Ryūta Karim Nesmith, known professionally as EXILE NESMITH, was born on 1 August 1983 in Kumamoto, Japan, to a Japanese mother and an Afro‑American father, and has worked as a singer, dancer and actor. He began performing in the duo STEEL in 2001, and after the group disbanded in 2002, he studied music in the United States, living in Los Angeles and New York while improving his English and deepening his interest in R&B. In April 2006 he released his debut solo single, "Tsuishin" was issued. The same year he entered the EXILE VOCAL BATTLE AUDITION 2006 ~ASIAN DREAM~, becoming a finalist and joining Nidaime J Soul Brothers; the five finalists also formed Dreamers ~EXILE VOCAL BATTLE AUDITION FINALIST~ in 2007. After Nidaime J Soul Brothers announced an indefinite hiatus in 2009, all members-including EXILE NESMITH-joined the main line‑up of Exile. In 2012 he became a founding member of the sub‑unit Exile The Second, and in 2013 he appeared in the co‑ed group Dance Earth Party for a year. His stage career expanded with a 2019 debut in the Japanese adaptation of the Broadway musical Peter Pan as Captain Hook/Darling, and he launched the NES‑FES music program in Kumamoto the same year. The single "Sarukouyo" was released on 25 December 2020, adding to his ongoing presence in Japan’s pop music scene.