MSC’s PRIMAL Unveils “Nostalgie”, His First Album in 12 Years
PRIMAL, a legendary member of the Shinjuku-based rap crew MSC, has returned with his first solo album in 12 years, titled Nostalgie. The album dropped on April 25, 2025, and includes the music video for the track “Toraware no Mi” (囚われの身), produced by DOGG, also known as DJ PERRO. The video, directed by Daiky from TOSATSUMA FILMS, was filmed in Sapporo and centers on the theme of captivity.
PRIMAL relocated to Hokkaido roughly a decade ago, and Nostalgie marks his third album overall and the first since 2013’s Proletariat. The 14-track project showcases production mainly from Hokkaido talents such as DOGG (DJ PERRO), Michita, Halt, and Nagasaki Takeshi, with additional production by Yusaku Arai, known for his work with GOODMOODGOKU.
The album also features a range of guest appearances, including Hokkaido-based MC YAS I AM, reggae DJ MAD KOH, and longtime collaborators like KAN a.k.a. GAMI, BES, SAW, and RUMI. PRIMAL’s verses reflect his present-day life—capturing the atmosphere of places like Sapporo, Otaru, and Kushiro—along with deeper themes of family, work, solitude, and aging. Known once as “the sleeping man,” PRIMAL now channels his quiet intensity into introspective rhymes layered over soulful, bluesy beats.
Despite the album’s tone of deep solitude, it maintains a strong philosophical undercurrent. A standout lyric—“I don’t see despair, I burn with passion / I don’t need an approximate ILL”—captures the essence of his growth over the past 12 years. Nostalgie is a powerful, reflective journey into PRIMAL’s world—raw, poetic, and emotionally resonant.
PRIMAL – Nostalagie: album information
- Artist: PRIMAL (プライマル)
- Title: Nostalgie (ノスタルジー)
- Label: 鎖GROUP
- Release Date: April 25, 2025
- Format: Digital (download/streaming)
