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Zeebra

 
Artist: Zeebra
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  • Genres: Rap
  • Representative Albums: "Anthology

Biography

A founding member of Japan's seminal hip hop group King Giddra, Zeebra was part of the force in Japanese hip hop turning from the party-rap promoted within the usual confines of J-Pop into a socially conscious version of the genre. Building upon a foundation of Public Enemy, King Giddra used rap as a platform for social commentary and built a massive following. By 1997, Zeebra had left the group (to return briefly for a new album in 2002) in favor of a solo career. Furthering the fame accorded as a result of King Giddra's popularity, Zeebra expanded his style into wider territories. Quickly becoming the brightest star in the emerging market, Zeebra released Mr. Dynamite in 1999, the first hip hop single to break the top 50 on the Japanese pop charts. Concurrently, the Zeebra brand expanded into television with Beats to Rhyme, the first show devoted to hip hop in the country, into fashion, into advertising, and into movie soundtracks. A number of albums were released as Zeebra's star grew, starting with 1998's The Rhyme Animal and reaching major success with 2000's Based on a True Story. 2008's Bushido quickly reached the top 10 on the Japanese pop charts, as Zeebra expanded into collaborations with American artists and producers (working with Scott Storch and Swizz Beatz) and production of other Japanese rappers as well as J-Pop artists (mirroring to a degree the absorption of hip hop aesthetics into pop music taking place in America concurrently). ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
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Zeebra

Zeebra at Pattaya Music Festival 2006, Thailand
Background information
Birth name Hideyuki Yokoi (横井英之?)
Also known as Zeebra
Born April 2, 1971 (1971-04-02) (age 38)
Tokyo, Japan
Genres hip hop
Years active 1995-present
Labels UBG Records / Pony Canyon
Associated acts King Giddra

Zeebra (ジブラ Jibura?, born April 2, 1971 in Tokyo, Japan), real name Hideyuki Yokoi (横井英之?), is a Japanese hip hop artist, who made his first appearance in 1995. Zeebra is a former member of the hip-hop group King Giddra, which also included DJ Oasis and K Dub Shine, and the older brother of fellow hip-hop artist SPHERE of INFLUENCE. He went on to pursue a solo career shortly after in 1997, and signed with the Future Shock record label.

Zeebra is one of the most popular rappers in Japan[citation needed], and his popularity is not specific to either gender. He appears not only in hip-hop magazines, but also in fashion and street culture magazines. He often features in and produces other rappers' songs, and appears in their videos. He has also performed live with various rappers from America.

In 1998 Zeebra undertook his first solo tour. He became recognized as an individual rapper for the first time, making hip-hop more familiar to Japanese listeners. In the same year he started the first hip-hop TV program in Japan, titled Beats to the Rhyme. One of Zeebra's songs was used in a Nike promotion video for NBA Japan games. The following year Zeebra released the single "Mr. Dynamite", the first hip-hop single to break into the top 50 on the Japanese pop charts. In June 2000, he released his new album Based on a True Story, which sold 250,000 copies. At the end of that year Zeebra started his first Japan tour, the first hip-hop event to sell out. In 2001 Zeebra released the single "Never Enuff", the theme song for a Japanese movie called Brother, directed by Takeshi Kitano and starring Claude Maki. In 2002 he temporarily rejoined King Giddra, but has been doing solo work since 2003 and has released many songs. At present, he is producing songs not only for rap artists, but also for pop stars like Namie Amuro.

Contents

Early life

Zeebra was born and raised in Tokyo. During his childhood, he lived in the United States for a brief time while trying to become a professional tennis player.

He is the grandson of businessman Hideki Yokoi, former president of the Hotel New Japan. The hotel's flagship property in central Tokyo caught fire in 1982, disgracing Hideki Yokoi and causing Zeebra to be bullied by his classmates. Zeebra eventually dropped out of high school during his first year.

He married around the age of 20 and fathered two sons before divorcing his first wife. He kept custody of both sons, and later remarried and fathered two daughters.

Pioneer of Japanese Hip Hop

Zeebra at Asian Hip Hop Festival, Thailand.

Zeebra began his hip hop career in 1993, joining the rap group King Giddra.[1] Zeebra, along with his group King Giddra, played an important role in the development of the Japanese hip hop scene. In the mid 1990s, King Gridda, then an underground rap group, began addressing social issues of the time. King Giddra’s 1995 album “The Power from the Sky” discussed contemporary issues, particularly the economic recession and the inability of many Japanese college graduates to find employment. Zeebra addressed this issue of working towards a good education and being unable to find employment in his song “Bullet of Truth”. Through their music, Zeebra and King Giddra “challenged youth not only to recognize the difficulties faced by Japanese society but also to speak up about them.” [2]

King Gridda’s popularity grew in Japan. In 1996, He recorded his first solo track "Untouchable" produced by Gang Starr producer DJ Premier. By 1997 Zeebra left King Gridda to start a solo career, appearing frequently in trendy hip hop and street culture magazines and TV shows about hip hop. [1] In 1999 he released the single “Mr. Dynamite”, which became the first hip-hop single to make it into the top 50 on the Japanese Oricon pop charts. [1] Through his early and newer work, Zeebra became one of the most popular and influential, yet controversial, Japanese hip hop artists.

In 2008, after the MTV Video Music Awards Japan Ceremony, an unhappy Zeebra went onto YouTube and published a video criticizing the MTV Japan for not appreciating musicians.

Discography

Albums

  • [1998.06.17] The Rhyme Animal
  • [2000.06.14] Based on a True Story
  • [2002.05.29] The First Struggle
  • [2003.09.18] Tokyo's Finest
  • [2006.02.15] The New Beginning
  • [2007.10.17] World of Music

Singles

  • [1997.07.25] "Mappiruma"
  • [1998.12.16] "The Rhyme Animal Remix E.P.1"
  • [1999.02.24] "The Rhyme Animal Remix E.P.2"
  • [2000.03.23] "Mr. Dynamite"
  • [2001.01.25] "Neva Enuff" feat. Aktion
  • [2001.08.08] "Baby Girl"
  • [2003.01.22] "Big Big Money" feat. Hiro
  • [2003.04.23] "Supatech (What's My Name)"
  • [2003.07.30] "Perfect Queen"
  • [2005.06.01] "Street Dreams"
  • [2005.09.21] "Oh Yeah"
  • [2006.12.06] "Stop Playin' A Wall"
  • [2007.07.18] "My People" feat. Miliyah Kato
  • [2007.09.19] "Not Your Boyfriend" feat. Jesse (RIZE)
  • [2008.03.05] "Bushido"

Awards & Nominations

2002

2003

2004

2006

2008

References

  1. ^ a b c Japanese rapper and hip hop artist Zeebra ジブラ - JapanSugoi - Everything Cool about Japan
  2. ^ Condry, Ian. Hip-hop Japan: Rap and the Paths of Cultural Globalization. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.

External links

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