When last I posted I was talking about how the subcultures of anime and Hip-Hop crossed paths and came together during the 80’s and early 90’s. Even though the relationship was starting to bloom during that era in time, it wasn’t until 1997 that both subcultures took it to the next level. Unlike Western animation that at one point in time did depict real-life situations such as discrimination, poverty, and violence (early X-Men episodes and several from Captain Planet), Japanese animation took on the fabric of said situations that have attracted the youth-driven culture of Hip-Hop. Several artist that come to mind in terms of the ‘nerdy side’ of Hip-Hop would be the late MF Doom, MegaRan, and Ghostface Killah. As a lot people might’ve noticed (if you happen to be a fan of anime and Hip-Hop) the biggest anime references have been from Dragon Ball Z and Naruto; both of which are heavy-hitter titles that have drawn inspiration from many corners of the African-American community through fashion as well as Hip-Hop.

Several well-known rappers have made tons of references to these titles as you might’ve heard in their lyrics. Others took it a step further and re-created scenes from popular anime; such as Kanye West’s “Stronger” which was heavily inspired by Akira, the 1988 film. The connection between anime and Hip-Hop culture isn’t just in America, it’s also relevant in British Hip-Hop as well. Although you have anime-inspired rappers like Lil’ Uzi Vert and Shababii, one of the most anime-influenced rappers who even has his whole persona rooted in the subculture itself, is Scarlxrd. His sound took on an infusion of Trap music and Heavy Metal; two genres that you normally do see together let alone being fused together. Scarlxrd’s inspiration from anime comes from the popular fan-favorite title known as Tokyo Ghoul; where he even wears the zipped mask that bares heavy resemblance to Ken Kaneki.

The cultural crossover between anime and Hip-Hop has led to various other achievements in the medium; from the level of inclusion of African-American characters in anime, to titles being soundtracked by Hip-Hop through artists like RZA and the late Nujabes. (Japanese Hip-Hop artist Lotus Juice also did Death the Kid’s “So Crazy” theme from Soul Eater as well.) From my view point it seems like the relationship between anime and Hip-Hop will continue to evolve, as upcoming artists are finding their creative sides through the layers of both subcultures. If you jump on YouTube right now you’ll find soooo many Hip-Hop/Rap cyphers about anime titles and characters, that you’ll think its crazy! Who knows, maybe somewhere down the line we’ll have a record label dedicated to anime-inspired Hip-Hop. That is…if it’s not already been done. (*chuckles*)

On my next post will be the conclusion to me three-part series of post between the subcultures of anime, and Hip-Hop. Until next time, stay safe and love one another! 🙂 

When you think of anime; the first thing that comes to mind for most people (if they happen to be fans) would be pioneering shows like Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, and Cowboy Bebop. When it comes to Hip-Hop (depending on what generation you’re from); names like Tupac, Biggie Smalls, T.I., RZA, and Lil’ John to name a few. (Might as well throw Drake and Migos in there for extra credit.) If you’re a fan of these two subcultures, you’ve might have noticed that they’ve been crossing paths consistently over the last decade or so; but in actuality the relationship between the anime world and Hip-Hop culture goes back even further. I’ve covered this topic a few times over the last year or so, but there’s actually more to it that originally thought. So this time around, I’ll be breaking down the relationship and anime and Hip-Hop has in three parts; the Past, the Present, and the Future. So without further ado, here’s the Past (or How it all Started).

Back in the 1960’s anime was gaining ground in the popularity department throughout Western Culture. A couple of decades later a man by the name of Hiroshi Fujiwara made his return to Japan (after coming from the U.S.) and started playing some Old School Hip-Hop records. (This part I covered in my previous two-part post “Anime Love & Hip-Hop Part 1 and Part 2“.) This trend of course lead to the rise of Hip-Hop in Japan; or Japanese Hip-Hop, which is heavily influenced by Old School Hip-Hop beats, breakdancing, and the carefree 80’s attitude. (Grandmaster Flash comes to mind.) Also during the 80’s the influence of Hip-Hop notably made its way into the the anime world, as many anime creators during that time started incorporating more Western culture into their productions.

One of those productions in particular was Afro Samurai. In fact the creator of the series himself Takashi Okazaki stated that he used to draw African-American characters in Kleenex boxes when he was in his teens; due to his love for Hip-Hop and Soul music. During the creation process the creator incorporated elements of samurai into Afro’s design, which appears to be based off of the Black samurai known as Yasuke during the Sengoku Period of Japan. Throughout the 90’s anime titles even incorporated elements of Hip-Hop into their openings; like Samurai Champloo for example, thanks to the late Nujabes. Thanks to anime’s rise in popularity among Western audiences, the relationship between the medium and the subculture of Hip-Hop grew along with its popularity; which eventually lead to the rise of Nerdcore between the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

Back when I was growing up in the 90’s I loved hip-Hop (and still do), but during that time I never really thought about the parallels that Hip-Hop culture has with anime. The topics and plots found in anime are quite parallel with that found in African-American communities; such as racism and poverty. The thought that these two subcultures were so connected on many levels never crossed my mind until 2017, but during the time I’ve had this blog with my buddy of 18 years (A. Goldman), I’ve learned a lot of things about the relationship of these two subcultures. Anime and Hip-Hop may appear different on paper, but they’re actually more connected than you’d think! 😉