On February 19, a historic first took place in the Japanese music scene: hip hop crew BAD HOP became the first hip hop artists to perform in concert by themselves at Tokyo Dome. Formed in 2014 by members T-Pablow and YZERR, BAD HOP was an instant smash with teens and young adults thanks to their exploration, through popular sub genres like trap and Chicago drill, of their wild lifestyle in their hometown of Kawasaki. The revival of city pop in the live music scene and competitive reality TV shows like BAZOOKA!!! High School Student Rap Championships in the mid- to late 2010s rapidly brought music directly influenced by Black artists into the collective consciousness of the general Japanese public. BAD HOP seized on the trend and helped make hip hop the genre of the nation’s youth. And then, standing onstage at the Tokyo Dome before 50,000 adoring fans, they dramatically and abruptly called it quits. Their big goodbye single-handedly ushered in a new era in a style reminiscent of Gol D. Roger’s final moments in the manga ONE PIECE.
The days of hip hop and rap struggling to gain a foothold in Japan are now just a distant memory in the rearview mirror. Rising rappers continuously leapfrog one another on the streaming charts, and lots of new bands borrow liberally from Black artists. And while the contributions of solo musicians can’t be overlooked, it was the crews, with each of their members’ unabashed self-expression, who were the real leaders. Groups like BAD HOP, KANDYTOWN, YENTOWN, and Umeda Cypher, each with their own distinct vibes and recognizable performances, quickly carved out niches of influence for themselves in the hearts of listeners everywhere. In the midst of this tidal shift, KANDYTOWN and BAD HOP announced their crews would be splitting up late last year and earlier this year, respectively, signaling the next era of Japanese hip hop as the new year rolled in, with the focus moving to solo musicians instead, as well as seeing a marked increase in festivals.
Despite the bigger venues and impressive sales, it still wouldn’t be fair to call the genre quite mainstream, perhaps because it caters to a limited slice of listeners and thus hampering its wider recognition, as is often the case with more niche genres. As a result, even though the genre lays claim to a number of star singers, their familiarity isn’t spread particularly evenly across different generations—but that only makes the accomplishments of artists like Creepy Nuts all the more remarkable. With a brilliant fusion of pop and hip hop, and truly inspired performances, the collaborative duo of DJ Matsunaga and R-Shitei has brought the joys of rap to more people than ever.
Unlike the groups mentioned earlier who emphasized the traditional tenets of hip hop, Creepy Nuts has lowered the barrier to entry by incorporating a more popular sound, winning over fans of all ages. Their hit rap song “Nobishiro,” for example, is backed by lively rock instruments that really make the music and the exciting rapping pop. Then there’s their song “Daten,” layered with horns and piano that give R-Shitei’s rhythmic performance the feel of a musical. Tracks like this show how the duo prioritizes sounding familiar and fun over cool or unique, an angle that has granted them a very engaged audience, plenty of cross-promotions, and a solid reputation at music festivals. Thanks to all the experience they’ve built up, they’re about to graduate from playing smaller halls to setting off on a stadium tour.
Creepy Nuts, who formed in 2013 and had their major breakthrough four years later, come with an unbelievable resume of accomplishments under their belt. DJ Matsunaga won as the Japanese representative at the 2019 DMC World DJ Championships, while R-Shitei was originally a member of Umegaya Cypher and won the ULTIMATE MC BATTLE, Japan’s premier freestyle rap competition, an astounding three times in a row. His intense rapping on YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE jumped international waters as it rode the Shorts wave to immense popularity in Korea. With feats like these, it’s fair to say the duo are a hip hop force to be reckoned with.
The runaway popularity of their recent hit “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” is a perfect example of the tremendous success they have with leveraging their specific talents to appeal to a wide range of listeners. As the theme song to the anime Mashle: Magic and Muscles and the BBBB dance challenge sweeping through short form media, the song’s positioned to be one of the biggest hits of the year. As of writing, it’s topped the main Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 chart for 11 weeks straight, and has fans overseas, too, judging by how long it’s been number one on Billboard’s Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart. The number of views on YouTube of the anime’s colorful opening titles have been climbing, too, sitting at around 87 million just a month after release. The song’s global popularity is reminiscent of how popular YOASOBI’s song “Idol” became last year after being featured on streaming services like Netflix.
Seeing all this, it’s clear that these artists have been successful in taking hip hop and rap’s immeasurable influence and turning it into a more mainstream version of pop music. The duo was able to create a rare Jersey Club-sounding anime theme song thanks to their unparalleled talent and established track record. It’s also a testament to Japanese labels’ knack for strategies like setting off short form challenges on top of working with video streaming services to increase exposure. It’s plain for anyone to see that it’s been “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” hitting it big that truly demonstrates the explosive potential of the genre.
Looking at another artist, Awich has also been making news. Thanks to her recent meteoric rise riding on a series of successes over the years, she performed during the 88rising Futures segment at Coachella and snagged a sub-headliner spot on the opening day of this year’s Fuji Rock Festival. As a member of YENTOWN, Awich has had fellow crewmate Chaki Zulu, a master of high-quality beats, as a guiding force. Awich is a different kind of musician, telling her story exactly as it is, including her ascent from a dark past to the queen of Japanese hip hop, with her uniquely charismatic mix of tragic beauty, dignity, and friendliness, all with a dash of Okinawa flavor, her hometown. Her two studio albums Queendom (2022) and THE UNION (2023)—marvels even in the wider world of pop culture for the incredible talent she put into them—have been instrumental in her rise. She also shook up the male-dominated scene with “Bad Bitch,” a collaboration with more of her contemporary female rappers. Last November, Awich put on a well-received concert at K-Arena Yokohama, a 20,000-seat stadium. Unlike Creepy Nuts and their crossover approach, hers leans more heavily into pure hip hop, making her a relatively rare performer in Japan’s current hip hop scene.
Today, Japanese hip hop continues its restless ascent. There’s JP THE WAVY, who not only has unique vocals and flow, but has collaborated with Korean artists Jay Park and Sik-K; CHANMINA, whose refined style comes after repeated trips between Korea and Japan; ¥ellow Bucks, who perfectly captures the sentiment of the younger generation; LEX, whose powerful music conveys the anxieties of being a teen; and LANA, whose pop/rap style has found a huge fan base. Artists like these have been tirelessly clearing the path for Japanese hip hop. New crews and groups like SELF MADE and STARKIDS are always coming onto the scene, too. These fierce warriors have entered into a talented turf war.
Their ascent and its momentum will undoubtedly have a direct impact on Korea, too. Given that both countries are shaped by contemporary Western trends, artists and audiences from both Korea and Japan are bound to find common ground, even if they don’t realize it. Collaborations between artists from the two countries have been in the works for years, and GO-AheadZ, one of Japan’s largest hip hop festivals, has tons of Korean artists in their lineup. Artists like Awich and CHANMINA have already performed in Korea, and given the huge increase in Japanese artists visiting lately, it's likely that the numbers will only continue to rise. In a sense, people from both countries are feeling out the potential across the water. What impact will the rise of Japanese hip hop have on mainstream music in the Japanese archipelago? Where will the creative exchange between nations go from here? It’s certainly an intriguing new landscape, and one worth keeping an eye on.
