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

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,
AFRIKAISLAM, 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 vibeat 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 donÕt 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!!!