▁and ▁Y og gy ▁were ▁friends ▁in ▁high ▁school , ▁initially ▁bond ing ▁over ▁a ▁mut ual ▁interest ▁in ▁break dan cing . ▁In ▁their ▁second ▁year ▁of ▁high ▁school , ▁the ▁du o ▁participated ▁in ▁rap ▁cont ests ▁as ▁" F unk y ▁New ▁Style ." ▁They ▁became ▁acquaint ed ▁with ▁future ▁member ▁RO CK - T ee ▁at ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁events . ▁Later , ▁when ▁entering ▁college , ▁G aku ▁ran ▁into ▁RO CK - T ee , ▁and ▁inform ally ▁organized ▁East ▁End . ▁East ▁End ’ s ▁first ▁live ▁performance ▁was ▁at ▁an ▁event ▁called ▁“ Pe ace ▁Ball ,” ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁Many ▁acts ▁that ▁are ▁still ▁famous ▁in ▁Japan ▁today ▁were ▁in ▁attend ance , ▁including ▁DJ ▁H onda , ▁DJ ▁Kr ush , ▁Boy - K en , ▁DJ ▁Y as , ▁and ▁others . ▁East ▁End ▁continued ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁act , ▁and ▁released ▁their ▁debut ▁studio ▁album ▁Begin ning ▁of ▁the ▁End ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁but ▁gar ner ed ▁little ▁main stream ▁attention . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁the ▁group ▁released ▁the ▁EP ▁den im - ed ▁soul , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁the ▁single ▁“ Da . Y o . Ne .” ▁The ▁album ▁and ▁single ▁featured ▁Y uri ▁Ich ii , ▁together ▁under ▁the ▁new ▁collabor ative ▁name ▁E AST ▁END ▁x ▁Y URI . ▁Initial ly ▁sales ▁were ▁mod est , ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁" Da . Y