Japanese Rap

[Golgo_13]

I can't stand rap if it's in English.

When I hear that done in Japanese I just want to pull my hair out, oops can't do that . . . I don't have much left. I wanna Vomit!

:mad:

They were playing it in a Japanese book store in LA.

Don't these young'uns realize how pathetic they sound?

Mind you, they say "mother f__ker" and "b!tch" and such phrases in English.

Just another example of the Japanese trying to imitate something from a different country/culture.

[Glenn]

Well, like I said in the Does everyone here like rock? (http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?postid=57425#post57425) thread, I like some rap if it is done well and has some musicality about it. However from what I have heard of J-pop, most of it is crap (just like pop here in the states). I have heard some Japanese rap, and my opinion of what I have heard is the same as yours (I would even say that I hate it more than most American rap).

[Jean-Francois]

Namie Amuro sounds so nice in the rap part of "Chase the Chance". I don't understand a word of it but the Japanese language sounds so funny in this part. It makes me want to learn Japanese. It is because of her I have become a J-Pop fan.

[Hachiko]

There was this rap band called "DA PUMP," and they were singing this rap/RnB song "RAIN OF PAIN," ...it sounded warui, even laughable. :o :wary:

One thing to note: before Ayumi delved into the world of J-Pop, she did rap on a few songs. :)

[Glenn]

Heh, "DA PUMP." They seem to be on "HEY!HEY!HEY!" an awful lot, but I haven't really watched that show in a while, because I got sick of hearing bad music performed poorly. I don't remember much about them, though...

[Jean-Francois]

I like the melody of Da Pump's "Stepping and Shaking."

[Keeni84]

You people truly act ignorant sometimes.

"Rap" isn't exclusive to someone's culture. Rap is a music form. There are no boundaries. In Europe, there are plenty of French, English, Czech, German rappers out there. They like the style, so they do it. There should be no separate distinction for the Japanese.

If Japanese folks want to rap, let them. It is a popular music form nowadays. In Europe, there are many Country Western artists, even though not many Europeans have ever been to the American Country, or have even grown up listening to Country music. If they LIKE the music, why not sing it?

It's the same here. Non-Latino people will listen to and sing Latino music. Are they necessarily trying to "emulate" Latinos? No.

Listening to, playing or recording music should not be limited to your ethnicity, nationality or culture.

Oh, and by the way, Japanese rap to me sounds very strange, just because I'm used to American rap.

[Glenn]

Originally posted by Keeni84
You people truly act ignorant sometimes.

"Rap" isn't exclusive to someone's culture. Rap is a music form. There are no boundaries. In Europe, there are plenty of French, English, Czech, German rappers out there. They like the style, so they do it. There should be no separate distinction for the Japanese.

I do not know to whom you are addressing this response, but what I was saying is that the Japanese rap that I heard sounded even worse than most of the American rap that I hear. I in no way, shape, or form said anything about anyone having the rights to any style of music, and I personally do not care who plays what style, as long as it sounds good. Like I said before, what I have heard is crap, because it sounds like crap, and that is in no way related to or concerning ethnicity.

[Keeni84]

I was responding to the person who said something to the effect of "There Japanese people go again trying to emulate another nationality/culture".

You are obviously not the target of my thread. Sorry for any mix-ups! :)

[Glenn]

Originally posted by Keeni84
I was responding to the person who said something to the effect of "There Japanese people go again trying to emulate another nationality/culture".

You are obviously not the target of my thread. Sorry for any mix-ups! :)

After re-reading the thread, I figured that you were perhaps responding to that message. However, you did say "you people truly act ingorant sometimes," which to me gave the sense of criticizing everyone who posted. That was what threw me off.

[Winter]

Speaking of Japanese hip hop, Montage is coming to Club Six in San Francisco soon.

[Golgo_13]

Originally posted by Keeni84
I was responding to the person who said something to the effect of "There Japanese people go again trying to emulate another nationality/culture".

You are obviously not the target of my thread. Sorry for any mix-ups! :)

I said that.

I will say it every time . . . because it's true.

Just a few examples. In the '70s there was a rock band that was a total take-off on the Beatles. They even called themselves "Zuutorubi" which is "Biitoruzu" (Beetles pronounced in Japanese backwards).

A popular car made by Subaru in the 1960s nicknamed the "Tentenmushi" (Lady BUG) was a total take-off on the VW Beetle.

When you get to Tokyo, you might ask yourself "Am I in Paris? What's the Eiffle Tower doing in Japan?" That's not the Eiffel Tower. That's the Tokyo Tower which is basically a take-off on the one in Paris.

I can go on and on.

Just go to Japan and see for yourself how much of what they have/do is a replica of something in the West.

[Kent_Keiner]

Golgo,

tell me: Which cultural value comes from the United States?
Except the hamburger culture...

[Jean-Francois]

Once upon a time (1950s?), Japanese electric appaliances were regarded as cheap imitations with poor quality. But, hey, they didn't give up that easily. Look at Sony, Panasonic, Brother, JVC and numerous other Japanese "authorities" in the field nowadays!

If something is good, I think it worths a struggle to imitate. Say, a democratic constitution.

Having said that, I still have a hard time digesting the look of a pair of squinted eyes on a flat face with fake blond hair. Do girls in Japan and south-east Asia know that not everybody can look like Ayumi Hamasaki?

[Uncle Frank]

Golgo,

tell me: Which cultural value comes from the United States?
Except the hamburger culture...

I think it's safe to say our NRA is one of the best armed
citizen groups in the world. I sleep so much better with my 45 loaded & ready to go under my pillow & my full auto under the bed. Thank God & America for Colt, Remington, Winchester; thanks to them, the US has a real CULTURE to be proud of!!!

Frank

:bluush: :cool: :o :giggle: :spray:

[Dream Time]

I think there are no boundaries for music,
if the Japanese likes to rap,let them rap,
I have also heard Chinese rap...not my cup of tea,but well...

[playaa]

Rap is not all bad, though I have heard some J-Rap and it just doesnt flow right. anyways I prefer to stick to my alternative, rap, and some rock.

[Golgo_13]

Golgo,

tell me: Which cultural value comes from the United States?
Except the hamburger culture...

WTF are you talking about?

My whole point was, the so many Japanese try to imitate something from the West--including hair color--and that's too bad.

Another example, I remember back in the early 1970s there was a singing group called "Finger Five", and their sole purpose was to sound like the Jackson Five.


BTW, when the first rap song came out in 1979 -- "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang -- I liked it. It was different and it was fun, and I liked the background rhythm from Chic's "Good Times." I still remember some of the lyrics: "hotel, motel, whatchoo gonna do today! Say What? . . ."

I just don't care for today's stuff with all its vulgar language and disrespect towards women.

[X-Japan-FanGrl]

the only japanese rap band i can really get a hold of is shakkazombie..they are pretty okay not so much my thing i hate english rap though
for the most part i like metaly sounding things..like type o negative..dimmu borgir..cradle of filth...and j-rock/pop

[playaa]

"Finger Five", LOL That sounds hilarious.

[Golgo_13]

They even tried to make their costumes look like Jackson 5's :D

[Dream Time]

They even tried to make their costumes look like Jackson 5's :D

wow they looked like Power Rangers :giggle: :D

[Golgo_13]

You have to understand, this was around 1973 or 1974.

Finger Five was from Okinawa and they spoke pretty good English since they grew up during American occupation.

[touzokushoujo]

meh J-Rap...Kick the Can Crew. They're more J-Pop than J-Rap but Nounai Vacation off they're cd Good Music sounded rappy to me and it's...strange sounding. I'm used to my western english rap (Outkast, D 12 all that fun stuff)

[silver angel]

Hey, I'm open to listening to anything, in any style and language. Jay chou is (in my opinion) is a cool rapper, heh, and W-inds, are just fun to listen to when it comes to hip hop. The only thing I can't stand is, american pop and polka. :-)

I even listen to Mozart and Percy Grainger.....:o they're cools

[playaa]

Im with Silver Angel :) all music exxcept country music for me..

[silver angel]

*high five* country isn't too bad. Shania Twain is an awesome country singer

[Kuroki-Kaze]

okay j rap os cool lol. my friend bob-chan (cant speel his real name) was listeing to it at skool one day and it sounds cool, i love ther way japanese ounds, much better then englsih

[BAPE]

I rock M-FLo, Dragon Ash and Kick The Can Crew...don't leave the house without them.

[Dream Time]

just saw the video of M-Flo and Crystal Kay song

for some reason I found it funny when I saw that M-Flo guy kept doing those hip-hop stuff and dressing in hip-hop....

but when i see black guys doing it,I feel just very normal

[Hachiko]

I thought Da Pump had some J-Hop (my term for Japanese Hip Hop) in them... *listens to "RAIN OF PAIN* :hey:

[jspecdan]

I really don't like, but can tolerate, Japanese rap.

Although I agree with Golgo_13 about dissrespect for women and vulgar language, regarding Japanese imitating the Western world, uh yeah...True, I agree that Japan has taken ideas from the West like music, fashion and whatnot, but they're also the ones that improve upon Western technology.

[chiquiliquis]

If it makes you move, it's good...

I don't know where the whole culture thing came from. Except people get caught up in trying to define something as fluid and changing as music with the best (and often narrow) terms they have.

IE: Somebody made a remark about US artists incorporating latin beats. Part of me wants to say J-Lo and Enrique are about as latin as a siberian husky (same goes for their music--sound-in random husky bark). I even find my stomach churning when I hear people talk about the "latinization" of music in America... you might even catch me arguing, "'Jenny from the block' is equivalent to the commercial prostitution of a deep and rich Cuban musical tradition"...

BUT, then I think to myself... WTF mate...?! Traditions change, as do cultures... why would I expect music to stay static? I'm not obliged to buy Jenny's album... and never will. Thank God for consumer sovereignty. Do I think she should be banned from mixing latin sounds with hip hop and R&B. Who cares?

I don't think anyone here was trying to argue that Japanese should be prohibitted from borrowing/acculturating/incorporating sounds from a tradition other than their own. I understood the question to be: do you like it? (which the original poster answered, clearly).

I love good "J-hop/rap"... DJ Krush, DJ Watarai, DJ Hasebe... they all do great work with a lot of great vocalists. One of my favorite Japanese rap songs is a Watarai remix of Misia's "Tsutsumi Komu You Ni", with freestyle-ish vocals by Muro; it is the best of two worlds... Misia, with her awesome range, and Muro supporting the heavy beats. Krush has done fabulous work with "Tha Blue Herb"... "Chie No Wa" comes to mind (among othere songs)... Hasebe has done work with M-Flo, Shakkazombie, Crystal Kay, YMO (for cryin' out loud), Bonnie Pink... and even Ayumi Hamasaki (WTF?).

Granted... 90% of J rap and J hop is like a party in your mouth, where everyone's passed out in their own vomit. But when J artists are good, they can be really good. It is just a matter of finding the right stuff.

[Bounty Hunter]

I can't stand rap if it's in English.

When I hear that done in Japanese I just want to pull my hair out, oops can't do that . . . I don't have much left. I wanna Vomit!

:mad:

They were playing it in a Japanese book store in LA.

Don't these young'uns realize how pathetic they sound?

Mind you, they say "mother f__ker" and "b!tch" and such phrases in English.

Just another example of the Japanese trying to imitate something from a different country/culture.

I agree with you in a way but like u said "the japanese trying to imitate something from a different country/culture" which i think is a good thing, what i mean is trying new things.

[Arekkusu]

To add on we can't just single out Japan in "Taking" ideas from anyone really.
If that's the case we can take it back many years back.
From gov't to music does it really matter?
Yes, they take some things from western areas, but think about it why was this? Did we forget the United States bombed japan twice and then replaced the gov't?
I can guarantee that if this didn't happen they may have never wanted anything to do with the West let alone they would still be our enemy.
But, no one knows what could have happen, but my point is EVERYONE is ripping someone off of something.
EX: Govt=The romans=todays gov't.
Everything is ripped from something so why whine and complain?


And chiquiliquis is correct. J-Lo or as we love to call her J-h0 is as Latino as I am black, and i'm not a thing black.
And yes, just because I listen to rap, does that mean i'm trying to be black?No.
Because I listen to Japanese music and I trying to be Japanese?No(but I wish I was heh)
I mean I listen to anything that sounds good.
Rap, Rock, JPop and Rock(never really heard JRap, but would like too), Classical.
Really, I listen to many types of music for many reasons.
Classical and all Japanese music I listen to when I try to get to sleep(most music really) and when I wanna get into a good drawing mood.
So I have many times when I listen to certian music.


By the Way: Go Mets! We took out the Yankees yet again! *cough* heh.

[cricket]

Don't see anything wrong with the Japanese doing rap?

I was in S.Korea, China and the Philippines two months ago and watching TV inside my hotel room gave me insights of each country's present state.

Hell, they have more rappers than the Japanese, I think.

[Glenn]

The only problem that I have with anybody doing rap is that most of the time it just sucks, and I'd rather be extracting teeth from a crocodile. Of course, that's not just rap; it extends to nearly all styles of music. But that's not to say that there isn't any good rap out there.

[Arekkusu]

True there are some rap that sound like garbage, but some that I like.
And I can say also the same with every type of music.
There is some rock I hate, etcetc.

[Buddha Smoker]

In my opinion, Japanese rappers aren't that good with lyrics but are great at the music and mixing etc... That's just my opinion. I think Dragon Ash makes good music but the song lyrics are terrible, same with Zeebra, Mic Banditz etc. Now, SOFFet, Halcali, Rip Slyme are pretty good all around especially their videos on MTV Japan.

[misa.j]

There used to be a trio called "Schadaraper", I'm not sure if they are still performing, who I used to like; they had a chance to meet with "Jungle Brothers" who were real old school rappers in US, after "Schadaraper" performed w/ "Jungle Brothers" as an audience(honorably, and yet terrifyingly), "Jngle Brothers" told the trio that rapping is not something that came out of a pocket, it was about life and soul.
The trio looked extremely depressed but seemed happy at the same time.

Japan has a great technology to make really cool noises for hip-hop, I think they need to be more philosophical about what they rap to be recognized more.

[RockLee]

I found some J-Rap lately like Guerilla, dj Tonk and it's not all THAT bad...it's different and thus ppl think it's BAD...well...Japan steals ideas from western ppl, we do from eastern...that's life !!!! Give and take :-) Just look at the influence there is from eastern countries, lately in Belgium Chinese kanji stuff is really cool, getting your name in kanji as a tattoo...even Japanese food is starting to sell in Belgium (FINALLY)...and most of all look at the technology ! :relief:

[Bounty Hunter]

I mean I listen to anything that sounds good.
Rap, Rock, JPop and Rock(never really heard JRap, but would like too),
.


He's a JRap/Rock band (Dragon ash) i really like them, you might to?

In my opinion, Japanese rappers aren't that good with lyrics but are great at the music and mixing etc... That's just my opinion. I think Dragon Ash makes good music but the song lyrics are terrible, same with Zeebra, Mic Banditz etc. Now, SOFFet, Halcali, Rip Slyme are pretty good all around especially their videos on MTV Japan.

I can only understand parts of their music and am studying more (japanese) to fully understand them.
I agree that they do good MIXS.

[Blue 3]

Actually, I think Hiphop in Japan is very different from HipHop in America. In my opinion, People in Japan tend to see HipHop as a package as opposed to having had a long history in America. When HipHop was young in America Vanilla Ice was platinum. In Japan, HipHop is all about image and alot about fashion. Japanese people don't really know who Afrikaa Bambataa or the Tribe Called Quest and they don't need to. They can start their own "history of Japanese HipHop". It's their culture.

Anyone is free to say how they like it. But we do have to keep it in perspective.

[Bounty Hunter]

Actually, I think Hiphop in Japan is very different from HipHop in America. In my opinion, People in Japan tend to see HipHop as a package as opposed to having had a long history in America. When HipHop was young in America Vanilla Ice was platinum. In Japan, HipHop is all about image and alot about fashion. Japanese people don't really know who Afrikaa Bambataa or the Tribe Called Quest and they don't need to. They can start their own "history of Japanese HipHop". It's their culture.

Anyone is free to say how they like it. But we do have to keep it in perspective.

That is so true :cool:
you got big respect from me for this post

[Golgo_13]

If any of y'all haven't already, listen to the very first rap ever--"Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang (1979). That was what started it all. Even I had a tape of it, and I still know most of the lyrics.

[Spaceghost]

I like Rip Slyme, J-Rap seems to be more "old school" rap, much more hip-hop as opposed to crappy gangster rap.

[mdchachi]

I didn't realize there was a thread celebrating Japanese hip-hop until just now.

You can't go wrong with DABO. His first album's probably the best but he's got
good tracks on all of them.

http://www2.oricon.co.jp/search/album.asp?mcd=110505
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005J469/

[Inuyasha-the-kid]

Do any one know how to geet Japanese music or download it

[Faustianideals]

The only music for me is J-pop.

[King of Tokyo]

I love Rap.. It is my favorite kind of music.. pretty much the only kind I like actually (with the exception of a few rock songs/bands) .. and I wouldn't expect anyone on a Japan forum to really be into Rap anyway.. But if you really did know anything about Rap/Hip Hop you would know that it isn't all "vulgar" and "disrespectful to women" actually there is numerous rappers who are nothing like that.. Now I like North American Rap.. And before I listened to any J-Rap I questioned if it even existed.. and I found out it did.. So I decided to check out some songs.. I still haven't heard much.. but I'll say it is alright, it has nothing on North American Rap.. But it is pretty good with the beats and stuff.. I can't comment on lyrics because my japanese isn't good enough yet to understand it (being that it is rap doesn't make it go any slower or easier to understand lol) But I listen to some just for the beats, and I think J-Rap is kinda cool because they have a kind of Old-School Style about it.. like Run DMC.. I guess they are a bit behind in style I don't know.. but I do like that it has a bit of Old School Flavor :).. And I do think when in a Japanese Club I would like to go when it has rap because I would probably enjoy it a whole lot more then J-Pop or something.. (Rap has a style that is great for parties/clubs etc.) .. And about them copying culture, who cares ? Let them have more of a variety of music in Japan.. I for one am happy there is J-Rap so that when I go there I know that I wont have to listen to J-Pop Etc. (No offense to J-Pop fans, although in reality you insult J-Rap more than I do of J-Pop lol) So Yeh.. Let them do what they do I say.. I think J-Rap is pretty good.. I like Dragon Ash.. I Heard a song called "Deep Impact" By them and i thought it was pretty good lol.. So Anyway, J-Rap Guys, Keep doing your thing ;)

[antantrevolution]

Well Golgo, you think that is bad... you wanna hear something ironic? My fiance is Japanese as you may or may not know from some of my posts... Anyway, she can't stand it when I curse like a sailor (something I have quite a great deal of proficiency at, mind you), but yet she can pop in 'insert random rap act here' and they curse up a storm with a fury not seen in history and it is perfectly acceptable.

What are you gonna do?

So now, when she yells at me for cursing, I simply tell her that I'm rehearsing for my rap debut :p


Ant

[mdchachi]

I'm surprised she recognizes cursing and that it bothers her. Where did she get the sensitivity from? "Bad" words don't usually sound that bad when they're in a foreign language.

[Golgo_13]

Well Golgo, you think that is bad... you wanna hear something ironic? My fiance is Japanese as you may or may not know from some of my posts... Anyway, she can't stand it when I curse like a sailor (something I have quite a great deal of proficiency at, mind you), but yet she can pop in 'insert random rap act here' and they curse up a storm with a fury not seen in history and it is perfectly acceptable.

What are you gonna do?

So now, when she yells at me for cursing, I simply tell her that I'm rehearsing for my rap debut :p
Ant

Speak like Popeye the sailor: "Yak yak yak yak yak. Well, blow me down."

It's not the cursing perse that bothers her. She wants you to be a gentleman.

[Dream Time]

in the US,hip hop is a culture
in Asia,hip hop is a trend,packaging

ask those Asian kids who dresses and talks like hip hop : 'what is hip hop?'
many of them can't even answer you,or they have misunderstood the hip hop culture

if you dress like a rocker,punk,hip hop,or whatever
if you don't truly understand the culture
you clothes are just empty shells
and you are just a pretender

[Mike Cash]

I can't stand rap if it's in English.

When I hear that done in Japanese I just want to pull my hair out, oops can't do that . . . I don't have much left. I wanna Vomit!

:mad:

They were playing it in a Japanese book store in LA.

Don't these young'uns realize how pathetic they sound?

Mind you, they say "mother f__ker" and "b!tch" and such phrases in English.

Just another example of the Japanese trying to imitate something from a different country/culture.

I have a couple of J-Rap "music" videos that I keep solely for their comic value. It's hilarious to watch a bunch of guys throwing up faux gang signs. As for the idea of Rap in Japanese, it's bogus as hell if you ask me. Why? Because they don't have to rhyme anything.

A few months ago, while standing around an AM-PM convenience store in Tokyo waiting for my bento to be zapped in the microwave, I walked over to the magazine rack and thumbed through a Hip-Hop magazine.

It was basically 99% advertisements on hip-hop fashion, some of which were very thinkly disguised to look like articles. And you should see the exorbitant prices the Japanese kids pay so that they can dress like economically deprived American street urchins......

[Dream Time]

Hip Hip originated from Bronx where black and latin kids talk about stories from everyday life to music

I wonder what do the Japanese kids have to rap about.

as I saw someone said,the Japanese kids who got into hip hop into the last 2,3 years,only see the 'bling bling' image of hip hop, and those gangsta rap,
they don't understand the hip hop culture nor they do care
they just think it is 'cool'

[ragedaddy]

Yeah, I agree that some of these J-rap cats are wannabe ganstas, but at the same time they aren't necessarily rapping about being a gansta(You know, Murder, Murder). If they have a dope beat to go with their flow, then it's on. Man, they are a lot of American rappers who lyrics are not really up to par, but if they have a good beat then they are going to be able to sell albums. I'm still a fan of Dragon Ash, Rip Slyme, because they sound together as a group. For Rip Slyme, they all have their own unique voice, so you can basically tell who's rapping. I don't know, it seems like this generation is more apt to curse than previous generations. Either way, if it's got a dope beat, and the lyrics aren't total crap, it will more than likely become a hit.

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[skunkworks]

I have a couple of J-Rap "music" videos that I keep solely for their comic value. It's hilarious to watch a bunch of guys throwing up faux gang signs. As for the idea of Rap in Japanese, it's bogus as hell if you ask me. Why? Because they don't have to rhyme anything.

A few months ago, while standing around an AM-PM convenience store in Tokyo waiting for my bento to be zapped in the microwave, I walked over to the magazine rack and thumbed through a Hip-Hop magazine.

It was basically 99% advertisements on hip-hop fashion, some of which were very thinkly disguised to look like articles. And you should see the exorbitant prices the Japanese kids pay so that they can dress like economically deprived American street urchins......

I've heard plenty of artists that sound better than most Western hip-hop by tenfold.

Arata, Shakkazombie, Buddha Brand. Those guys are pretty talented, IMO.

[Mike in Japan]

And you should see the exorbitant prices the Japanese kids pay so that they can dress like economically deprived American street urchins......ROFL,
Anyone ever visited the jeans shop in the Prince Plaza at Karuizawa? I was amazed to see some worn out old threads selling there for upwards of Y80,000!
And they weren't even mouldy or covered with 50 weight hog juice! I wonder what I could have got for my old 'going outs' had I brought them over from Aus. with me.
Is it possible there is a shop here somewhere where I can trade my 'rebel without a clue' guise for a 'bad-assed homie street attitude', or maybe put one on lay-buy? Maybe I can get some tuition from the local 'Yankee Boys'!
I reckon the Hell's Angels could make a fortune here. They could franchise some 'Hog's Breath Institutes', and make a killing (read;a fortune).

[rhymester*]

Japanese hiphop culture started in the 80s...and has blown up in the past few years, producing the big amount of mainsteam pop rap groups such as kick the can crew, rip slyme, heartsdales etc, and also causing some rappers to change their style to cash in on the new trend (eg zeebra). but if u dig deep there are many rappers and producers who stay true to the hiphop culture. Japan in fact has the biggest underground hiphop scene outside of the US next to France. you should not make ignorant statements if you didn't even do any research on the history of japanese hiphop culture.

Da pump is pop, why are they even mentioned here? i guess many people tend to think one verse of 'rap' = hiphop?

sure a lot of Japanese kids are misguided into thinking that bling and baggy pants are hiphop, but which country doesnt have kids like tat?

my bf has been listening to japanese hiphop for the past 10 years, perhaps i will get him to come share his views here. ^^

[vampmiyavi]

k...i find asian hiphop/rap (well mostly japanese and korean), extremly funny and entertaining, and i listen to it at times...and thats saying something...cause i REALLY dislike american hiphop/rap ><

[ruth~route]

for rapping, Jay Chou from taiwan is quite gd. although i'm not his fan. He is really popular in Singapore.

[december]

I draw the line at Japanese rap. I took a chance listening to J-rock. I still don't care too much for J-Pop. But J-Rap? God, that is so ridiculous. It's like me seeing an Asian Santa Claus... not right.

[King of Tokyo]

I draw the line at Japanese rap. I took a chance listening to J-rock. I still don't care too much for J-Pop. But J-Rap? God, that is so ridiculous. It's like me seeing an Asian Santa Claus... not right.

So now Asians aren't allowed to Rap? Oh dear, Someone better tell Jin.. He hasn't realized he can't rap yet.. He's going to be terribly disappointed..

Since when are certain types of music restricted to certain races? Let the Japanese do what they want.

And why can't their be an Asian Santa Claus? There is no Santa, so whoever is believing in him can make him any race he wants. Deal with it.

[Sy-l]

Speaking of jin heres a vid of him doing a short battle at a club close to me.

http://www.simtub.net/jin-vs-saint-...nnation.com.wmv

[Kamisama]

link doesn't work....
i've heard japanese rap before, this is so ridiculous. It doesn't even sound good. And japanese people being gangsta? No.. i don't think so. I accept mexicans, south americans, and others rapping, but people who don't seem to have constant crime waves, i don't like their rap. thus this reminds me, didn't japanese people act like mc hammer back in the day? i see it as copying americans.

[december]

So now Asians aren't allowed to Rap? Oh dear, Someone better tell Jin.. He hasn't realized he can't rap yet.. He's going to be terribly disappointed..

Since when are certain types of music restricted to certain races? Let the Japanese do what they want.

And why can't their be an Asian Santa Claus? There is no Santa, so whoever is believing in him can make him any race he wants. Deal with it.

An Asian boy rapping is about as ridiculous as Vanilla Ice trying to make a come back.

[King of Tokyo]

An Asian boy rapping is about as ridiculous as Vanilla Ice trying to make a come back.

Well, seeing as I clearly cannot congratulate you on your impressive intelligence, I'll congratulate you on not backing down from your blatantly discriminatory view.

***.

[december]

Everyone has their prejudice.

[Suki-Yaki]

Maybe we should congratulate him on his outstanding selection of vocabulary ..?

[Kamisama]

word holmes

[december]

Maybe we should congratulate him on his outstanding selection of vocabulary ..?

HER!!

I'm a woman, thank you. :-)

Well, seeing as I clearly cannot congratulate you on your impressive intelligence, I'll congratulate you on not backing down from your blatantly discriminatory view.

***.

It's quite funny how people are so sensitive that they get all pissed cause someone disagrees with them.

To anyone here that likes Japanese rap - Yippie. It's your right to like it. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. These forums are here for people to state their opinion and I stated mine. And I'll state it again:

Asian boys rapping is a ridiculous notion. It's just all wrong. To me, it doesn't sound right and it's not something I would support or listen to. In fact, I think Japanese rap is stupid and Asian "wannabe" hiphop boys are not cool in my opinion. Though there was this one guy.... But getting back to the point, I do have certain prejudices and that does affect my opinion on certain issues - such as Japanese rap.

It's my opinion. So, deal with it because the whole world doesn't worship everything that Japan spits out. It's a fact of life and it's rather immature to result to insults just because someone disagrees with YOUR opinion.

How's that for a vocabulary?

Have a nice day. :p

[King of Tokyo]

It's quite funny how people are so sensitive that they get all pissed cause someone disagrees with them.

To anyone here that likes Japanese rap - Yippie. It's your right to like it. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. These forums are here for people to state their opinion and I stated mine. And I'll state it again:

Who said I even liked J-Rap, I am not really a big fan of it, although some does have good beats, most of it I have heard I only mildly took an interest to.

Asian boys rapping is a ridiculous notion. It's just all wrong. To me, it doesn't sound right and it's not something I would support or listen to. In fact, I think Japanese rap is stupid and Asian "wannabe" hiphop boys are not cool in my opinion. Though there was this one guy.... But getting back to the point, I do have certain prejudices and that does affect my opinion on certain issues - such as Japanese rap.

That is simply ignorant discrimination. I don't really need to say anything more because you basically said what I would have said about you. Your ignorance is astounding. Just because I am not a huge fan of J-Rap doesn't mean I would actually insult it and claim that Asians shouldn't even be rappers. They are allowed to do any type of music they like, and it is good for Japan because it gives variety, so you don't have to like what someone else does. You have shown and admitted to your blatant prejudice, and that says enough about you.

It's my opinion. So, deal with it because the whole world doesn't worship everything that Japan spits out. It's a fact of life and it's rather immature to result to insults just because someone disagrees with YOUR opinion.

How's that for a vocabulary?

Have a nice day. :p

I don't like everything Japan spits out, as I have said, but I am still not an a**hole enough to say that they shouldn't be able to "spit out" certain things. I said it once and I'll say it again:

***.

[december]

Who said I even liked J-Rap, I am not really a big fan of it, although some does have good beats, most of it I have heard I only mildly took an interest to.


I didn't specifically say you - I said: To anyone that likes Japanese rap...

That is simply ignorant discrimination. I don't really need to say anything more because you basically said what I would have said about you. Your ignorance is astounding. Just because I am not a huge fan of J-Rap doesn't mean I would actually insult it and claim that Asians shouldn't even be rappers. They are allowed to do any type of music they like, and it is good for Japan because it gives variety, so you don't have to like what someone else does. You have shown and admitted to your blatant prejudice, and that says enough about you.

First and foremost, since when has it been ignorant discrimination to not like something? There are Asian females who won't date white males just because they're not Asian. Isn't that ignorant discrimination? Or does it only apply when someone thinks Asian rappers are ridiculous? Would it make a really big difference if I said all rap is ridiculous instead of just singling out the topic of this thread, which happens to be Japanese rap....?

I didn't say that Asians shouldn't or couldn't be rappers. I said it was ridiculous, wrong, and that I wouldn't support it. Point out where I specifically said, "Asians shouldn't be allowed to rap." What? Did you think I meant Asians shouldn't be allowed to rap because I said it's wrong? I also think it's wrong for a parent to have a child out without shoes on but I'm not out there screaming for parents to stop taking their children out without shoes on their feet. Why? Because its their choice. Just like it's an Asian's boy choice to rap. But will I support it? No, I won't. But by no means does that mean an Asian boy shouldn't be allowed to do as he pleases. That's what freedom is all about - the right for people to do as they please as long as no one else is harmed and the right for people to either accept it or not accept it.

You read a bit too deeply into my statements and took it far too personally. And why you picked my statement, I really don't know cause I wasn't the only one that stated Japanese rap as being ridiculous. But really, I don't care. All the arguement in the world won't change my opinion. It's just pointless debate and obviously, you just want to argue a point which in my opinion doesn't even exist.

You think what you want and I'll think what I want. In case you didn't know, it's called "Difference of Opinion." And believe or not, not everyone thinks and feel the same as you do. I know it's hard to digest but once you remember that not everybody is you and not everybody was raised as you and not everybody developed the sames views and morals as you... well, you get along with a lot more people and pointless arguements like this are avoided. So, one last time, you think what you want. And I'll think what I want.

I don't like everything Japan spits out, as I have said, but I am still not an a**hole enough to say that they shouldn't be able to "spit out" certain things. I said it once and I'll say it again:

***.

And again, I speak of people who can't accept others opinions and result to petty insults.

Have a really nice day. :p

[Dream Time]

link doesn't work....
i've heard japanese rap before, this is so ridiculous. It doesn't even sound good. And japanese people being gangsta? No.. i don't think so. I accept mexicans, south americans, and others rapping, but people who don't seem to have constant crime waves, i don't like their rap. thus this reminds me, didn't japanese people act like mc hammer back in the day? i see it as copying americans.



hip hop does not equal to 'gangsta rap'
gangsta rap appeared in the 80s, don't be misled by what you see on MTV,there are many hip hop music that has nothing to do with gangstas
such as A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Jurassic 5...etc


An Asian boy rapping is about as ridiculous as Vanilla Ice trying to make a come back.


I do not see how ridiculous it is

Japanese hiphop culture started in the 80s...and has blown up in the past few years, producing the big amount of mainsteam pop rap groups such as kick the can crew, rip slyme, heartsdales etc, and also causing some rappers to change their style to cash in on the new trend (eg zeebra). but if u dig deep there are many rappers and producers who stay true to the hiphop culture. Japan in fact has the biggest underground hiphop scene outside of the US next to France. you should not make ignorant statements if you didn't even do any research on the history of japanese hiphop culture.

Da pump is pop, why are they even mentioned here? i guess many people tend to think one verse of 'rap' = hiphop?

sure a lot of Japanese kids are misguided into thinking that bling and baggy pants are hiphop, but which country doesnt have kids like tat?

my bf has been listening to japanese hiphop for the past 10 years, perhaps i will get him to come share his views here. ^^


Rhymester is a great group, I love their work

[Dik Dik Van Dik]

Judging from the post I see on this thread it's apparent that most of y'all don't know a damn thing about hiphop culture in japan.
Even those within the japanese hip hop community are lynching against this "bling bling" Dirty south mainstream ish.
The most knowledgeble poster to me seems to be rhymester as he/she is speaking mostly the truth.
Hip hop really has been around since the 80's in japan.
Most of what you see these days during the 2k millenium doesn't represent what true japanese hiphop was like or sounded.
Lot of y'all seem to be poesurs to me.
Trying to act like y'all know what hiphop is.
Don't seem to understand that rap is only one element of hiphop,and the term & subculture of "gangsta" is a whole different thing alltogether
Hell anyone who automaticaly equates the term hiphop with gangsta is someone I choose not to associate with since thier minds seem to be a lil' disuaded with the trash they see on MTV or BET.
Part-nah that ain't life on the streets. That's just glamour & glitz.

Actually there are several street gangs in japan.
Even some blood & crip sets.
Just because you never hear about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Who the hell do some of y'all think you are?
To have the audacity to act like you know everything that goes on in the world.
As for that gangsta rap (Westcoast style rap) ish,yes japan even has some of that as well,like Ganxsta DX or Phobia of Thug,II-J.
Most of these cats actually are gang releated,and have connections with several sets from the westcoast.
Mc's like Kid frost,Warren G,Foesum have done some collabo work with these folks.
Shoot I'm betting y'all are the same types of cats that dismiss german & french hiphop based on their race & color.
(Though that's pretty damn stupid since french rappers are mostly of hatian descent. In other words they have black skin for the superficial out there who judge a person person soley on the skin color alone.)
I lived in japan for 5 years at the most,and sure I probably had the same thoughts of doubt as well,but I tell you Japan truly isn't that different from any other country in the world.
Hell there's even a dpg records japan.
Set up by Daz dillenger AKA Dat nigga daz formerly of the dogg pound.
(Releated to Snoop Dogg)
Guess what I'm trying to say is that a lot of these hip hop artist in japan actually aren't faking,but I'm mostly talking bout cats you see performing at underground lives and such.
None of that mainstream b.s. on the t.v.
There's a website on the net dedeicated to this subculture of japan.
They promote unity.

http://www.cultureuniversal.com/

By the way it's run by a couple of euro folks ranging from Finland to signapore,so don't go acting like it's some azn pride bulls**t.
Japanese hiphop in it's truest form was never about that petty belligerant bling bling ish.
Hiphop & dancehall from japan are a lot bigger than what most people seem to think,but what I can I say?
People seem to only believe what their t.v.,internet or thier close circle of friends tells them.

[kjelli]

its a goood thing that rap aint that appreciate in japan (this is not me speaking) i have lived in USA for 1 year and when i where there i herd about black power organizations that have thair special saluts just like Natzis well i watched som black power vidios from the web and saw som black power saluts and i cant say how menny times i have seen my frinds do thows saluts thinking that it is normal in rap/hip hop culture and most of the swedish hip hopers. well i like japanese rap more than american rap i think japanese rap is mor of the FUNK sound that rap. but swedish hip hop culture dossent show much inteligence aand is mostly about mixing spanish and english and swedish to a bigg supe of SPASWEINGLIS.

[johndoe75]

Iwas googeling for a hiphop mc forum and bounced to this thread....and just had to say something...

I draw the line at Japanese rap. I took a chance listening to J-rock. I still don't care too much for J-Pop. But J-Rap? God, that is so ridiculous. It's like me seeing an Asian Santa Claus... not right.

LOL!!! Everybody has his own opinion i guess...
But yo comment is full of sh*t my man!
Why?

i quess i could also say how stupid martial arts looks on non asians tryin to pretend something....and that the wutang-clan needs to stop using the 4 elements and deadly techniques..

http://img129.exs.cx/img129/2273/afroninja.gif

but that's not right does it...? Becuz i DIGg the Wu_Tang :P

So what i'm trying to say:

Hiphop is music, music is for everybody, now i also find it wacker then wack if people pretend that they are from the ghetto and like to bust a cap :S when they are not!
Keep it real in every way. That's what hiphop to me is all about..expressing yourself in a rhyme with a phat beat and represent yourself, your roots and your experiences in life an sum mo' of that good stuff!

LOL!! im curious though....how does J-rap sound like? Does somebody have links to some audiosnippets or something?
I would really like to hear that...

[pishups]

I actually like some Japenese rap. But only when they put their own flavor into it rather than just imitate.

[ragedaddy]

Judging from the post I see on this thread it's apparent that most of y'all don't know a damn thing about hiphop culture in japan.
Even those within the japanese hip hop community are lynching against this "bling bling" Dirty south mainstream ish.
The most knowledgeble poster to me seems to be rhymester as he/she is speaking mostly the truth.
Hip hop really has been around since the 80's in japan.
Most of what you see these days during the 2k millenium doesn't represent what true japanese hiphop was like or sounded.
Lot of y'all seem to be poesurs to me.
Trying to act like y'all know what hiphop is.
Don't seem to understand that rap is only one element of hiphop,and the term & subculture of "gangsta" is a whole different thing alltogether
Hell anyone who automaticaly equates the term hiphop with gangsta is someone I choose not to associate with since thier minds seem to be a lil' disuaded with the trash they see on MTV or BET.
Part-nah that ain't life on the streets. That's just glamour & glitz.

Actually there are several street gangs in japan.
Even some blood & crip sets.
Just because you never hear about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Who the hell do some of y'all think you are?
To have the audacity to act like you know everything that goes on in the world.
As for that gangsta rap (Westcoast style rap) ish,yes japan even has some of that as well,like Ganxsta DX or Phobia of Thug,II-J.
Most of these cats actually are gang releated,and have connections with several sets from the westcoast.
Mc's like Kid frost,Warren G,Foesum have done some collabo work with these folks.
Shoot I'm betting y'all are the same types of cats that dismiss german & french hiphop based on their race & color.
(Though that's pretty damn stupid since french rappers are mostly of hatian descent. In other words they have black skin for the superficial out there who judge a person person soley on the skin color alone.)
I lived in japan for 5 years at the most,and sure I probably had the same thoughts of doubt as well,but I tell you Japan truly isn't that different from any other country in the world.
Hell there's even a dpg records japan.
Set up by Daz dillenger AKA Dat nigga daz formerly of the dogg pound.
(Releated to Snoop Dogg)
Guess what I'm trying to say is that a lot of these hip hop artist in japan actually aren't faking,but I'm mostly talking bout cats you see performing at underground lives and such.
None of that mainstream b.s. on the t.v.
There's a website on the net dedeicated to this subculture of japan.
They promote unity.

http://www.cultureuniversal.com/

By the way it's run by a couple of euro folks ranging from Finland to signapore,so don't go acting like it's some azn pride bulls**t.
Japanese hiphop in it's truest form was never about that petty belligerant bling bling ish.
Hiphop & dancehall from japan are a lot bigger than what most people seem to think,but what I can I say?
People seem to only believe what their t.v.,internet or thier close circle of friends tells them.

Well if you read here, the title of this post is not Japanese Hip Hop, it's labeled Japanese rap. You say it's not about bling bling, and that could possibly be true, but if you ever made your way out to Gas Panic or Club Pure, you would see many Japanese people flossing the "so-called thug wear." Wearing medallions like they are straight out of G-Unit, and these people aren't performers, they are regular people. Hip-Hop and rap are on two different levels. I have yet to see a blood or a crypt unit it in Japan, what do think they do a drive by knifing or what? Unless they have connections to Yakuza, you know they don't have guns.

It's the same in the US, to say rap is the same as hip hop would be ludicrous, and people obviously can make this distinction. The pioneers of hip hop in the US were never about being a thug, or not loving a "ho", they were about just free flowing.....gotta give props to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, The Sugarhill Gang, Herbie Hancock, Run D.M.C., Public Enemy, Curtis Blow etc. Most people can distinguish hip-hop from rap nowadays.... Gansta Rap has blown up here in the US, and various people like this genre. It is not the same as the hip hop here in the US, right now for Hip Hop we've got Jurassic 5, Dialated Peoples, Talib Kweb, Common, Mos Def, Black Eyed Peas, Atmosphere, Guru, etc... This is not on the same level as this "Gansta Rap" Phenomenon, there are a lot of people who love this genre, and that is why they can floss the bling (There are a lot of people buying their albums). I still have no idea how the Ying-Yang Twins sell albums, they have to be aout the crappiest rappers out there.

They may have artists trying to promote gansta rap in Japan, but this is not on the same level that is in the US. I am wondering how many of these West Coast affiliated "so-called Gansta Rappers," have actually capped someone on the streets of Tokyo, or wherever they are. I am guessing this is slim to none, and so obviously gansta rap is on a whole different level when you compare the US with Japan.

[Flashjeff]

Rap! AAARRRGGGHHH!!! A hemorroid on the *** of society! I absolute can't stand it!!! And if you wanna call me an old fart who doesn't know what's what when it comes to music----fine!! I could care less! Rap isn't music, it's babbling like idiots set to a moronic beat!

It's bad enough Americans not only wallow but revel in its vulgar, misogynistic and violent themes with profanities after every third word in the lyrics and inanities throughout, you'd think the Japanese would be smarter and avoid following in our footsteps. Oh, well, so much for that daydream.
:okashii:

[budd]

"you'd think the Japanese would be smarter and avoid following in our footsteps."
because i'm bored
that whole premise is completely flawed because nearly (not really i mean nearly i mean all) every genre of music created in the last 50 years went through the same sort of social enmity?
was elvis arrested for lewd behavior (dancing)? was ray charles arrested? etc etc etc
the problem is with disintegration of morals and societal breakdowns as a whole primarily because of the hypocrisy of elders?

[BulletMuzik]

I've never heard japanese rap before, but i don't see what is wrong with rap music going global. I myself am the american west coast underground rapper with friends all over the world thanks to rap. from japan, to europe, to south africa they have embraced what i spend my life making, Muzik. I've not only been supported, but these very fans have went out and promoted my music in their areas. Recently I was told that i am in the custom lowrider magazine in japan, i have been in magazines in europe as well as radio, and i've done many interviews in europe and south africa. I'm suppose to be doing one soon with g house in japan. I guess my overall less harsh stance on japan or any other country embracing the art of rap, is based on accepting what people enjoy. In america everybody is so judgemental, they hate to see people on top or doing something good or something different. Make music, even if it means copying the american form of rap, in time you will perfect that art and when you have you'll have the knowledge to add your spin on giving your rap music its idenity and originality.

Just my thoughts.

BULLET

www.BulletMuzik.com

My new album Bullet - When The Rain Falls (Featuring Baby Bash & Dante Thomas) is available now at www.cdbaby.com

[Inuyasha-the-kid]

I dont get Japanese rap because it dont ryhme.

"Wow kokoro me sebapa whats the matter with you go pa,pa."THats the only rap I know of.

[Ma Cherie]

Japanese rap, that sounds very, very, frightening. :eek: :shock:

[ss045]

Rap! AAARRRGGGHHH!!! It's bad enough Americans not only wallow but revel in its vulgar, misogynistic and violent themes with profanities after every third word in the lyrics and inanities throughout, you'd think the Japanese would be smarter and avoid following in our footsteps. Oh, well, so much for that daydream.
:okashii:

The Japs do avoid "vulgar, misogynistic and violent themes." If you listened to some of the lyrics, they are just rapping about whats going on in the city, experiences and lifes lessons. THERE IS a new generation of 'J gangstas' with lyrics about drug dealing and cruising in lowriders etc... Thats partly due to the fact that they ARE actually dealing drugs and what not.

I read through most of this thread. Most of you are mistaken and think Da Pump and whatever else is J rap. :blush: Thats like saying Linkin Park are hardcore thrashers. Way off.

[Sally_Hawn]

Rapping or reciting poetry, Lankin Park and Da Pump are still my favorite bands. :cool: I usually don’t even listen to rap anyway. :-)

[-Rudel-]

I'll just add my 2 cents here.

Kick The Can Crew and Fireball are pretty good Hip-hop artist.
I suggest them if you never heard them before.

Cheers S!

[ss045]

^Kick the Can is OKAY. Fireball is J-reggae. they're still good though, don't get me wrong.

[Leroy_Brown]

Japanese rap, that sounds very, very, frightening. :eek: :shock:


Yes, indeed!


But wait, there's something even more frightening . . .

Hebrew rap


http://clevelandjewishradio.tripod.com/shabak.html

:shock:

[SkippyDaStudent85]

The only J-rap I have heard is M-Flo, and being one who does not like to listen to rap, I think they are good.

[Hitman]

if anyone is looking for a japanese hip-hop info site in english you should check out www.cultureuniversal.com

they got some samples for few albums too! been using it for few weeks now seems to be getting big

[Mishima_Kazuya]

i like jap rap its mad i love Dragon ash with the rock/rap style sorta reminds me of music from tekken deap impact is mad

[Suki-Yaki]

I don't understand why are we calling it Japanese rap. rap is rap it's got nothing to do with backgrounds.

And personally I don't like it. Neither in Japanese , nor in any other language . :relief:

[Leroy_Brown]

I don't understand why are we calling it Japanese rap. rap is rap it's got nothing to do with backgrounds.

And personally I don't like it. Neither in Japanese , nor in any other language . :relief:

I think it's about the language it's done in, not about backgrounds. But I agree with you on the second statement

[Meiki]

[QUOTE=Golgo_13]WTF are you talking about?

My whole point was, the so many Japanese try to imitate something from the West--including hair color--and that's too bad.


WTF are YOU talking about.

What do you mean 'The west', if you mean America, I agree with it. But since a lot people include european countries, I don't.
I know that the US has a significant influence on modern life. But if dutch, for example, guys begin to rap, would you say there is a kind of emulation. The only significant music-industries are the us and britain as they are the most worldwide known and have a big influence. But I think it's hypocrite to say that Asian countries are copying so-called western music. It's modern music. And there are a lot of European countries who also do music which originally came from the US or Britain, but they stink in it or aren't really good at it. Like Holland has a crappy musicindustry, don't have their own stardom, make crappy lyrics, almost no own artists. And the same old dull guy receives each year an award for best artist on a dumb award-show, where international big names don't show up. But there IS a good japanese rockscene, there is a good popscene.


Anyway, I think this is a very interesting article.


“Fashion innovation, not emulation”

By Laura Miller, Ph.D (Loyola University, Chicago)
(Originally published in The Chicago Shimpo, Friday, January 16, 2004, p. 21)

One of the hottest entertainers in Japan right now is a mega-star with the stage name Gakuto or “Gackt.” A former member of a Japanese Goth band, he started his solo career in 1999. Over the years Gackt has appeared with hair dyed many shades, from silvery white to the reddish brown hue known as chapatsu (literally “tea head”). He often wears contact lenses that change his brown eyes to blue or green. Older Japanese and people outside Japan assume that Gackt, and the thousands of young men like him, are attempting to look “foreign” or “white.” But is this really a case of warped imitation, or might there be more to it? Could it be that Gackt and the others have models of appearance that originate in Japanese popular culture? My suspicion is that they are not looking to Hollywood or Madison Avenue when they change their appearance, but are drawing on Japanese fashion and media for their inspiration.
Perhaps sources for their altered looks are the characters found in Japanese comic books, anime and computer games. Indeed, fans of Gackt love to hunt for his “lookalikes” in domestically-produced media. An instance in which Gackt explicitly modeled himself after a character was when he dressed up as a Meiji-era (1868-1911) samurai straight out of the popular series Ruroni Kenshin. At other times, Gackt himself has claimed that media characters were created after his likeness. His nickname for Squall Leonhart of the Final Fantasy VIII role-playing game is “Gackt Number Two.” In August 2003, the game company Taito announced that it was working on a new Sony Playstation game named Bujingai, in which the main character is patterned directly after Gackt. Gackt also worked on voice acting and motion-capture for the project.
Although all forms of fashion, from ancient to modern, entail a degree of artificiality (consider the buttressed and shellacked shimada hairstyle), the artificial styles of today’s Japanese youth are often seen as nothing more than emulation of outside or foreign models. Yet we are missing something if the only interpretation we imagine is failed imitation. New fashion conventions in Japan involve melding of both native and borrowed elements to create something entirely novel. Unlike past generations, young people exuberantly combine beauty ideals from different cultures or historical periods. Japanese fashion innovations are not the emulation of any specific foreign trend, but are based on a combination or juxtaposition of items from different eras, places and cultures. This practice even has a name: mukokuseki, “lacking nationality.” The aim of the mukokuseki style is not to look “Western,” or Japanese, but rather like something that cannot be categorized. The photographer Shoichi Aoki beautifully captures this aesthetic in his photos of Japanese street fashion found in the monthly Fruits, a publication that also has some popularity among trendy American teenagers.
Bleached or colored hair is spectacularly popular in Japan. Until the late 1980s, dyed hair was still a minority fashion, but it has gradually become common among all members of Japanese society, from young people and entertainers to politicians. Almost all the members of the Japanese soccer team now have dyed their hair. In the year 2000, a poll was taken of more than two thousand male and female Japanese high school students, among whom nearly 40% had dyed their hair. Other surveys have given much higher rates. For example, a 1997 poll in the magazine Nikkei Trendy found that 65% of the men they queried had dyed their hair.
Japan’s own thriving popular culture industries are most likely the primary source for recent body styles and fashions found among global Japanese youth. Hair styles are often traceable to characters found in comics, or to JPop singers and other media stars. One male celebrity who has been influential is Jiro, lead singer of Glay, one of the hottest bands. Jiro’s hair has been pink, orange, green, blue, black, gold, and white. He has dyed his hair more than ten varieties of brown, and more than five shades of red. To achieve Jiro’s hair, Japanese men’s magazines such as Bidan or Fine Boys carry detailed styling and coloring instructions. When Japanese American adolescents dye their hair, they may not have Brad Pitt in mind, but rather celebrities such as Gackt or Jiro.
Meiji-era gentlemen were the first to begin mixing Western accouterments and clothing into their wardrobes, things like hats, umbrellas, and pocket watches. People thought they were trying to be modern, not that they had weak notions about ethnic identity. These days fashion has extended further to encompass the body itself. Youth fashion around the globe includes changes to the body, including hair modification, piercing and tattooing. I wonder why only Anglo Americans are free to do these things to the body without being accused of trying to change their ethnic identity? It seems odd that whenever Anglo Americans adopt nose piercing, dreadlocks, and so on, it is seen as proof of their own creativeness and tolerance, yet when members of other ethnic groups participate in body fashion, it is not seen as fashion, but rather as evidence of a psychological problem. To press it further, Japanese and Japanese American consumers of youth fashion are unfairly viewed as victims of American cultural imperialism, a stance which denies them the possibility of creating alternative aesthetic forms and meanings. For example, one important meaning behind experimentation with the outward appearance of the body is that it underscores a severance with the older generation. A young man with plucked eyebrows and long red hair is a powerful form of “salaryman rejection.” More than anything else, his dyed hair and blue contacts signify a desire to be different from the men of his father’s generation.
Of course, we cannot deny the power and racism implicit in mainstream American media representation. I am of Hispanic ancestry, and grew up in Southern California where I felt oppressed by the blonde, beach-bunny beauty ideal. But I also see a different, and more complex, transnational world around me. Young people everywhere are interested in Japanese popular culture, a milieu brimming with blue, orange, white and brown-haired idols and characters, and value it for its unique and creative innovations. It is only in American media where homogenous images of black-haired and bespeckled Japanese men remain. Ironically, one way for young Japanese American men to assert ethnic identity in the U.S. is through consumption of Japanese popular culture, and by extension, through emulation of JPop stars such as Jiro and Gackt. These days, when I see a Japanese American man with dyed hair, I think to myself that he is refusing to conform to mainstream American expectations about how Asian men ought to look, and that he is in tune with the current cultural scene in Japan.

[mizerable_d]

i like Orange Range, their rap sounds so nice!

[-Rudel-]

Fire Ball is one of my fav Rap groups. Sounds good to me.

[Do My Dishes]

I like a lot of rap music and japanese rap sounds really good, though I dont understand the lyrics lol

[DemonHunter]

i like J-Rap :)

Orange Range is nice,Dragon Ash is cool
Dj Krush is also pretty good