Rip Slyme are in a class of their own, with a jazz-inspired sound that has evolved into something that is both entirely hip-hop and entirely unique, feauturing fast tempo, good beats and great rhymes from the MCs who range from the boisterous ragga-style of Ryo-Z to the smooth bass Su, and everything between. They started young (when they got together in 1994, DJ Fumiya was 15 years old, and the others weren’t much older) and keep getting better and better; each album they come out with is even more fun to listen to than the last. They’ve developed a great deal as musicians, so much so that, to be honest, I have to confess that I hate their pre-2001 work as much as I love their later stuff — the difference is that big.
Rip Slyme’s Masterpiece marked the first time in my life that I liked every single song on album. But don’t take my word for it — if you listen to no other Japanese music, please listen to Rip Slyme.
Recommended albums: Masterpiece (2004), Five (2001), Tokyo Classic (2002), Time To Go (2003)
Rip Slyme rules!!
They totally do. I’ve got all of those albums and another entitled Yapparip or something like that. They’re the cat’s pajamas : )
Just started listening to Rip Slyme after coming across this article. I’ve never been one for hip-hop, but this wins me over.
Thanks for the recommendation, listening to the Masterpiece album at the moment, so far I didn’t skip a song so that’s a good sign.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR7yNQB0VLY
What is this I don’t even
RIP SLYME made me love Hip-Hop! Japanes Hip hop has a flavor of its own, it’s not as heavy as American Hip-Hop with all the rich-black-guy-with-all-the-bling-and-the-hot-chicks kind of style, but more of songs about daily lives, love and just having fun. I first encountered them with “Nettaiya” that they performed live at Music Station (TV Asahi) and I really was wowed by the performance. I downloaded all their albums and it never fails to keep me loving them. Their music goes on forever!
Masterpiece is indeed my very favorite album, a perfect arrangement of songs that you just feel incomplete if you won’t go through all of the tracks! 🙂
Thanks for sharing! 😀 I’ll look this band up. I have been into Jpop and Jrock for a long time. BoA has some Japanese, Korean AND Chinese songs. Also, Utada Hikaru has some good japanese songs too. (She speaks clearly and is easily to hear.) Asian Kung Fu Generation is awesome too. I love their stuff! ^^
I like these guys, personally I think one of the coolest artists in Japan is 椎名林檎/Sheena Ringo. Her sound ranges from calmer and jazzy to hyperactive pop and rock and she doesn’t have one of those stereotypical jpop girl voices. I also like School Food Punishment who’s music entrances me. Lastly, I have a lot of bands/artists I love that err on the side of slightly overrated, but I’m happy to overrate them too such as UVERworld, YUI, Arashi (it’s good to like Arashi because they’re in so many dramas!) and my biggest obsession, all girl 4 peice pop-rock group Scandal (the secondary singer has a squeaky jpop voice but the lead has a powerful deep rock voice balancing things out)!
minor comment: fumiya and su weren’t int he band until 1997/1998. you said fumiya was in in 1994 when they formed.