INDIVIDUALS

by Key-Kool

        Everybody knows that an American hip-hop artist that 
performs in Japan gets mad jocked. Scores of groupies mob from show 
to show, eagerly waiting by entrances of venues to catch a glimpse 
of their favorite performer. Audiences get further than open when 
the first beat cuts through the humid atmosphere.. Autographs are 
signed in mass abundance and merchandise can be sold for 
unreasonable prices. Peering across the room full of many fake dred 
heads, young women with tanning saloon complexions, and more fresh 
gear than a hip-hopper could ever dream of having, brings up the 
question, "How many of these people really embody hip-hop?"


KEY KOOL CHILLIN' WITH SOME LOCAL JAPANESE GIRLS

        Being a sansei, third-generation Japanese-American that 
studied the lanquage, I was able to utilize my Japanese 
conversational skills in Japan to briefly analyze their hip-hop 
scene during a two-week period. This was my first visit to my 
motherland and I would have never thought hip-hop would be the 
vehicle to take me there, but it did, and I was all up in it from 
start to finish.

        Japan is the shit, not only because of the technological 
advances, or the abundance of fine young women, but because of the 
respect they give to American hip-hop artists. Being that Japan is 
an incredibly overcrowded country, it is a societal code for working 
people to maintain a calm stature in public, school, and the work 
place during daytime hours. Yet, this voluntary supression needs to 
be released... sometime, and many individuals have discovered 
hip-hop as the releasing medium. Therefore, U.S. hip-hop artists are 
given more than mad props, even somewhat idolized. Now, whether 
these individuals are viewed as adoring fans or perpetrators, most 
artists won`t argue that setting off audiences into a frenzy during 
a show doesn`t feel good.

        Hip-Hop in Japan is growing at an incredible pace, and yes, 
this does mean many "bandwagoning" type individuals that lack 
understanding of the culture as a whole do exist. But isn`t this 
true in the U.S. as well, with a bunch of kids exposed to rap solely 
on commercial radio, or the cable television, who claim to love rap 
but are ignorant of the under goings of the hip-hop world? 
Potentially, some of these individuals will grow and learn to love 
this culture and those other superficial ones will leave as quick as 
they came (for the better). The point is, just as there are 
"uninformed individuals" in Japan and the U.S. we must remember that 
they are still fans. The difference is that in Japan most fans don`t 
let egos get in the way of expressing their enjoyment of a 
performance. Most importantly, true hip-hop heads do exist in both 
countries as well, and dopeness is simply dopeness.


Q-BERT, SHORTKUT, KEY KOOL & RHETMATTIC, 8-BALL and LOCAL DJ'S TASHI, YOSHI

        Within the ranks of the experienced hip-hoppers of Japan 
exists a core of skilled individuals. For instance, Japan DMC 
Champion DJ Tashi (from Tokyo) digs deep into his collection to 
perfect routines and mix tapes utilizing rare original breaks and 
hardcore underground U.S. hip-hop. Tashi prefers American rap 
artists over Japanese artists because he feels that with an 
exception of a few groups, Japanese hip-hoppers need to develop 
their own original flavors. On top of his dj skills, Tashi, a true 
hip-hopper, carries his radio everywhere, playing the dopest shit 
and fiending for the newest shit he can bump in his boombox. Osaka`s 
DJ Yoshi is committed  to bringing up groups from Japan by producing 
and using their music on his mix tapes or dj routines. Yoshi 
ingeniously incorporates a blend of Japanese comedy records, U.S. 
hip-hop, Japanese hip-hop, and freaks them is his own unique way. 
Philosophies do differ, but the skills and creativity of Tashi and 
Yoshi, as hip-hoppers, can`t be fronted on. 


AMERICAN AND JAPANESE DJS JAM TOGETHER ON JAPANESE TELEVISION

        Vestax (who has the dopest dj mixer we`ve seen in years), is 
the premiere up and coming company dedicated to give the DJ`s "what 
they want" as far as hip-hop dj equipment and exposing the DJ realms 
to Japan. They held DJ Quest 95, a concert showcasing the world`s 
top dj`s, which included: my partner, the all around hip-hop head DJ 
Rhettmatic, the world famous brother from the demented dimension DJ 
Q-Bert, the humble turntable annihilator DJ Shortkut, sake master DJ 
8-Ball, Japan DMC champions DJ Yoshi and DJ Tashi, and myself on the 
microphone. In Japan, learning to DJ is the current craze, and it`s 
up to the top notch DJ`s to school them, not on how to dj, but to 
teach them the mentality of being a DJ, relative to the hip-hop 
culture. Therefore, Japanese fans were treated to dj routines, MC/DJ 
routines, raw impromptu sessions, interviews, and the whole works to 
help expose the importance of individuality of artistic expression, 
rather than superficial image.



KEY KOOL & RHETTMATIC ON THE STREETS OF JAPAN

        Just as hip-hop vibes vary between New York, Los Angeles, 
and San Francisco, the hip-hop scenes in Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima 
each reflect their own uniqueness. R-Hall, a prime club in Tokyo was 
a packed house with a combination of b-boys hitting the floors, to a 
group of undeniably fine Japanese smoothies. DJ Takada, an 
underground DJ from Tokyo explained that this crowd was a 
combination of hip-hop mixed with the "meat market" spot to pick up 
girls.  He further expressed his disgust with those "suckas" that 
front as hip-hop heads to pursue these women, and the usually more 
commercial selection of the club's regular DJ`s. After Rhettmatic 
and I performed, a Japanese rapper stepped to me and freestyles off 
the top of his head completely in Japanese. The content of his rhyme 
was basically to show me that kids in Japan rhymed, introduced 
himself as "T-O-N-Y", and that he wanted to cypher. It was an 
experience to vibe with someone in another country, made possible by 
the means of hip-hop.



SHORTKUT'S FAVORITE CEREAL. KEY KOOL & RHETTMATIC ON THE JAPANESE SUBWAY

        Japanese youth are embracing hip-hop. Japanese DJ`s, b-boys, 
writers, and lyricists have a love for our expressive culture. 
Hip-Hop is universal,and the positives and negatives exist 
universally as well. Therefore, core individuals must continue to 
strive for elevation of expression, locally or worldwide, and 
besides, dopeness or wackness is relative to every person. Although 
some are involved for "trendy" reasons some will learn and the true 
heads will continue striving to uplift the culture as a whole. I say 
praises due to all those who can contribute to the spectrum of the 
kaleidoscope realms of the culture, and at the same remember, fans 
will be fans.