Music Sep 4, 2020
Okinawan rapper Awich rejects your constructs
by Dan Buyanovsky
As a young girl, Awich would sit in awe at her father's tales of war on Okinawa. Little did she know it would inspire her to tell her own tales as a successful rapper.
Music Aug 28, 2020
Chelmico breezes through 2020 with optimistic music for somber times
by Patrick St. Michel
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.
Music Jun 5, 2020
South Korea-born rapper Moment Joon details immigrant experience in Japan on debut album
by James Hadfield
On his formidable debut album, “Passport & Garcon,” South Korea-born rapper Moment Joon lays claim to his present home in suburban Osaka with unusual specificity.
National / Social Issues Feb 19, 2020
Growing up in poverty and broken homes, Kawasaki youths find savior in rap
by Tomohiro Osaki
Weathered signs from five years ago stand forlornly on a bank of the Tama River in Kawasaki, politely asking visitors to refrain from laying any more flowers of condolence so they don't accidentally catch fire. But the scene is otherwise absent of any reminder of ...
World / Crime & Legal Aug 21, 2019
Two injured as gunmen ambush French rapper Booba's video shoot
At least two people were injured after gunmen ambushed a video shoot involving French rapper Booba, authorities said on Wednesday, in the latest incidence of violence marring the suburbs of Paris. Two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said around 15 individuals — some armed ...
Entertainment News Apr 3, 2019
Rapper Nipsey Hussle killed over dispute with suspect: LA police
Los Angeles police on Tuesday said the man named as a suspect in the fatal shooting of rapper Nipsey Hussle allegedly killed him two days ago over a personal dispute that was not gang-related. Police said that Eric Holder, 29, of Los Angeles, was a ...
Music Feb 8, 2019
Rapper Chanmina is blurring the lines of genre and nationality
by Patrick St. Michel
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. ...
Music / CD Reviews | LISTENING POST Mar 19, 2017
Zombie-Chang's 'Gang!' reveals an unexpected new side
by Patrick St. Michel
Chaos breeds a lot of surprises but the biggest shock coming out of genre-blending artist Zombie-Chang's latest album, "Gang!", is the flashes where she sounds like someone capable of being a mainstream pop performer. The wonky details that captured many listeners' attention on last year's ...
National Aug 17, 2016
An elite central government bureaucrat on loan to the municipal government of Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture, is generating a buzz by appearing in the city's PR video dressed like a rapper. In it, Nobuyuki Fujii, 34, an internal affairs ministry official who has served as deputy ...
Music Dec 20, 2015
The verse that launched Kohh's rise into rap stardom
by Danny Masao Winston
One of the country's fastest rising hip-hop artists just might be on his way to becoming the first internationally recognized rap star Japan has produced. For the past several years, Tokyo's Kohh has been steadily building buzz in the capital's hip-hop scene thanks to mixtapes ...
Music Jun 26, 2015
OMSB counts his blessings on 'Think Good'
by Danny Masao Winston
Rapper and producer Brandon Katou (aka OMSB) is an artist that, while humble, exhibits a sense of pride in his work atypical of Japanese artists. In recent interviews he's done for his new album, he's compared himself to big-name acts like Kendrick Lamar and ...
Music May 22, 2015
Budamunk's 'The Corner' makes a play for local hip-hop heads
by Danny Masao Winston
Back in 2008, a beat-making competition called Goldfinger's Kitchen was held in Tokyo's Shibuya district. In each round, contestants had 15 minutes to chop and flip a given sample on an MPC sampler as the crowd watched. When the 15 minutes were up, the ...