Japanese hip-hop

Although rather informal and small scale, the early days of Japanese hip hop provide the history for the emergence of the cultural movement. Early hip hop was not led by corporate interests, but rather was largely ignored by large record companies and performance venues. In this respect, Japanese hip-hop offers a representation of cultural globalization, as it expanded despite criticism on the part of record companies and major media outlets. The history shows that certain kinds of cultural exchange are not initiated through cultural understanding, but instead from some interaction that can incite a desire to learn, to participate, and to contribute individuality. In Japan, this motivation to represent individuality was breakdancing, which was one of the leading edges of hip-hop at the time. The first known Japanese group to experiment with hip hop was Yellow Magic Orchestra, which created an early electro hip hop track, "Rap Phenomena", for their 1981 album BGM. In turn, the synthpop and electro music of Yellow Magic Orchestra and Ryuichi Sakamoto, and their use of the Roland TR-808 drum machine, had a significant influence on early key American hip hop figures such as Afrika Bambaataa and Mantronix. An important spark for Japanese hip-hop occurred in 1983 when breakdancing appeared in Tokyo through film and live performances even though American hip hop records could previously be heard in Tokyo discos. According to Takagi Kan, a first generation Japanese MC, "I couldn't tell what was with the rap and the DJing...but with the breakdancing and graffiti art, you could understand it visually. Or rather, it wasn't understanding so much as, 'Whoa, that's cool' [kakkoii]. With rap and DJing, I couldn't imagine what could be cool about it." Dancing has a visual impact that everyone can understand, when it comes to dance there is not a language barrier. Break dancing represented the foundation for the spread of Japanese hip-hop and served as a medium for globalization. The film is "the classic hip-hop flick, full of great subway shots, breakdancing, freestyle MCing and rare footage of one of the godfathers of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash, pulling off an awesome scratch-mix set on a pair of ancient turntables." The popularity of the film led to many of the artists involved in it to make a trip to Japan to promote the film and they even performed in some of the department stores while they were there. The rise of DJs represented a significant development for the Japanese hip hop scene. Before 1985, there weren't very many DJs on the radio, but with the increase in the number that year, it led to the opening of the first all hip hop club in 1986. But despite the fact that DJing gained popularity rapidly, it was initially thought that rapping wasn't going to have the same cache as it would be hard to rap in Japanese. 1990s T-shirt in Yoyogi park By the early 1990s, major American artists began to tour Japan, and their music would receive Japanese releases. The years 1994 and 1995 marked the beginning of hip-hop's commercial success in Japan. The first hit was Schadaraparr's "Kon'ya wa būgi bakku" (Boogie Back Tonight) by Scha Dara Parr and Ozawa Kenji, followed by East End X Yuri's "Da. Yo. Ne." and "Maicca," which each sold a million copies. This sudden popularity of J-rap, which was largely characterized as party rap, sparked a debate over 'realness' and authenticity between commercial and underground hip-hop artists. Popular brands in Japan during this period also collaborated with multiple hip hop artists. A Bathing Ape (or BAPE) A Japanese clothing company founded by Nigo in 1993. Artist such as Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and KAWS have collaborated with BAPE. An example of an underground attack on mainstream J-Rap is Lamp Eye's "Shogen," in which rapper You the Rock disses the more pop oriented group Dassen Trio. Writer Ian Condry argues that the rappers on this track are closely emulating the traditional macho posturing of rap, citing influences such as Public Enemy and Rakim. Dassen Trio, and other pop rappers, respond to such attacks with the argument that their subject matter is more culturally appropriate and accessible for Japanese fans, and question the standards of "realness" put forth by underground rappers. Japanese rap lyrics frequently reference mundane subjects such as food, cell phones, and shopping. 2000s, 2010s and 2020s Since 2000, the hip hop scene in Japan has grown and diversified. Hip-hop style and Japanese rap has been an enormous commercial success in Japan. In a 2003 interview with the BBC, Tokyo record-store owner, Hideaki Tamura noted "Japanese hip-hop really exploded in the last two, three years. I never thought there would be a time when Japanese records could outsell American ones but it's happening." Additionally, a huge number of new scenes have developed. These include “rock rap to hard core gangsta, spoken word/poetry, to conscious, old school, techno rap, antigovernment, pro-marijuana, heavymetal-sampled rap, and so on.” Tamura points to a shift in Japanese hip hop, when artists began to focus on issues pertinent to Japanese society, versus previous styles and subjects that were copied from US hip hop culture. For Japan, the style of hip hop was much more appealing than topics popular in American hip hop, such as violence. Ian Condry, on the other hand, focuses on an interplay between local and global hip hop within the genba of Japan. For Condry, Japanese hip hop was born out of simultaneous localization and globalization of hip hop culture, rather than a shift between the two binary factors. ==Political aspects==

King Giddra's "911" reflects on Ground Zero and its aftermath in two eras: August 1945 and September 11, 2001. It also called for world peace. ==Influence of African American culture==

Prior to the inception of hip hop, soul dancing became popularized in Japan in the 1970s. Shows like Soul Train spread the African-American style of on-going dance that would soon be picked up by various cultures all over the world. Due to its universal criteria, this style of dance laid the foundation for the globalization of African-American culture. As movies like Flashdance reached the islands, more and more young people began dancing on the street and other public arenas. Soon, Japanese culture was ready to alter the structure of the Japanese language in order to partake in hip hop. These prostitutes became known as panpan, a euphemism used by the American soldiers when hunting for a prostitute. Pan derives from the American company Pan American World Airways and combines with the Japanese word pan meaning bread, thus these girls were also euphemistically known as bread girls. The more attractive girls often had to service "white bread" or white soldiers and were known as yagipan with yagi being the Japanese word for goat, a white hairy animal. Less attractive girls serviced "black bread" or black soldiers and were known as burapan with bura deriving from the Japanese word burakumin relating to social stigma. Therefore, a burapan is literally "a woman who prostitutes herself for black men." One Japanese pop group, the Gosperats, has been known to wear blackface makeup during performances, and were influenced by the 80's doo wop group Chanels. The appearance of these "Jiggers" has shown a growing popularity with the hip-hop subculture in Japan despite what can be viewed as racial ideological tendencies of the country towards Black people, and all non-Japanese in general. There are roughly 50,000 Africans in Japan; which is approximately .04% of the Japanese population. Although such an insignificant percent of the Japanese population is African, Japanese subculture is very much accepting of African culture. For many rebellious Japanese youth, it provides an outlet for "coolness" and a chance to express themselves outside the box. However, some Japanese fans of hip-hop find it embarrassing and ridiculous that these blackface fans do this because they feel like they should not change their appearance to embrace the culture. In some instances, it can be seen as a racist act, but for many of the young Japanese fans, it is a way of immersing in hip-hop culture the way they see fit. Even as Japanese hung Sambo signs throughout the city, they were undeniably attracted to black music and style. Before hip hop, the Japanese had embraced jazz, rock and roll, and funk. Despite the seemingly racist tendencies toward Africans and the simultaneous embrace of black culture, rgw Japanese construction of racial ideology is different from that of the US. Whereas the white versus black dichotomy typifies the racial system in the US, Japanese identities are constructed in terms of nationalism. Rather than identifying strongly with a color, Japanese tradition speaks to a homogeneous society that places foreigners in the "other category." Because of this context, "jiggers" and the young teens who wear blackface rebel by embracing individual identities that are different from the norm. Blackface People who tan in order to get a darker skin complexion (especially girls and women, mainly those who are part of the ganguro subculture) are considered blackfacers. Such people in Japan tend to embrace their assumed skin color and party with black people, especially African soldiers and Africans who have moved to Japan. The use of blackface is regarded by some as a way to rebel against the culture of surface images in Japan. Blackface is used to connect with African-Americans and the hegemonic racial structure that exists in the United States. Japan is seen as a homogenous and insular group, and blackface is used amongst Japanese youth to indicate concern with issues on a global level. Blackface users are high school and college students who pursue African American "blackness" with great passion and show interest in underground American hip hop acts such as the Boot Camp Clik as well as anything else that is "black". It is said that the Buraoan style is on the decline. Mikako, a fashion analyzer, says that "the 'cool' that my friend at the nightclub aspired to wouldn't be 'cool' for very long". ==Japanese hip hop dance scene==

Before hip-hop became popular in Japan, it was predated by soul dancing. The hip hop dance scene in Japan was influenced by the movies Flashdance, Wild Style, and Beat Street, as well as the New York hip hop scene and Lalah Hathaway's "Baby Don't Cry" music video. This attracted many Japanese people to New York to see this style of dancing for themselves. In 1992, the form of street dancing known as "house" emerged from the influence of music videos. In "Yellow Negro", Wood discusses the influence that race plays on the club scene; the type of dancing and music played in Japan depends on the racial composition of its guests. ==Language==

Initially language was a barrier for hip-hop in Japan. Rappers only rapped in English because it was believed that the differences between English and Japanese would make it impossible to rap in Japanese. Unlike English, the Japanese language ends phrases in auxiliary verbs. Whereas English ends in verbs or nouns, which are extremely common, Japanese rappers were limited by the small number of grammatically correct possibilities for ending a phrase. Japanese also lacks the stresses on certain syllables that provide flow to English rapping. Even traditional Japanese poetry was based on the numbers of syllables present, unlike English poetry, which was based on the stresses in a line. Most Japanese lyrical music was also formulated using textual repetition, not relying on the flow of the words. The Japanese also have many ways of indicating class distinctions. English is seen as more direct, one far more suited to the tough quality presented in hip-hop. Eventually, artists began translating music from English to Japanese and performing those direct translations, often leaving the bridge of the song in English to keep the catchiness of the rhymes and flow. Slowly, with the increase in popularity of rap in Japan, more rappers began using Japanese. Rappers added stressed syllables to their music, altering the natural flow of the language to fit into traditional hip-hop. American injections were also used in raps to help the flow of the music and often homonyms were placed in raps, which appealed both to the global English-speaking audience and to Japanese speakers, who often would understand the double meanings intended. ==Venues and events==

Genba, also known as the actual site, is the place and space for established and future underground hip-hop artists to gain and maintain recognition. It is here in these venues and night clubs that the artist performs and networks with people from the music industry, the audience, and the media. If the artist is a crowd favorite, the audience cheers or dances and this in a way decides the fate. Without such genba acknowledgments, artists would disappear from the scene. Conversely, the business success of some rappers is not rejected but seen with a touch of envy, especially if they manage to go frequently to nightclubs such as Zeebra to sustain their networks and keep up to date on the latest trends. Before the turn of the new millennium, genba served as a places where Japanese hip hop culture was created and born. In the city of Tokyo, between the youth shopping districts of Shibuya and Harajuku, there was created a genba – a fathering point for youthful fans and performers. Traffic was stopped, and people and artists were able to perform and express themselves outside in this very public arena. This area became known as "Hokouten," short for hokousha tengoku, which means "pedestrian paradise." Thumpin' Camp was one of the most memorable and largest hip hop events that occurred in Japan. July 7, 1996 is an unforgettable day for many rappers, as well as the fans; about four thousand people attended the show. Males were more attracted to this hip hop scene than females; thus, about 80% of the audience was male adolescents. Over thirty rappers, DJs, and break-dancers from the underground scene performed in the show. This event touched many young individuals who were passionate about hip hop. The Thumpin’Camp show left a remarkable memory in the hip hop history in Japan. Japan boasts a variety of clubs, which, although they are "open to all races...the kind of music played depends on the race of the next largest racial group." That group, being next largest to the Japanese, who can be found at each of the different clubs. The clubs that only play hip hop and reggae are attended mostly by black people. In the clubs frequented by Japanese people and those that white people attend, there is an even proportion of race and gender. In these clubs, you will generally find equal numbers of Japanese men and women, and a fairly even proportion of racially different men and women. As aforementioned, genba is agreeably one of the most prominent and core place for hip hop in Japan, there is however a visible shift and spread/increase of Japanese hip hop venues. Among these are clubs, crowds on streets and many more. According to Ian Condry, in his book he outlines the idea and fact that, clubs have become one of the most convenient and top promoting places for Japanese hip hop. Great Djs and turntable-lists use clubs to as venues to not promote other rappers, by that spreading the hip-hop culture, bring and promote new songs and their own hip hop work. Referring to some sources such as, the above named source is a Japanese hip hop forum that also focuses on clubs in Japan. The above source also services proof of Dj and upcoming artists naming places, clubs, Street gatherings of where they are going to be so as to promote their work or any artist they are interested in. The above all in all justifies the view that Japanese Hip hop venues are not just genba but have rather taken and shift or taking a shift into a variety of places such as the ones named above. ==Notable Japanese artists==

KOHH has been mentioned several times as a major influential force to the Japanese hip hop scene in recent years. KOHH has occasionally criticized how small the hip hop scene is in Japan and has tackled major mainstream TVs for its negligence of noticing hip hop. KOHH has also being praised for his smart use of topics like drug use and violence within the Japanese society which are considered controversial in the country. After being featured in "잊지마" (It G Ma), KOHH received an even bigger praise from international audiences who recognized his use of the phrase 'Arigatō' (Thank you) in his verse as the trademark of the hit song and praised the artist whose performance was the one that left the biggest impression on the track. M-flo's Taku Takahashi has appointed KOHH as one of the main acts in the Japanese hip hop renaissance. Although KOHH isn't actively producing music today, KOHH was a major influence and help in the Japanese hip hop scene. One major Japanese hip hop group, Rhymester, has expressed opinions on various global and philosophical issues through their lyrics. Rhymester has put out motivating messages through hip hop, with songs like "B-Boyism" that emphasizes improving oneself, with lyrics such as "I'm not surrendering this aesthetic flattering no one, I improve myself only the wonderful, useless people get it, and roar, at the edge of the bass." The group has also written socially critical lyrics, in songs attacking the Japanese government, as well as the United States for invading Iraq. Rhymester is also known for its collaborative work with the Funky Grammar Unit in the 1990s, as well as its participation in hip hop battles. Another major group of Japanese hip-hop is King Giddra. They are one of the few pioneers of Japanese hip-hop. They began their hip hop careers in 1993 and felt hip-hop was needed in Japan. Group members, Zeebra and K Dub Shine, both of whom had lived in the U.S., were convinced of the necessity for hip-hop to be about issues of social opposition. Nujabes (Jun Seba) was another heavy influence on the evolution of hip-hop in Japan. While not exactly a rapper himself, he lived as a record producer, audio engineer, DJ,arranger, and composer. He acted a trailblazer in both Jazz Rap and Lo-Fi (Low Fidelity). Shing02, was a frequent collaborator on the luv(sic) hexology. ==Japanese influence on current hip-hop==

Japanese Denim is very popular amongst modern hip-hop culture. From Evisu to Red Monkey which are notable by many American hip-hop artists, show the spread of Japanese culture in to hip-hop. Japanese art has been an influence on hip hop culture as well. Takashi Murakami paints Japanese cultural objects and icons repetitiously and markets them on all sorts of products including keychains, mouse pads, T-shirts and Louis Vuitton handbags. He is responsible for Kanye West's Graduation and Kids See Ghosts album covers. ==See also==