or simply Nesmith (stylized as NESMITH), is a Japanese singer, dancer and actor who is the vocalist and performer of Exile and Exile The Second. He was also member of J Soul Brothers' second generation Nidaime J Soul Brothers until their migration to Exile in 2009. Biography Karim Ryuta Nesmith was born on August 1, 1983, in Kumamoto, Japan. His mother is Japanese and his father Afro-American. Nesmith had always wanted to stand out since he was a child, so he started dreaming about becoming a singer. He was greatly influenced by Western music and artists such as Michael Jackson, Earth Wind and Fire, ZARD and many more. Nesmith's mother supported his dream of becoming a singer strongly and after he received an award in a local karaoke competition and was praised by his friends for his singing skills during junior high school days, he decided to go busking on the streets of his hometown. Nesmith originally debuted as a member of the duo STEEL in 2001, however they disbanded in the following year. After that, he decided to study abroad in the United States and get in touch with his roots and the music that inspired him. While living 3 months each in Los Angeles and New York, he faced many difficulties since he couldn't speak English at all. However, his vocabulary and English skills improved significantly during his visit. While studying in New York, he stayed at his father's home who lived in New Jersey. The main focus of his studies was on music, especially R&B because he couldn't categorize this music genre properly. During that time, Nesmith was also able to meet Takeda Mayumi whose autobiographical book Fight! (ファイト!) greatly influenced and inspired him when he was bullied in junior high school. They stayed in contact afterwards and are still communicating with each other to this day. Four years after the disbandment of STEEL, in July 2006, he participated in the EXILE VOCAL BATTLE AUDITION 2006 ~ASIAN DREAM~ and became one of the finalists, which allowed him to join the group Nidaime J Soul Brothers. The five finalists of the audition also formed the unit Dreamers ~EXILE VOCAL BATTLE AUDITION FINALIST~ in 2007. Prior to that, he debuted as a soloist in April 2006. Nidaime J Soul Brothers announced their indefinite hiatus after releasing one album in 2009 and all members joined the line-up of Exile shortly