ichi ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁V ocal ▁Battle ▁Aud ition ▁ 2 : ▁~ Y ume ▁o ▁Mot ta ▁W ak am ono - t achi ▁e ~ . ▁As ▁he ▁turned ▁ 2 4 ▁that ▁year , ▁he ▁considered ▁this ▁chance ▁as ▁the ▁last ▁try ▁for ▁his ▁dream ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁professional ▁singer . ▁He ▁passed ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁and ▁met ▁H iro omi ▁T os aka ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁round . ▁They ▁considered ▁each ▁other ▁to ▁be ▁strong ▁compet itors ▁after ▁seeing ▁their ▁performances ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁on ▁Sh û kan ▁Ex ile ' s ▁coverage ▁of ▁the ▁aud ition . ▁As ▁I ma ichi ▁and ▁T os aka ▁both ▁were ▁selected ▁as ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁ten ▁final ists ▁after ▁the ▁third ▁round , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁w inners ▁of ▁V ocal ▁Battle ▁Aud ition ▁ 2 ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁vocal ists ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁dance ▁and ▁vocal ▁group ▁S anda ime ▁J ▁Soul ▁Brothers . ▁On ▁September ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁final ▁round ▁of ▁the ▁aud ition ▁was ▁held ▁at ▁Ak as aka ▁Bl itz ▁music ▁ven ue ▁and ▁I ma ichi ▁won ▁the ▁aud ition ▁alongside ▁H iro omi ▁T os aka . ▁The ▁two ▁officially ▁became ▁the ▁vocal ists ▁of ▁S anda ime ▁J ▁Soul ▁Brothers . ▁A ▁few ▁days ▁later , ▁as ▁they ▁finished ▁recording ▁S anda ime ' s ▁first ▁single , ▁the ▁seven ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁met ▁each ▁other ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time .