Oriental flavor hip hop?

February 18, 2006 11:55 PM

I heard some Asian hip hop today at a local market and I LOVED it! Help this American find more.

So my wife and I go to an Asian market we've never been to before and they're playing some techno/hip hop music with Asian lyrics. I can't even verify if it was Japanese. It didn't sound Korean, that's all I know. The place doesn't sell CDs, it was just some CDs the store was playing for customers. I didn't pull out the CD that was playing, but all the CDs lying around looked to be burned CDs with very little English. One said "Slow" and another said "Dance".

I liked the style and want to know how an American like myself can listen to more of it: electronic music somewhere between hip hop, techno, and electro funk with guys rapping over it in their native language. There was no pop, rock, or punk influence. Think something between Felix Da Housecat and the Beastie Boys.

Internet radio suggestions? Websites? Does this scene have a name?

posted by Sasquatch to media & arts (21 comments total)

Try M-Flo - It's a korean group with some upbeat hiphop and electronic sounds.
posted by phyrewerx at 2:22 AM on February 19, 2006

Over the years I have enjoyed the stylings of Drunken Tiger, a Korean hip hop outfit.

I once received a promo from this Toy's Factory which is a Japanese label that has some hip hop and electronic music. I cannot remember the artist that was particularly appealing and I don't know any Japanese, so it's difficult to track them down.
posted by cloeburner at 8:38 AM on February 19, 2006

my first post kinda disappeared

m-flo are japanese not korean, they are the most popular "rappers" for jpop
give them a try, also they the teriyaki boyz cd

look for jpop (or kpop, cantopop, j-urban) forums and acquire what looks promising (either buy from the charts or download what other people download much)

it's hard to get an overview over asian pop music, you'll have to invest some time

wiki.theppn.org
japanaradio.com
also check wikipedia
posted by suni at 8:56 AM on February 19, 2006

they the = try the*
posted by suni at 8:59 AM on February 19, 2006

I'm not certain, but I think the name of the group was Muro, it pretty much sounded like American underground hip-hop but with Japanese lyrics.
posted by cloeburner at 9:01 AM on February 19, 2006

Drunken Tiger, CB Mass, Buddha Brand
posted by rxrfrx at 9:04 AM on February 19, 2006

It sounds like you were listening to Teriyaki Boyz.
posted by Ekim Neems at 9:28 AM on February 19, 2006

Shakkazombie, Shing02, Orange Range.
posted by Danelope at 10:54 AM on February 19, 2006

dragon ash.
posted by subtle-t at 11:56 AM on February 19, 2006

Sharing some members w/ the Teriyaki Boyz is Rip Slyme. I just came across some of their tracks recently and totally dug them (the tracks I came across have a very fun, old-school funk flavor). Check out their Last.fm page for flash previews and check out the 'similar artist radio' which has some others (listening to that for the various artists suggested might be the best way to try to find what you're looking for).
posted by lhl at 1:07 PM on February 19, 2006

update: on Last.fm Radio, playing the "japanese hip-hop" global tag actually seems to be better than similar artist radio which seems to quickly turn into an all j-pop thing.
posted by lhl at 1:12 PM on February 19, 2006

Ketsumeishi is a Japanese rap group you might like. I recommend "Natsu no Omoide" and "Sakura." I also second Rip Slyme and Dragon Ash. "Kokoro Odoru" by nobodyknows+ is also quite good.
posted by armage at 2:40 PM on February 19, 2006

I've been listening to a Mix CD by Dj Isso called Concrete Green that is wicked. I bought it in some back alley in Shibuya, but you might be able to find it online. Anything from Hyde Records from Japan is probably good. (I have Modal Souls by Nujabes which is great.)
posted by chunking express at 5:18 PM on February 19, 2006

In case the poster is still interested, I'll offer my opinion and say, I would categorize Ketsumeishi and nobodyknows+ as "J-pop," even though they are rap groups. No offense to armage (I adore Ketsumeishi!), but since the poster says that the music he heard doesn't have "pop, rock, or punk influence" and is somewhere between "Felix Da Housecat and the Beastie Boys," I don't think they would have been what he was looking for. The same goes for M-Flo and Orange Range and Dragon Ash. These are all hip/hop that lean heavily towards pop/rock, too. And doesn't M-Flo sing mostly in English?

I think the question itself is way too vague. If it was Japanese, I was thinking along the lines of Tha Blue Herb or something by DJ Krush (more techno in flavor), but then their music might not be the kind Asian stores play for their customers... If you're still interested enough to find out what it was you heard, I think your best option would be to just go back to the store and ask them what you asked here, because the choices for the answer would be fewer! : ) And then you could start from there and branch out to other artists like the ones suggested above, from the internet radio sites.
posted by misozaki at 5:25 PM on February 19, 2006

Out of the websites I could understand enough to actually listen to something, Danelope's suggestion of Shing02 was very close. The guy's flow sounds familiar from what I heard in the store.

This was not typical in-store music, so that's what impressed me about the place. The only employee around looked to be a woman in her 40's, and probably not hers...

I would really appreciate some internet radio station suggestions. I poked around the websites listed above and didn't see any except for 30 sec previews on last.fm...

And thanks for the advice, misozaki!
posted by Sasquatch at 6:32 PM on February 19, 2006

So if anyone is still listening, what sounds else sounds like Shing02? Feel free to repeat groups already suggested. I'm having problems finding something to listen to for most of them to tell what they sound like...
posted by Sasquatch at 6:36 PM on February 19, 2006

Still listening! Thanks for the best answer! I've never listened to a full album by Shing02, but guessing from the teenie sample I heard from the iTunes Music Store just now, I'll re-recommend Tha Blue Herb and DJ Krush. Definitely have that cool techno feel to them.
posted by misozaki at 7:00 PM on February 19, 2006

There's The Nortorious MSG.
posted by horsewithnoname at 7:04 PM on February 19, 2006

misozaki, go to the Shing02 link that Danelope listed and there's some MP3s you can download. Alternatively, Shing02 has a myspace account where you can listen to the same tracks.

I found sickonion for a radio station. It listed two Rip Slyme tracks in its playlist, but what its playing now is atrocious. One track was lite rock, another is pop salsa.
posted by Sasquatch at 7:12 PM on February 19, 2006

the l.a. rap scene has quite a few japanese, shing02 is probably their best rapper (also cos he makes himself rare)

key kool (japanese producer) is the guy who smuggles them in the country, he's on myspace, maybe that yields some names and mp3s : )

giant panda have some japanese lyrics (fly school reunion was a very good album)

--
an outstanding japanese rap album from japan was last year's rappagariya, they are half jpop/half serious, give it a try
posted by suni at 8:21 AM on February 20, 2006

Kick the can crew! Seems to fit the description of the sound.
posted by thedaniel at 1:04 AM on February 21, 2006