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With a concrete track record of managing Californian hip-hop artists and groups in the States, Yaniz Merican of YZ International has now cemented her position at the forefront of the Malaysian and Asian hip-hop industry. She has translated her years of Stateside experience into an unprecedented string of successful artist management case studies in Malaysia and across the region, pushing homegrown talent to its fullest potential and breaking it out onto the world stage. YZ International has also expanded from its core business model of solid artist representation to provide artists in the region and worldwide unparalleled access to professional consultation and collaboration in the fields of music production, radio and online promotion, physical and digital music distribution, and event coordination. Yaniz Merican is also Director of Operations (Southeast Asia) for the world's largest DJ coalition, Bum Squad DJz Worldwide.

At the core of YZ International's operations are the artists the firm manages: its roster includes such luminaries as Joe Flizzow of Too Phat, Pop Shuvit, Mizz Nina, turntablist crew Stylustiks (and its separate members, DJs Fuzz, Uno and Cza), Thaitanium (Thailand), the regional all-star supergroup Project E.A.R., and US mix DJ Latin Prince. All of YZ International's Malaysian artists are winners of the prestigious Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM), or the Music Industry Awards, the Malaysian equivalent of the Grammys.
Miss Merican has also facilitated East-West musical collaborations, namely singles by Too Phat and Warren G; Joe Flizzow and KRS-One; the Teh Tarik Crew and Zion I; Pop Shuvit and Inspectah Deck of the Wu-Tang Clan, Nitro Y Fanta, Dabo of Def Jam Japan, and Big Pooh, Cesar Comanche and L.E.G.A.C.Y.; and most recently Mizz Nina and Colby O Donis. YZ International works closely with imprints owned by its stable of artists as well, locking down endorsement deals and securing international and regional promotion opportunities for Pop Shuvit's Shuvit Management, Joe Flizzow's Kartel Records, Thaitanium Entertainment, DJ Fuzz's Mixology DJ Academy and Mizz Nina Productions. In addition, Miss Merican also acts as booking agent for local underground acts such as the KLG Sqwad, K-Town Clan and others, and a host of party DJs from across the globe.


YZ International also engages in international artist liaison engagements for regional live events, facilitating appearances by such major names as Nas for the Bangkok Hip-Hop Festival, and Flo Rida for the Hennessy Artistry series. The firm has organized and coordinated the live music programme for ESPN's X-Games Asia 2006. YZ International has also succeeded in exposing regional and global DJ talents to live venues across the continent, booking club shows for DJs in its network in Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, and Singapore. The firm has also successfully taken its artists on tours of Japan, Hong Kong, Manila in The Philippines, and Jakarta in Indonesia, cultivating a regional musical family in which all members are able to rise to the top of their local scenes and support each other in regional market penetration.


Miss Merican has also left an indelible mark further behind the scenes, laying out the groundwork for not only one-off collaborations, but also a comprehensive global network of production, licensing, distribution, and radio and online distribution channels for the projects under YZ International's purview. YZ International has been responsible for sourcing international contributors and collaborators for 17th AIM winner for Best Hip Hop Album and Best Hip Hop Song, DJ Fuzz's landmark Mixology mixtape series; coordinating and overseeing projects such as Nike Malaysia's star-studded World Cup 2010 anthem, 'We Run It' from music pre-production to music video execution and distribution; securing licensing and distribution for an international hip-hop compilation for the 2010 World Cup via LD & LK Japan; and for organizing and coordinating introductory album launches and press conferences for Asian artists in new untapped markets, locking down new opportunities and retail points, both physical and digital.

She is still struggling with her d90.

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