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Japanese Hip Hop Question

HAZHAZ 3,376 Posts
edited August 2005 in Music Talk
Hi,I know that hip hop is popular in Japan, but haven't ever heard any Japanese hip hop. What's worth checking out?Peaceh

  Comments

  • djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts
    I really only like Muro's stuff... The Pan Rhythm album is pretty dope...

    Check for the old stuff; Zeebra, Microphone Pager, S.D.P. (who were on De La's album)...

    Not really down with lots of the new acts and stuff like Gagle or Mitsu the beats, really loud and annoying rap voices and chants... some of the instrumental stuff or remixes are dope... peep out the GROOVEMAN SPOT EP for some dope jazzy shit.

    peace.
  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    gagle + dj mitsu

    grooveman spot

    breakthrough

    rip slyme = more pop but great nonetheless



    I like hunger (mc for gagle) but it's definitely an acquired taste. He's certainly got his own style, not trying to sound like american mc's like a lot of the early backpack japan hiphop stuff in the mid to late 90's.
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I just got stock of an instrumental record by AY-B Force that is pretty dope. Has some house tendencies...
  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    I just got stock of an instrumental record by AY-B Force that is pretty dope. Has some house tendencies...

    there's a vol 2 coming out that's also quite good.

    if you're into that, look for gems ep 1 & 2.......kiyo, grooveman spot and a few others.
  • djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts
    I like hunger (mc for gagle) but it's definitely an acquired taste. He's certainly got his own style, not trying to sound like american mc's like a lot of the early backpack japan hiphop stuff in the mid to late 90's.

    how were the mid-late 90s japanese mcs trying to sound like american mc's when they rapped in japanese? i can understand the beats, but the rappin'

    plaese to give example
  • grandpa_shiggrandpa_shig 5,799 Posts
    when i was living out there, dragon ash was HUGE. they just dropped their number 1 besto hit "i love hippu hoppu" which was an interpolation of joan jett's "i love rock n roll". later they had the hit "grateful days" which looped up that smashing punkins song "today". i think dude was on that sugarsoul song "garden" which is also a great song. i dont think any of it was on vinyl though.


    the only other stuff i heard is by the gas boys and el mariachi. not bad. oh, and the major force shit, kan takagi, tycoon tosh, tiny panx, melon, etc.
  • yuichiyuichi Urban sprawl 11,332 Posts
    Tha Blue Herb. One of the sickest MC, Producer duos in the land of the rising son. and boasting one of the craziest lyricists from Japan, IMO. Think of like an Aesop Rock that actually makes sense, and has more style. I got their debut album on CD. it's SICK. As far as lyrics, it'd murder almost anything. Other than them, i don't know or don't care much about Japanese rap.
  • DJ_WubWubDJ_WubWub 874 Posts
    The major force box set is worth picking up but hard to find cheap.
  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    I like hunger (mc for gagle) but it's definitely an acquired taste. He's certainly got his own style, not trying to sound like american mc's like a lot of the early backpack japan hiphop stuff in the mid to late 90's.



    how were the mid-late 90s japanese mcs trying to sound like american mc's when they rapped in japanese? i can understand the beats, but the rappin'



    plaese to give example



    it's less to do w/ the actual language and more w/ cadence and flow. People like shing02, etc......it wasn't awful music, but they were just too concerned w/ sounding like their american brethren.



    whereas there's no mistaking hunger's flow........dude reminds me of a fun loving guy who drank just a little too much sake at a k-bar. OK, I guess I'm thinking of shig, woot woot!



    obviously not tuned for western ears, but that's why I like it.



    ps: I forgot to mention nujabes
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    Cosign on

    GAGLE
    Nujabes
    Blue Herb
  • funksnotdeadfunksnotdead 364 Posts
    Not really down with lots of the new acts and stuff like Gagle or Mitsu the beats, really loud and annoying rap voices and chants... some of the instrumental stuff or remixes are dope... peep out the GROOVEMAN SPOT EP for some dope jazzy shit.

    i actually like a lot of mitsu's stuff. his instrumental stuff is on point and i like a few of his remixes, usually stuff he's done for west coast folks, ie crown city rockers. smooth. so i guess this is a long winded coscion on sheep's post.

  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    Just got back from Tokyo and Hip-Hop and Dancehall are still HUGE!!!!!!! Muro's new LP came out two weeks ago and has some good stuff on it. It's called "20 street years." Rolled around Tokyo with Muro and his crew while I was there. Dev Large put out a new LP recently but I have not heard it yet. The Japanese language does not work to well in "American" style rap rhyming. It always sounds a little funny like when British or Australian or French cats are rapping. No disrespect, but Rap sounds best in English. There are still a lot of "Hip-Hop" acts in Japan that get a lot of radio/video play that are VERY corny and commercial. Hip-Hop in Japan is more about the DJ. LOTS of dope clubs and MAD people in Tokyo DJ. a lot of people have 1200's and huge amounts of vinyl in their apartments and DJ as a hobby. There are a large number of very dope DJs in Tokyo with crazy music knowledge. Wifey and I went to a club with Muro and his crew on a Thursday night around 1:30AM. Muro went on at two and KILLED it with an all 45s set. The club night started at 10:00pm AND WENT TILL 5:00am. 9 DJs in the main room and a lounge upstairs with dancehall selectas. The DJs before and after Muro's set were ill and played very good music. All older joints, nothing past the early 90s. Mad cool crowd and the kids knew all the songs. Lots of energy and dancing, very good vibe. I will post a whole Tokyo wrap up with pictures later tonight or tomorrow.
    Sayonara bitches!!!!
  • stop_33stop_33 365 Posts
    chan,
    can't wait to see this...
    man, i wanna get back to tokyo soon. it's been too long...
    sip
    *talk to neil at beat street yet? let's make this happen!!!
  • kennykenny 1,024 Posts
    save to say that you're basically looking for all the pre-1997 j-hiphop, like around 94-96 are the best. (although the new DJ Tonk stuff are very nice)

    but the earlier stuff like Soul Scream "Positive Gravity" LP:



    Zeebra "Rhyme Animal"

    King Giddra's debut album

    Buddha Brand "Don't Test Da Master" (which i believe jacked Group Home's album cover, or one of their other albums did) also their protege Lunch Tyme Speax

    Jin, Shiro and Mr Drunk aka Rhymester first 3 albums

    Kohei Japan has nice funky flow

    Tha Blue Herb

    Muro of course

    DJ Yas productions etc.


    but really, like i always say, Korean has the good hip-hop now.

    stuff like the new Keeproots album



    i've never heard Nat King Cole being flipped like that!!

    and basically ANYTHING done by DJ Soulscape or Sataan are dope.









  • Young_PhonicsYoung_Phonics 8,039 Posts
    someone plaese to send me Martian Gang with Grooveman sport remix [/b]


    Word that AYB Sampler Vol. One is dope, real dope.

    Anyone up on this dude named Kero in Japan? He's my man from out here (he's american) and supposedly he does some real good numbers out there. just curious.
  • lambertlambert 1,166 Posts
    Nujabes
    Force Of Nature
    Fat Jon

    anyone know where I'm headed with this?
  • Funky_MimizuFunky_Mimizu 631 Posts
    Wow...

    I'm surprised no one mentioned Dev Large and Buddha Brand.

    Great golden age Japanese hip-hop.



    Peace...
    FNM

  • pasepase 89 Posts
    Nujabes
    Force Of Nature
    Fat Jon

    anyone know where I'm headed with this?

    samurai champloo.

    fat jon is from cincinnati though...

    and very much a black dude...
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    Wow...

    I'm surprised no one mentioned Dev Large and Buddha Brand.

    Great golden age Japanese hip-hop.



    Peace...
    FNM


    Say hommie, I mentioned Dev Large and Kenny mentioned Buddha Brand. I think Buddha Brand have pretty much broken up now. Dev Large is doing solo work and is signed to Sony. He filmed a new music video in New York a few weeks back. DJ Masterkey is still doing his thing and DJing in Tokyo.
  • Funky_MimizuFunky_Mimizu 631 Posts
    Wow...

    I'm surprised no one mentioned Dev Large and Buddha Brand.

    Great golden age Japanese hip-hop.



    Peace...
    FNM


    Say hommie, I mentioned Dev Large and Kenny mentioned Buddha Brand. I think Buddha Brand have pretty much broken up now. Dev Large is doing solo work and is signed to Sony. He filmed a new music video in New York a few weeks back. DJ Masterkey is still doing his thing and DJing in Tokyo.


    Oh, sorry man... I have a tendancy to post prematurely after giving the thread only a cursory scanning over.

    Peace...
    FNM
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    Wow...

    I'm surprised no one mentioned Dev Large and Buddha Brand.

    Great golden age Japanese hip-hop.



    Peace...
    FNM


    Say hommie, I mentioned Dev Large and Kenny mentioned Buddha Brand. I think Buddha Brand have pretty much broken up now. Dev Large is doing solo work and is signed to Sony. He filmed a new music video in New York a few weeks back. DJ Masterkey is still doing his thing and DJing in Tokyo.


    Oh, sorry man... I have a tendancy to post prematurely after giving the thread only a cursory scanning over.

    Peace...
    FNM

    All good hommie, no problem. Where are you in Japan?
  • MondeyanoMondeyano Reykjavik 863 Posts
    All the stuff being mentioned I can dig up to a point but still favor Gagle[/b] and Blue Herb[/b] over the rest. The new Blue Herb shit is getting weirder and weirder though and their latest offerings are on the deep house tip under the name Herbest Moon[/b]. They are supposed to drop an album soon and looking forward to that but was dissappointed with the compilation Only For The Mind Stone Long that just came out recently from their label.

    Force of Nature[/b] are dope. One half of group is dude and he did an 'electronica' album with this Swiss dude under the name Enterplay[/b] that is the dopeness.

    I also dig Doberman INC[/b] from Osaka (or O-Town as they call it) because they're straight up hilarity and the beats are dope.

    Then I just heard this CD in a record shop recently by this dude that calls himself Olive Oil[/b]. Has released two albums of weird chopped/fucked up jazz shit with the occasional rap vocal and appearantly he's picking up steam. CD-R

    Hifana[/b] aren't quite rap but they're pretty fresh. Like the Coldcut of Japan.

    In older stuff I reccommend Lamp Eye[/b] (Shougen is a japanese hip-hop classic), Shakkazombie[/b], occasional Rino Latina II[/b] track + Mic Banditz[/b] and/or Goichi[/b] for some funny bounce-bounce scheiss.
  • HAZHAZ 3,376 Posts
    Yo,

    Been looking on soulseek for this stuff with no luck - Any chance of getting a yousendit of a couple choice tunes? I'm really curious to experience some of this stuff!

    peace & thanks

    h
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    Yo,

    Been looking on soulseek for this stuff with no luck - Any chance of getting a yousendit of a couple choice tunes? I'm really curious to experience some of this stuff!

    peace & thanks

    h

    Haz, Check your PM hommie. I got some Japanese Hip-Hop on soulseek for ya.

    Chan
  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    Chan or anyone else for that matter.

    Can you put me on to some other good Japanese music? No hard rock.

    More like new Jap Ska or dope Jap Pop or jazz.

    Someone sent me some stuff by YumYum I kinda liked.
  • Funky_MimizuFunky_Mimizu 631 Posts


    All good hommie, no problem. Where are you in Japan?

    Yamanashi, an hour and a half west of Tokyo...
  • djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts


    All good hommie, no problem. Where are you in Japan?

    Yamanashi, an hour and a half west of Tokyo...

    Yo, we should have a Japanese Strutter meet??? Let's got the Deep Funk Tokyo '05 together! Josh, Dante, Keb @ Air in September... ?

    peace.
  • djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts
    Chan or anyone else for that matter.

    Can you put me on to some other good Japanese music? No hard rock.

    More like new Jap Ska or dope Jap Pop or jazz.

    Someone sent me some stuff by YumYum I kinda liked.

    Soil & Pimp Sessions?
  • grandpa_shiggrandpa_shig 5,799 Posts


    All good hommie, no problem. Where are you in Japan?

    Yamanashi, an hour and a half west of Tokyo...

    Yo, we should have a Japanese Strutter meet??? Let's got the Deep Funk Tokyo '05 together! Josh, Dante, Keb @ Air in September... ?

    peace.

    someone gots crazy nampa!

  • djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts


    All good hommie, no problem. Where are you in Japan?

    Yamanashi, an hour and a half west of Tokyo...

    Yo, we should have a Japanese Strutter meet??? Let's got the Deep Funk Tokyo '05 together! Josh, Dante, Keb @ Air in September... ?

    peace.

    someone gots crazy nampa!


    haha! nohomo!
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