The Blue Hearts was a Japanese punk rock band active from 1985 to 1995. They have been compared to such bands as the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Ramones. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked them at number 19 on their list of 100 most important Japanese pop acts. In September 2007, Rolling Stone Japan rated their self-titled debut album number 3 on its list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time".
Five Deez is an American hip hop group from Cincinnati, Ohio and a part of the Wanna Battle collective, which also includes DJ Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli, Rubix, and Lone Catalysts. The group consists of members: Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician, Pase Rock, Kyle David, and Sonic. Fat Jon currently resides in Frankfurt, Germany; while Pase Rock lives in New York, with Kyle and Sonic remaining in Cincinnati.
Jun Seba, born Jun Yamada, better known by his stage name Nujabes, was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, breakbeat, downtempo, and ambient music.
Metaphorical Music is the debut studio album by Japanese musician Nujabes. Released in 2003, it offers a combination of hip hop and instrumental jazz, and features artists like Shing02, Substantial, Five Deez and Cise Starr. Despite the fact that the album has contributing vocals from several artists, it is roughly classified as a breakbeat album.
Modal Soul is the second full-length album by Japanese hip-hop artist Nujabes, released on November 11, 2005, on Nujabes' own record label Hydeout Productions. Like its predecessor, Metaphorical Music, Modal Soul fuses jazzy, smooth rhythms and hip hop. The album features artists Cise Starr and Akin, Terry Callier, Shing02, Substantial, Pase Rock, Apani B and Uyama Hiroto. It was the final studio album released during Nujabes' lifetime.
"These Eyes" is a song by the Canadian rock band The Guess Who. The song was co-written by the group's lead guitarist Randy Bachman and lead singer Burton Cummings and originally included on the band's 1969 album Wheatfield Soul. It was first released as a single, in their native Canada, where its chart success (#7), along with the influence of CKLW-AM Windsor's radio station music director Rosalie Trombley, helped land them a U.S. distribution deal with RCA Records. It was subsequently released in the U.S. in March 1969, and became a breakthrough success for the group, as it would be their first single to reach the top ten on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, peaking at number six, and would eventually be certified gold by the RIAA for sales of over one million copies. It was also a top ten hit in South Africa. While it was actually the 18th single released by the band overall, it was the first from the line-up of Cummings, Bachman, Jim Kale, and Garry Peterson as produced by Jack Richardson.
Cyne, often stylized as CYNE, is an American alternative hip hop group originating from Gainesville, Florida. The group consists of MCs Akin Yai and Clyde "Cise Starr" Graham, and producers David "Enoch" Newell and Michael "Speck" Gersten, and are currently signed to Hometapes.
Modal Soul Classics is a compilation album from Japanese hip hop producer Nujabes. Though the music on this album is commonly attributed to Nujabes, none of it is composed by him; the songs on this album were only compiled and mastered by him. All of it is by other artists who have inspired Nujabes.
Shingo Annen, better known by his stage name Shing02, is a Japanese hip hop recording artist, record producer, activist and investor. He was described by Patrick Neate as one of the Japanese emcees who "has addressed important issues from Japanese ethnicity to sexual exploitation to the education system."
9.5 Carats is the 12th studio album by a Japanese singer-songwriter Yosui Inoue, released in December 1984. It mostly features cover versions of the songs that Inoue wrote for other performers, except "Isso Serenade" which was released as a lead single in October 1984. It is the most commercially successful album for him, its sales are estimated to be 1.1-1.8 million copies.
[Ricky Lascaze] is an American Hip-Hop DJ and producer from Brooklyn, New York who records under the name DJ Ezasscul. For a brief period of time he was a member of the rap group Supreme & Eaze with, Missouri rapper, Supreme Sol. DJ Ezasscul is also founder of the independent label Jazzy Peace Records.
Stanley Robinson, known as Substantial, is an American hip hop recording artist from Prince George's County, Maryland. He now operates out of Virginia.
Hydeout Productions 2nd Collection is a compilation album published by Japanese label Hydeout Productions in 2007. Mainly a Nujabes album, it features numerous other hip hop and downtempo artists including Pase Rock, Uyama Hiroto, and Shing02. It was Nujabes' last album before his death in 2010. The album cover image is a painting by Texas artist, Cheryl D. McClure.
Wednesday Campanella is a Japanese music group formed in 2012 combining musical genres such as EDM, J-pop, and hip hop into a unique stylistic blend. The lyrics generally follow a theme of famous or mythical people and creatures from history, pop culture, or various cultural folklore, while tangentially touching on the song's subject through the use of clever word play and creative interpretation. From 2013 until 2021, the trio consisted of KOM_I, Kenmochi Hidefumi, and Dir.F. KOM_I departed in September 2021, with new vocalist Utaha joining the group.
Force of Nature is a hip-hop DJ and production duo from Tokyo, Japan. The group is composed of members Ikuzumi Kitazawa, known by his stage name KZA, and Kento Sasaki, known by his stage name DJ Kent or The Backwoods. Known internationally for their DJ work as well as their production, the duo is also credited as part of the production team that scored the music for the anime series Samurai Champloo.
Luv(sic) Hexalogy is an album collaboration created and finalized posthumously by the Japanese producer Nujabes and Japanese hip hop artist Shing02. It is a jazz hip hop album that incorporates latin jazz/soul samples and drum beats to create the instrumentals. The scratching was performed by various DJs and the vocals/lyrics were created by Shing02.
The music of the 2004 anime series Samurai Champloo, created by the studio Manglobe, was produced by a team of four composers drawn from the hip hop musical scene. They were Shinji "Tsutchie" Tsuchida of Shakkazombie, Fat Jon, Nujabes and Force of Nature. The musical direction was chosen by series creator and director Shinichirō Watanabe as part of his planned blending of hip hop culture with the anime's setting in the Edo period, additionally incorporating contributions from guest artists. The opening theme "Battlecry" was performed and co-written by Shing02, while the various ending themes were performed by Minmi, Kazami, and Azuma Riki. The final episode's ending theme was "San Francisco", licensed from the rapper band Midicronica.
For You is the sixth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in January 1982.
HarukaNakamura, is a Japanese composer, producer, pianist, and guitarist who lives in Tokyo. Across his music career, Nakamura has worked with the likes of Nujabes, Aimer, and Ichiko Aoba, among others. Nakamura started his professional music career by uploading music to MySpace. He is now signed to the Singaporean label 'KITCHEN. LABEL'. He has composed for brands like The North Face as well as for television and anime, including Hikikomori Sensei, Trigun Stampede, and the film adaptation of Look Back.
