0004 Hippu Hoppu

Yo. Do you think the US has the corner on hip-hop? Well, move over Eminem and Black Eyed Peas. Loop Junktion and Rip Slyme are coming through…at least in Japan. The movement migrated to Japan back in the 80s but remained underground until 1995. Now hip-hop – or hippu- hoppu as it’s known there – is the fastest growing segment in Japanese music and these two bands are at the top of the hippu-hoppu heap. Rip Slyme’s founder RyoZ was quoted on the Japan Beat website as saying that, with hip-hop, “you don’t have to know how to play and instrument and you don’t have to sing.” You call that music? The Japanese baggy pants set does. Rip Slyme’s recent album “Tokyo Classic” has sold over a million copies. Yo. #ceas #japan #tsutsui #schneiderwind Original Broadcast Dates: October 26-29, 2005.