J-rap

[Kfisher]

Okay, so you know me, a real hip-hop devotee and fan. I just had to check out the Japanese hip-hop scene. I found a few J-rap music videos on youtube. Now, I have to be honest here: The Japanese Hip-hop scene appears promising. I like this one group, Rhymester, especially that one song where they collab with that J-pop singer Daichi Miura. Nitro Microphone Underground is pretty okay too. But a lof of the other J-rap songs I heard are a bit disappointing. I saw this one rapper, Dabo. His one music video is a complete carbon copy of standard mainstream US rap musicvids (Except replace all the Black and Latino people with Japanese ones.). I dunno, I think it's an Asian thing, as there are some artists from my own country who also do this.

Those of you who have seen/heard the Japanese Hip-hop scene, how about sharing your opinions on this.

Oh yeah, here are some J-rap vids I found on youtube:
Nitro Microphone Underground - Straight From The Underground (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7fX-lf_z3I)
Rhymester - B-boy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gosEQkhERzc)
Dabo - D.A.B.O. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrwsfUgob1E)
DJ Yutaka - Self Destruction (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is7cDh8edAM)
Gagle - Rap Wonder DX (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO01YxKiHPk)

[Klilynkun]

i'll have to check that out... sounds interesting.

i'll get back to you on that opinion wants i view and listen to some of the j-rap

the last time i heard/saw a cultural asian crossover was when i saw a video of a chinese guy with dreads singing at a reggae soundsplash. I was probably around 10 at the time but i remember i was messed up. You could barely understand what the guy was saying because he still had the thick chinese accent. And then more recently, can't remember if it was this year or last or 2004 whan a japanese girl (literally flew in from japan a few days before or on the day) and when the title for dancehall queen beating all of the jamaican contestants. She was wild. She won it really when she climb on top of one of the sound speakers and started to whine. She was pretty average in looks too (although, most of the contestants were average or less than average).

[h2orowe]

Woah. Kilynkun is from Jamaica?



And on-topic >_>; The only rap/hip-hop J-thing I've seen was that one "DOPE DOPE LIKE DOPAMINE" song by M-flo. That was... ridiculous to say the least.

[najebanye]

if your from jamaica do you know sean paul?

[Mechs]

Eh...those were interesting, but I don't know Japanese (yet) so I can't really judge anything except for the beats, which were decent IMO, but there is much room for improvement.

[japanat]

While some J rap is pretty good, especially the stuff coming out of Okinawa and Hokkaido, most of it is music company crap. And the videos are usually (not always) Japanese guys dressed like gangsta's or Crips, moving just like 80s and 90s rap videos, dressed like carbon copies (the damn 3 fingers out, arthritic hand motion really irritates me).

I always thought rap was supposed to be about showing where you're from, not what you wannabee...

[Kfisher]

I always thought rap was supposed to be about showing where you're from, not what you wannabee...

It is, but unfortunately, mainstream media (aka MTV) corrupts ideals. I mean, just look at the mainstream US scene.....

I just hope there are at least some pro-Japanese rap tracks, not just all pro-act-like-black Japanese rap tracks.

[Bliss]

if your from jamaica do you know sean paul?

You don't really have to be from Jamaica to know Sean Paul.
You weren't askin me, but I don't think to highly of his music.

And J-Rap sucks.

[Kfisher]

I finally found this thread again. Man, this thread died out rather quick. I wanted to show something...

http://www.cultureuniversal.com/videos/jp/index.php

Apparently, I made a mistake about the J-hiphop scene. They have more variety and good artists than I previously thought, and no, I'm NOT referring to that Tokyo Drift BS by the Teriyaki Boyz.

We might have judged their scene way too quickly, as they have more noteworthy MCs and DJs than previously thought. Perhaps the J-rap scene should be given more justice. :hphone: :dj:

[RoxFontaine]

The J-rap scene is my world. There are some dope ass MC's out here but just like in the US, they can't get on.

K-Dub Shine is killin' it. Doberman Inc. is killin' it. Hazime (DJ) is killin' it. I host MC battles here and there and my boy throws parties in Tokyo once a month. There are some really talented guys and girls out here that can't get on in the industry because they understand that they make Black music with a Japanese approach. Not Japanese music for Japanese people.

I'll put you on to some of the stuff that my boys are doing out here. Some seriously ill shit.

[Mechs]

I finally found this thread again. Man, this thread died out rather quick. I wanted to show something...

http://www.cultureuniversal.com/videos/jp/index.php

Apparently, I made a mistake about the J-hiphop scene. They have more variety and good artists than I previously thought, and no, I'm NOT referring to that Tokyo Drift BS by the Teriyaki Boyz.

We might have judged their scene way too quickly, as they have more noteworthy MCs and DJs than previously thought. Perhaps the J-rap scene should be given more justice. :hphone: :dj:

Nice Find. I look through it when I have the time.

[Digital Masta]

I'm def down for hearing some good j-rap

[Kfisher]

The J-rap scene is my world. There are some dope ass MC's out here but just like in the US, they can't get on.

K-Dub Shine is killin' it. Doberman Inc. is killin' it. Hazime (DJ) is killin' it. I host MC battles here and there and my boy throws parties in Tokyo once a month. There are some really talented guys and girls out here that can't get on in the industry because they understand that they make Black music with a Japanese approach. Not Japanese music for Japanese people.

I'll put you on to some of the stuff that my boys are doing out here. Some seriously ill shit.

Wow, that's real good, Rox. How big is the Hip-hop scene in Japan anyway? How come in the "I am Japanese Teacher" editorials, it said it was nothing more than a brief fad there? Oh, and I take it that the J-rap scene there is also growing thanks to the recent success of Tokyo Drift?

(Speaking of Tokyo Drift, have I already mentioned that the Teriyaki Boyz sound wack? Then again, the only song I've heard from them is Tokyo Drift.)

Oh btw, something I just read from Wikipedia:

J-Rap and J-HipHop are somewhat similar but J-HipHop has more an urban J-Pop feel while J-Rap has a typically more Western feel