Vorlage:Expand Vorlage:Infobox Musical artist
Jero (born Jerome Charles White, Jr. [1]in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 4, 1981) is an American-born Japanese enka singer[2]. His maternal grandmother was Japanese. He is the first black enka singer in Japanese music history.[3]
Jero majored in information science at University of Pittsburgh and graduated in 2003, and moved to Japan in the same year. Two months after arriving in Japan, he entered the NHK Nodo Jiman competition broadcast on TV.
His first single, Vorlage:Nihongo, was released in Japan on February 20, 2008. It entered the Oricon charts at number 4.[4] The Hip-Hop Culture is extremely popular among young Japanese, and the Japanese are curious about African-American Culture, so many are hoping that he will be able to spark interest in enka in the younger generation.[5] He held a concert on February 20, 2008 in Shibuya, a popular hangout for young people.[6]