Upgrade your kids’ home dance parties with a class at Studio Tron
For dance-loving children, Studio Tron is the stuff of dreams, with feel-good pop, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and kind, professional teachers.
Chelmico breezes through 2020 with optimistic music for somber times
The rap duo’s upbeat new album, “Maze,” kicks off with a topsy-turvy track that’s the opening theme of a popular anime and has inspired a dance meme.
‘Dos Siki’: Dos Monos cuts the fat and ups the ante
Tokyo-based trio Dos Monos’ second album is an EP-length explosion of energy and confidence.
JP The Wavy: 'The culture of hip-hop unites us'
The prevalence of hip-hop on social media has thrust rapper JP The Wavy at the forefront of Asia’s changing millennial culture.
Hip-hop dancer Reina has dispensed with school in favor of dedicating her life to her art, and regularly travels across Asia to deliver dance classes and workshops
Chanmina's 'Never Grow Up' delivers pop hooks and hip-hop heartache
The J-pop world could use a few more artists like Chanmina. In the leap from high-school MC battles to the commercial mainstream, she has managed to hone her pop appeal without sacrificing her swagger. Anyone who calls their debut single "Fxxker" isn't trying to ...
Embattled actor Jussie Smollett apparently dropped from 'Empire'
Jussie Smollett will not be returning to U.S. television series "Empire," the show's creator says, marking the first public confirmation that the actor has been dropped after a furor over claims that he was the victim of a hate crime. Responding to a Variety report ...
Hip-hop's anime crush is beautiful
Takashi Murakami's work on Billie Eilish's new video for "You Should See Me in a Crown" is the latest example of Western music's ongoing love affair with Japanese anime. And while it may seem obvious — American kids who like anime and grow up ...
Rapper Chanmina is blurring the lines of genre and nationality
Everyone has moments where they have to choose between two paths that will lead to drastically different lives. For Mina Otomonai, it came during her second year of high school when she strongly considered moving to South Korea to pursue a career in music. ...
88rising's quest to find a Japanese hip-hop sensation
Japanese music hasn't made many inroads into Western markets this decade. Save for some brief viral flashes and niche success, the country's artists have mostly been overlooked. However, Sean Miyashiro, founder of media company 88rising, thinks Japan still holds one big advantage. "I think the ...
'We felt the need to mix it up: Japanese and hip-hop culture'
It has been a hot year for viral dance challenges and Japan has had its fair share. The most notable was the craze surrounding Da Pump's "U.S.A.," attempted by everyone from teenagers on TikTok to U.S. Marines on YouTube. More recently, though, six kimono-clad young ...
