Released on April 14, 2025, rising artist AshuraMIC delivers a hard-hitting new single titled “志-KOKOROZASHI”, produced by legendary beatmaker djhonda. The music video, directed by Yuya Ikawa of IKWFILM and captured by CHOKESP (No Smoking Me), matches the track’s intensity with striking visuals and raw energy. This release marks another bold step forward for AshuraMIC,…
Fans of gritty police stories and hip-hop culture have something big to look forward to — ABEMA’s original series “警視庁麻薬取締課 MOGURA” will debut globally on Netflix starting March 13, 2025. Already a hit in Japan, MOGURA fuses intense crime drama with the raw energy of rap music, drawing inspiration from a real-life account shared by…
DJ TATSUKI continues his rise in Tokyo’s urban music scene with the announcement of his very first solo show at the legendary Nippon Budokan. Celebrating this milestone, his acclaimed 2024 track “City of Dreams” is now being released as a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl, wrapped in exclusive cover art by Cherry Chill Will. The song —…
From graffiti-covered walls to booming basslines and jaw-dropping dance moves, hip-hop has become a global cultural force. But in Japan, the genre is more than just imported art — it’s been woven into the nation’s creative DNA since hip-hop’s early days. How Japan Helped Spark Hip-Hop Hip-hop may have emerged in the gritty neighborhoods of…
April 22, 2025 | Tokyo, Japan Japanese rapper NORIKIYO, currently serving time, has released his new single “You Know What I Mean?”. Produced by BACHLOGIC and filmed before his incarceration, the track comes with a music video directed by Agro Creative. The real buzz, however, comes from his bold move behind bars: launching a crowdfunding…
Emerging from the Bronx in the 1970s, hip-hop began as a vibrant outlet for creative expression among Black-American youth. Over time, it has evolved into a powerful global cultural force—reshaping music, dance, and art across the world. In Japan, a new generation of artists is blending hip-hop with traditional Japanese music, resulting in a captivating…
On April 23, 2025, Tsubaki (唾奇) and Kohjiya released their first-ever collaboration, “PAGE ONE,” an exclusive track crafted for POP YOURS 2025. The song reflects on the artists’ personal journeys—moments of connection, separation, and conflict—capturing the pride and resilience that define their paths through the Japanese hip-hop scene. Tsubaki & Kohjiya: At the Top of…
The long-awaited documentary “KING OF BULLSHT -THE SAGA OF TOKONA-X-”* is finally complete and set to premiere on April 29th (a public holiday) with an exclusive screening at Midland Square Cinema 2, Screen 8, in Nagoya, Aichi. Directed by DJ RYOW in his first directorial project, the film pays tribute to the legendary rapper TOKONA-X…
Kanazawa-based hip-hop crew addginjahzz—made up of milkyheadone, Jony the sonata, and DJ KENTAROU—has made a powerful return with their latest single, “Ore-sama no tōtemu pōru ga kisama o uchinomesu” (“My Totem Will Crush You”), released on April 25, 2025. This marks their first release since their 2021 album dept., following a period of personal growth…
