Hoshino Futoshi | Masafumi Yoshida's "Ambivalent Hip Hop"
Masafumi Yoshida's book, "Ambivalent Hip Hop," explores the ambivalent relationship of Japanese hip hop to its American origins.Summary
This book, "Ambivalent Hip Hop," by beatmaker and MC Masafumi Yoshida, is hailed as a landmark work in the history of Japanese hip hop. The central keyword is "ambivalent," primarily referring to the complex, often distorted relationship Japanese hip hop has with its origin, American hip hop and English-language rap, which must be acknowledged and ultimately overcome for Japanese rap to achieve true authenticity. Beyond this core theme, the book examines various ambivalences within hip hop culture, such as the coexistence of the demand for "realness" and the summoning of "fakeness," and the internal conflicts arising from its relationship with US rap. The book is accessible even to readers unfamiliar with hip hop, providing necessary background on American hip hop history. Its most notable feature is the detailed analysis of individual artists, such as charting the flows of Zeebra and SEEDA using a "flow chart" and scoring classic beats. The final chapter serves as an ambitious case study, exploring the potential for "deformed hip hop" within today's globalized styles, using contemporary US rap elements like mumble rap and autotune to analyze tracks by artists like DJ KRUSH and Tohji, ultimately aiming to update the listener's musical palate.
(Source：artscape)