NEWSWORTHY
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 ...
Can Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic give U.S. hip-hop a boost in Japan?
This summer's slate of music festivals are putting more of a spotlight on American hip-hop. Fuji Rock Festival announced Kendrick Lamar and the group N.E.R.D as headliners, while Summer Sonic features Chance the Rapper on its main stage. It's a considerable showcasing moment for ...
'Yamato (California)': Hanae Kan does well as an aspiring rapper that's straight outta Japan
The American military bases in Okinawa are often in the news, usually because of an accident, protest or crime. The bases elsewhere in Japan, not so much. These reminders of a postwar occupation now seven decades in the past have mostly faded from the ...
Hip hop and R&B knocked rock off top genre pedestal in U.S. in 2017
Hip hop and R&B surpassed rock for the first time in 2017 as the biggest music genre in the United States, but British artist Ed Sheeran's romantic pop album "Divide" was the year's biggest single draw, according to a Nielsen Music report. Powered by a ...
Wonk plays around with 'experimental soul' on a pair of new albums
"The way music from America and other Western countries got imported into Japan, the roots are different," says Ayatake Ezaki, keyboardist for Tokyo-based quartet Wonk. "In Japan, hip-hop is hip-hop, jazz is jazz, soul is soul — that's how they've been received," he continues. "But ...
AI celebrates East, West identity on new album
There was a time when Japanese music labels were concerned that Ai Carina Uemura's music sounded too American due to her R&B style. "Like, from the beginning of my career. They told me all the time, 'People aren't going to understand that type of music,'" ...
On 'Kiseki,' rappers bring out the true grit in resurgent DJ Krush
On "Es.U.Es Corporation," DJ Krush's collaborators bring an undeniable energy to the proceedings, and the veteran turntablist responds with some of his grittiest productions since the 1990s.
Yurufuwa Gang infuses plenty of positivity into its hip-hop sets
Yurufuwa Gang are one of the latest Japanese hip-hop acts to be getting attention from both domestic media and overseas players. As the nation's rap scene experiences something of a modest boom, the pair of Ryugo Ishida and Sophiee seem poised to be part ...
DJ Okawari brings us back to chill on 'Compass'
It has been six years since Shizuoka-based DJ Okawari last released an album, but his timing in releasing new collection "Compass" couldn't be better. It's a set of warm, calming hip-hop beats anchored by acoustic guitar and orchestral string swells, a comforting bit of escapism ...
