(the) Road to the Deep East

Recently, an old Japanese hip-hop singer in 80s was rediscovered by some people, and raised a little boom around the Web. His name is Yoshi Ikuzo.

Some earnest JPOP fans who watch Kohaku without skipping enkas might have known, but this 54 year-old is actually a very popular enka singer as well as Kitazima Saburo, and almost a regular guest of Kohaku. Especially, his representative work 'Yukiguni' is very popular. But it had been forgot by the people that he had challenged to a very unique style before the Yukiguni.

It is 'Ora Tokyo sa Iguda'(俺ら東京さ行くだ, I'm going to Tokyo) In this song, Yoshi used the style challenged to the rap music, in his mother tongue, Tsugaru accent.
(the original clip from youtube)


It was 1984, the era the rap music or hip-hop wasn't as popular in Japan that he wrote this song. It was only Yoshi and Sakamoto Ryuichi who had already discovered rap music and absorbed it into their music in 80s in Japan.

Hence, as far as my memory is concerned, when the people at that time explained about this song, nobody used the word 'rap', because they didn't know about it. It was few years after Yoshi that the word 'rap' was recognized by majority of Japanese, with the visit of MC Hammer. But the rhythmical beat and humorous lyrics, which depicts the desire of farmer hankering after the city life attracted the people's attention, and this song became a hit.

And now, when I listen to this song as a Japanese hip-hop fan 24 years later, I couldn't help being surprised. I have to say, the style of Japanese hip-hop has been already finished in this song. We can see the roots of Japanese hip hop in this song.

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First, we can see the the perfect rhyme in Japanese language using 'ne' ('nai' in Tsugaru accent).

It is very difficult to rhyme in Japanese language because in Japanese, almost all the sentences ends in the same verb of the same sound. (for example, desu, masu.) The hip-hop artist after Yoshi struggled with the theme, and overcame it with mixing Japanese language and English , or omitting verb and terminating the sentence with the noun.

For example, let's look at the classic Japanese rap, Funkastic from Rip Slyme.
Hi chakuchi, bokatto hiraita kuchi, hassuru fankastic,
Dandism koeru Funkism
Kono consent sign furi age chakushin
I'm fine, Thank You (And You)
Maiagata manma no kono rentyuu
I'm Funk Nenzyu mukyu de
Tsuzukeru akunaki aventure.

Then, let's look at Ora Tokyo Sa Iguda.
Televi mo ne Radio mo ne
Kuruma mo sorehodo hasitte ne
Piano mo ne Bar mo ne
Omawari mainich gu-ru guru
Asa okite, Usni trurete
Nijikan chotto no sanpo michi

Amazingly, Ikuzo had already rhymed in Japanese perfectly in a very simple way 20 years before Rip Slyme.

Second, the structure of the song. Many Japanese hip-hop songs, especially the ones more closer to the popular music, consist of raping verse and melodious hook. Of course, this style can be seen in the songs from the original country, but in Japanese hip-hop, the hook is more closer to the pop music. The typical example is the mega hit from Ketumeishi, Sakura.

In addition, there is a part which can be regarded as 'bridge.' In the middle of the song, there is a chorus, 'Soshimasho, shoshimasho, soshimasho ttara soshimasho' (sosimasho=Let's do it). It is very similar to 'Ohayashi' or 'Ainote' used in Japanese traditional folk song(Minyou), but meanwhile, it also sounds like a bridge of recent hip-hop between hook and verse. Yoshi used the technic of Minyou to recreate the rap music in Japanese, 24 years ago.

In the end, look at the fashion of Ikuzo. Apparently, he's wearing Buggy pants!!



I'm not sure if Yoshi Ikuzo intentionally used this cosutme influenced by old-shool hip-hop artsits in the United states. But buggy t is still the uniform of Japanese hip-hop artists today, anyway.

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So, in a sense, it was very natural that this first and perfect rapper in Japanese history was rediscovered by younger generation and admired by them, nicknamed 'IKUZO'.

And some mash-ups of DJ IKUZO fans made demonstrates how genuine he was. Look at these clip.
MC Hammer + IKUZO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwf1xFn63gg
Spice Girls + IKUZO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfCCvuHN3A
Madonna + IKUZO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKW_le1EEgk
Michael Jackson + IKUZO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ7vUNlPF4s
(*Especially, I recommend Spice Girls' one.)

If IKUZO's music was just a wack, the mimicry of rap music in early times, it wouldn't harmonize with these Western music.

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By the way, why had his achievement was neglected by Japanese hip-hop audience until recently? Well, it's just because this song was just recognized as an enka song, and never thought to be fashionable.

Imagine this kind of situation; You are are teenager rap music fans, and are listening Eminem everyday. One day, your grandmother visits your room and says; "What are you listening to? Oh, it's like Yoshi Ikuzo!!" I'm sure I'll hate the grandmother and Ikuzo in the rest of my life. (*)

Anyway, Japanese hip-hop artists in early times have to start from escaping from the unfashionable image of rap music, fixed by Ikuzo. Years passed by, the achievement of Ikuzo as the first introducer of rap music in Japan was forgot, and the kakkoii hip-hop artists like ZEEBRA began to pretend as if to be the founder and pioneer of this genre in Japan.

But actually, it was Ikuzo. I think if somebody establishes 'Japanese Hip Hop Hall of Fame', Ikuzo should be invited first. In the same year Run-D.M.C. dropped 'Hard Times' in the United States, in Japan, Japanese singer had already imported the rap music and made it pop song, before Spice Girls. We should pay more respects to this fist rapper in Japanese history. We should be proud of this enka singer's wonderful adventure.

(*This happened to me when I was a teenager, in another format though. While I was listening radiohead, grandmother came and said: 'Oh, do you like Beatles?' )