Artist: Microphone Pager
Title: Don't Turn Off Your Light
Publisher: File Records
Catalog #: 25FR-027D
Price: Y2500
Release: 95.7.25
Genre: Rap, Hip Hop
Total Time: 48:20
Track Listing:
1. Itamu Machi
2. Shittenbattou
3. Toukyou Chikadou
4. GIVE YA CHILL
5. Rapperz are Danger
6. Yonaka no Banchou to Kimi
7. Don't Turn Off Your Light - 89Tec9Mix (mixed by Stretch Armstrong)
8. Don't Turn Off Your Light
9. Rappers are Danger - Mischievous Mix (mixed by A-Plus)
10. Don't Turn Off Your Light - 89Tec9Mix Instr.
Comments:
Simply put, this "album" contains at least two of the best rap tracks
in the history of Japanese rap. The production is so fine, and the
skills of Muro and Twigy (sic) (long recognized here as "Japan's Best
Rapper") are so on point, with strong backup from Lamp Eye, Stretch
Armstrong and the Souls of Mischief, that this project takes on
historical significance, and makes the recent breakup of this unit as
a group all the more unfortunate. Problems? A couple of lagging tracks,
and a couple which either lack in production, or the effort by the MCs,
or the disappointly bland mix by Stretch Armstrong, this first and last
album by "Japan's Hardest Group" isn't without its rough points, but
when they're on, they are SO on, and tracks like "Itamu Machi, "Rapperz
are Danger" and "Don't Turn Off Your Light" are some of the finest heard
on any shore. One note to point is that this group lacks any of the
"tongue in cheek" flavor common in Japanese Rap these days, their "pure"
hardness is likely to keep them from any widespread popularity oustide
of the "underground" market, but they _do_ represent! Lyrics in Japanese.
Grade: A-
<ben@ludens.co.jp>
Artist: DJ Krush
Title: MEISO
Publisher: Sony Records
Catalog #: SRCS-7752
Price: Y2300
Release: 95.7.21
Genre: Hip Hop, Abstract, Rap
Total Time: 49:09
Track Listing:
1. ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE (with CL SMOOTH)
2. ANTICIPATION
3. WHAT'S BEHIND DARKNESS
4. MEISO (with BLACK THOUGHT and MALIK B of THE ROOTS)
5. BYPATH 1
6. BLANK
7. GROUND (with DEFLON SALLAHR of HEADRUSH)
8. BYPATH 2
9. MOST WANTED MAN (with GURU of GANG STARR & BIG SHUG)
10. BYPATH 3
11. 3RD EYE
12. OCE 9504
13. BYPATH - WOULD YOU TAKE IT
Goodies: Clear jewelbox with lyrics and liner notes.
Comments:
DJ Krush's awaited third album makes its appearance on Sony Records
at a low Y2300 (bypassing Japanese label Avex Trax which charged Y3000
for domestic release of his "Truntableized"). Apparently "MEISO" is also
scheduled to be released on UK's Mo' Wax label in the near future,
but in the meantime Japanese listener's are blessed with an "advance"
listen of Krush's most "advanced" album to date. This album may be the
finest package put together yet by Krush, who's gone back into his
rap roots a bit, this time welcoming noteable's such as CL Smooth,
GURU, BIG SHUG, Malik B and Black Thought of the Roots and Deflon Sallahr
of Headrush, a group which James Lavelle is said to be supporting for
release in the near future. Krush's penciant for fine abstract
instrumentals with heavy beats and skillful scratching are also present,
with treats such as lone loops bridging more epic tracks, a somewhat
uncharacteristically "jolly" track (which pulls in samples of playing
children for a happy atmosphere, but fades in the sound of knives to
remind that danger is always around the corner), and an epic track
"Duality" with Mo' Wax artist and fellow abstract pioneer DJ Shadow,
where the two go off on an unprecedented journey of beats, scratches,
samples and "wabisabi" that sounds like potential sequal to Shadow's
"What Does Your Soul Look Like." Krush has blessed us also with liner
notes this time, which are a fascinating, and in retrospect, absolutely
necessary to really "understand" this album. Lyrics in English.
NOTE: Sony's marketing of this one is interesting. they've put together
a fine promotional video for both the CL Smooth track and the Shadow
track. I'd be interested in tracking down a copy of this video if
possible, but so far have no info. Also, as is common with Japanese
releases, the genre of the album is printed on the spine of the release
(in this case CD). Most "rap" albums are therefore labelled "rap" or
"hip-hop." It strikes me as interesting that this one is simply labelled
"KRUSH."
Grade: A
<ben@ludens.co.jp>
Artist: MELLOW YELLOW
Title: MELLOW YELLOW BABY
Publisher: File Records
Catalog #: 25FR-037D
Price: Y2500
Release: 95.7.21
Genre: Rap, Hip Hop
Total Time: 47:20
Track Listing:
1. INTRO
2. MELLOW YELLOW BABY (with COOL SPOON)
3. JINGLE JAM #1
4. Kirai ja Nai (produced by Mummy-D of Rhymester)
5. JINGLE JAM #2
6. Dauto
7. Nara Sore Ore Morai (produced by Mummy-D of Rhymester)
8. JINGLE JAM #3
9. IN THE ROOM
10. PIZZA & COKE (produced by Mummy-D of Rhymester)
11. SURE SHOT feat. R.I.P. Slyme (produced by Yoggy of East End)
12. OUTRO
13. C (Remix by Mummy-D of Rhymester)
Goodies: Slim jewelbox with 5 "VORTEX Records" promotional stickers.
Comments:
Debut album from Funky Grammar (FG) Unit group Mellow Yellow. This 3
member (+ 1 DJ) group has gotten some attention for their long-active
activity in the live scene with fellow FG members Rhymester and East End
whose members have provided production support for this first album. What
is appealing about these guys is their individual characters, and fine
production, largely due to the talent of Rhymester's Mummy-D who provide
support on a couple tracks (and most spledidly on the fat dubby sound of
"Nara Sore Ore Morai"). Also, an unexpected live track with Cool Spoon
is a pleasant surprise that really captures the raw, live sound of the MC's
and Tokyo's funkiest live band. The characters, especially the relative
sharpness of Kohei, and the voice of Kin whose style can't help but remind
one of LA's Pharcyde, provide a nice sonic balance. Unfortunetaly, as with
many Japanese groups, while these guys are completely convincing, they haven't
gone out of their way to hone their rap skills, which can be a little too
simple to be "impressive." Still, this first album is a fine first effort,
and with fat smooth sounds, and laid back lyrical delivery, its a positive
sign of where this group may be headed. Lyrics in Japanese.
Grade: B+
<ben@ludens.co.jp>
Artist: Various
Title: The Best of Japanese Hip Hop - Volume 2
Publisher: Nippn Crown
Catalog #: CRCP-20108
Price: Y2500
Release: 95.7.21
Genre: Rap, Hip Hop
Total Time: 57:58
Track Listing:
1. MC ZINGI feat, DOHZI-T, GAI - "NIGHT TRAIN"
2. DJ BEAT feat. SOUL SCREAM - "FREE WAY"
3. DJ MA$A feat. MURO - "AMEI SENSOU"
4. SAGA of K.G. (King Giddra) - "Mikakunin Hikou Buttai Sekkinchuu"
5. E-DOC - "G-FUNK LOVE"
6. OZ (Yamatsuka Eye of Boredoms) - "LAST TRIBE"
7. KRUSHNOTIZED - DJ Krush (arrange by Jupiter Project) feat. SOUL SCREAM
8. JUPITER PROJECT feat, MC ZINGI, DOHZI-T, GAI & skipp - "BAKURETSU TOSHI"
9. CRAZY-A - "STYLE WARS"
10. T-KURA - "SHAKE IT ALL RIGHT"
11. GM YO-C feat. T2-G - "LOVER'S GROOVE"
12. NU ZENRA '95 - "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"
Goodies: Clear jewelbox with booklet with photos.
Comments:
"The Best of Japanese Hip Hop" seems to be a series with a dubious
existance, and whose title seems to exist only to inspire sales, or
perhaps to assure its continued production. After all, major
participants such as Crazy A and Zingi who lost their contracts after
wack releases in 1992 and 1994 successively, haaven't had any work
in a while. Its a shame they have to pose this badly just to get
tracks on wax, and while this release does have a couple good tracks
(notably Soul Scream's nice raps on a mediocre DJ Beat mix, and King
Giddra's decent effort on track 5), the album is largely crap (albeit
a far improvement over Volume 1. Particular disappointing is the weak
arrangement of Krushnotized by the aforementioned Jupiter Project with
raps by a slightly phased Soul Scream and weak production by DJ MA$A
on track 4. Lyrics in mostly in Japanese.
Grade: C
<ben@ludens.co.jp>
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