JAPANESE HIP-HOP

by Curtis Harmon

        Hip-Hop in Japan. Japanese hip hop. One in the same? Not 
quite, or is it? I`m still trying to figure it out. Back in 1990, 
when I made my first trip to Japan, I was very surprised to find 
RUN-DMC styled fans with the leather and gold teeth, chillin` with 
their crew. At that time the dope rap clubs were THE CIRCUS, QUES, 
RAZZLE DAZZLE and DROOPY DRAWERS. These clubs set the tone and 
trends of the still very young hip-hop scene in Tokyo, which 
influenced all of Japan.

        These clubs were all culturally mixed, black, white, 
african, japanese and a variety of other nations. Truly universal in 
it`s look and purely hip-hop in it`s appeal. The dj`s were japanese 
and they received their training by moving the crowd every weekend. 
Usually there were local guest MC`s in the house who would 
spontaneously rock the mic from time to time. The top dj`s at that 
time were DJ KENSEI, YUTAKA, DE LA KEN, DJ BEAT and HONDA.


DJ Bill (Tokyo), DJ Larry (Ghana) and KINGS owner Frank (Ghana)

        In 1992, the face of underground hip-hop in Tokyo took a 
dramatic turn. A club located on the outskirts of Roppongi named 
CLEOS became the first all black owned and operated hip-hop club in 
Tokyo. I started working there in the winter of `92 and this place 
went on to become legendary because of the antics of the staff & 
customers alike. Perhaps the wildest shit I`ve ever witnessed and 
heard about went on in this club. The club was small as a 
mutherfucka, with people piled on top of each other dancing until 8, 
9, 10 in the morning. Artists would pop in all the time like 
ORGANIZED KONFUSION, ONYX, JAM MASTER JAY, BERNIE WORRELL, AFRIKA 
ISLAM, BOBBY BROWN, DJ QUIK, RBX, SECOND II NONE, BEASTIE BOYS, 
JAMIROQUI, DRE, RAGE, BODY COUNT, SNOOP DOGGY DOG AND ICE T(who 
dj`ed all nite). The customers were mostly black americans from the 
military bases, africans, jamaicans, japanese and others. The vibe 
at CLEOS was so intense, I would have to say it was the best club 
I`ve ever played, other than WATER THE BUSH in L.A.


Robert "Kool" Bell & Gang partying at KINGS in Roppongi, Tokyo

        But the success of CLEOS served to divide the hip-hop 
community, because a lot of the japanese dj`s who had enjoyed 
success at other clubs couldn`t handle the rawness of the CLEOS 
clientele. CLEOS enjoyed many of it`s share of fights . . . well, 
actually brawls that many japanese kids just couldn`t handle. Yes, 
CLEOS was sex, fights and hip-hop and a certain quality of comradery 
that left most japanese fans alienated.


GETTING DOWN IN A JAPANESE HIP-HOP CLUB

        Around 1993, japanese MC`s started to rise up with groups 
like MICROPHONE PAGER, EAST END, MELLOW YELLOW, KRUSH POSSE and 
RHYMESTER ALL-STARS leading the way. These groups regularly 
performed at places like CHOCOLATE CITY, INKSTICK and CLUB CITTA. 
They usually opened up for american rap acts and got booed 
accordingly. Pride aside, they came back night after night and 
helped shape a very healthy hip-hop culture that is runnin` things 
now in Japan. It`s a vibe and flava all their own.

        Japanese dance crews/b-boys have been around for years with 
THE JAPANESE ROCK STEADY CREW leading the way. Other groups such as 
ZOO, CRAZY A, and DEER have also been the pioneers for what is now a 
very healthy, if not somewhat repititious and unoriginal dance 
scene. Of course, with all these genres of japanese hip-hop, 
originality and and creativity has always been a drawback.


Tokyo hip-hop club C'EST BON owner Marcus "Max" Joe from Ghana, Africa

        The current hip-hop scene is in a state of flux, because the 
japanese have gone away from the true culture of the music and 
created their own very generic form of japanese hip-hop, which at 
this time is very popular and redundant. Usually there is not a 
trace of hip-hop involved in their performance as we might analyze 
it. Many new concert promoters have sprung up putting together 
bullshit shows where half the acts from the states donŐt show up. 
These so-called movers and shakers in the japanese hip-hop scene 
have egos larger than Texas and a success rate that rivals the 
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES. Go figure.

        I feel after these kids spin their wheels, they'll return to 
the roots of hip-hop which can`t be ignored. REAL IS REAL, AND I 
INTEND TO KEEP IT REAL!!!