Mark Kamins (Madonna, Fine Young Cannibals) who has completed a remix for "Baby I Like" for the vinyl edition of the song.  Kamins, who was the deejay Madonna handed her demo tape to at Danceteria, produced the 12" version of her first single "Everybody" which led to her record deal with Sire.  Joey Moskowitz (Mariah Carey, Backstreet Boys) shared remixing duties with monster deejay Justin Strauss (Depeche Mode, Erasure, Fine Young Cannibals), along with the commercial single's sound producer Perry Geyer (Manufacture, Sarah Mclachlin).  The 12" remixes are now available to club deejays.

      "Since dance music is truly international, it was with great pleasure that I had a chance to work with Mai K," said Kamins, who is also Bip!Com's Vice President/A&R.

      "Baby, I Like" is available in record stores nationwide and is already available online through Bip!Com (www.bipbipbip.com).  An Internet-only remix will be available soon online through Liquid audio.