Shakkazombie (シャカゾンビ) is a
Japanese hip-hop
Japanese hip hop is hip hop music from Japan. It is said to have begun when Hiroshi Fujiwara returned to Japan and started playing hip hop records in the early 1980s. Japanese hip hop tends to be most directly influenced by old school hip hop, ...
group. Formed in the 1990s, the group consists of Osumi a.k.a. Big-O (Takeshi Osumi), Hide-Bowie a.k.a. Ignition Man (Hidehiro Iguchi), and Tsutchie (Shinji Tsuchida). One of
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
's influential
hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
groups, they are known for featuring & introducing many artists in their collaborations such as Nitro Microphone Underground.
History
The group was formed in 1993 when
DJ &
producer Tsutchie joined with
emcees Osumi and Hide-Bowie, who were already making
hip-hop music
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...
at the time. Hide-Bowie played
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
music before becoming a
hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
artist and both he and Osumi were influenced by the
hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
lifestyle. In his first year of high school, Tsutchie was inspired by hip-hop acts such as
Run DMC
Run-DMC (also formatted Run-D.M.C., RUN DMC, or some combination thereof) was an American hip-hop group formed in Hollis, Queens, New York City in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jam Master Jay, Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as ...
and the
Beastie Boys
The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
which lead to him becoming a beatmaker.
In 1995, Shakkazombie released their debut single ''Shakkattack''. They later formed the Ookami Crew
collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an e ...
with Japanese hip-hop group Buddha Brand, releasing the single "" in 1996. On July 7, 1996, the group along with Buddha Brand,
Rhymester,
Muro,
YOU THE ROCK★,
King Giddra, Soul Scream, and several
Japanese hip-hop
Japanese hip hop is hip hop music from Japan. It is said to have begun when Hiroshi Fujiwara returned to Japan and started playing hip hop records in the early 1980s. Japanese hip hop tends to be most directly influenced by old school hip hop, ...
artists took part in the hip-hop
concert
A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...
& festival Thumpin Camp at the
Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall
The is an outdoor music venue in Hibiya Park, located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, music events are limited to weekends and holidays between April and October out of consideration for the surr ...
in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan. Organized by Japanese rapper ECD, the event was later made into a hip-hop
documentary
A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
similar to the 1995 American hip-hop documentary ''
The Show'' and a
soundtrack
A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
was released with Shakkazombie, ECD, Buddha Brand, YOU THE ROCK★,
K DUB SHINE of King Giddra, DJ/production duo
FORCE OF NATURE
Force of Nature or Forces of Nature may refer to:
* Fundamental interaction: gravity, electromagnetism, weak interaction, strong interaction
Film and television
* ''Forces of Nature'' (1999 film), an American romantic comedy
* ''Forces of Natu ...
, and other artists.
In July 1997, the group released their first full-length album ''Hero The S.Z.'' The album included guest artists Nitro Microphone Underground and DJ Hazime. The song "" was featured during the end credits of "Session XX: Yose Atsume Blues" of the
anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
series ''
Cowboy Bebop
is a 1998 Japanese neo-noir space Western anime television series that aired on TV Tokyo and Wowow from 1998 to 1999. It was created and animated by Sunrise (company), Sunrise, led by a production team of director Shinichirō Watanabe, ...
''. The episode was only aired once in Japan and the song was never featured in any of the official ''Cowboy Bebop'' soundtracks.
In December 1998, Osumi would release his first solo album ''Control (The Spiritual Matters)''. Along with his Shakkazombie bandmates, the album featured production by DJ Watarai, Go Go King Recorders, and Dev Large of Buddha Brand with guest appearances by DJ Ohkubo, MACKA-CHIN of Nitro Microphone Underground, Keita "Cro-Ovi" Ishiguro of the hip-hop group Kimidori, Dejja, and Tina. Hide-Bowie, under his new moniker of Ignition Man, was featured on the song "Unsigned Hype" while Tsutchie produced "No Limit (Tsutchie Remix)".
In July 1999, the group released the EP ''Big Blue'' and their second album ''Journey Of Foresight''. Released on July 23, ''Journey Of Foresight'' included guest appearances by Suiken, XBS, and
Dabo of Nitro Microphone Underground, Lori Fine of the band COLDFEET, DJ/producer Illicit Tsuboi, and pianist Saiko Tsukamoto. The song "" off the ''Big Blue'' EP, a remake of Kimidori's 1993 song of the same name, was known in the West after the track was used in a fan
anime music video of ''Cowboy Bebop'' and ''
Trigun
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow. It was first serialized in Tokuma Shoten's manga magazine ''Monthly Shōnen Captain'' from March 1995 to December 1996, until the magazine ceased its publication; ...
'' for the 2001
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first we ...
entitled "Tainted Donuts". Osumi would later join Dev Large, Suiken & hip-hop duo Lunch Time Speax as the group God Inc and released the single "El Dorado Throw Down".
On February 23, 2000, the group released the compilation album ''S-Sence 2000'' featuring several
remix
A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
es by artists such as
DJ Spinna
Vincent E. Williams (born January 30, 1971) better known by his stage name DJ Spinna, is an American hip hop and deep house producer from Brooklyn. According to AllMusic, he has "remained strictly an underground artist despite his astonishing tale ...
, Master Low, Ropes, D.O.I., Japanese
punk band
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music
Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid ...
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...
, DJ Hazime, DJ Watarai,
4Hero
4hero (sometimes referred to as 4 Hero or 4-Hero) are an electronic music group from Dollis Hill, London, comprising producers Mark "Marc Mac" Clair & Denis "Dego" McFarlane. 4hero are known for being pioneers of breakbeat hardcore, jungle/drum ...
, and FORCE OF NATURE.
On June 27, 2001, the group released the EP ''Get On Da Track''. The mini album featured guest appearances by S-Word of Nitro Microphone Underground, emcee Nipps of Buddha Brand, and violinist/cellist Chieko Kinbara. The album also featured remixes of "" by American hip-hop producer Jay Dee a.k.a.
J. Dilla of the hip-hop group
Slum Village
Slum Village is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. The group was formerly composed of the rappers Baatin (1974–2009), T3, and rapper / producer J Dilla (1974–2006). J Dilla left in 2001 to pursue a solo career with MCA Record ...
, "Right Here" by DJ Watarai, "First Tour" by DJ Takeshi Kubota of Kimidori, and "Get Yourself Arrested (W.E. In The U.S. Are In Trouble Mix)" by Tim Kinsella in a collaboration with
Japanese rock
, sometimes abbreviated to , is rock music from Japan. Influenced by American and British rock of the 1960s, the first rock bands in Japan performed what is called group sounds, with lyrics almost exclusively in English. Folk rock band Happy End ...
band Northern Bright.
On March 27, 2002, the group released their third album ''The Goodfellaz''. Along with appearances from members Suiken, Deli, and Dabo of Nitro Microphone Underground and DJ Hazime, the album featured appearances by P.H. Fron, Kashi Da Handsome, Lunch Time Speax, hip-hop group Gasboys, and singer Michico. This would be the group's last studio album. Osumi and Tsutchie pursued solo careers while Ignition Man made appearances on other projects before stepping away from music. Tsutchie released the solo albums ''Thanks For Listening'' in 2002 and ''This Is A Recording'' in 2003. Osumi released his second album ''Straight To Next Door'' with DJ Watarai and made guest appearances before taking a hiatus.
On June 25, 2015, Shakkazombie reformed and the group performed "" at "D.L Presents HUSTLERS CONVENTION NIGHT", a memorial event for late Buddha Brand member Dev Large.
On January 24, 2021, Osumi passed away at the age of 47, due to complications with
sepsis
Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs.
This initial stage of sepsis is followed by suppression of the immune system. Common signs and s ...
.
Other projects
In 1999, Osumi and Ignition Man started a men's fashion line named SWAGGER, originally promoting the brand via the Shakkazombie website and later expanding to several flagship retail stores in Tokyo, goods being sold in several cities outside of Japan, and an online presence with Japanese streetwear retail site ZOZOTOWN. SWAGGER included the SWG Black Platinum label as a subline and collaborated with brands such as
The Timberland Company
Timberland LLC is an American manufacturer and retailer of outdoor footwear and apparel owned by VF Corporation. The company also sells accessories including watches, eyewear, and leather goods. Timberland's corporate headquarters are located i ...
,
The North Face
The North Face is an American outdoor recreation products company. The North Face produces outdoor clothing, footwear, and related equipment. Founded in 1968 to supply climbers, the company's logo draws inspiration from Half Dome, a distinct ...
,
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. (stylized as ''NIKE'') is an American athletic footwear and apparel corporation headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon. It is the world's largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment, ...
,
Ray-Ban
Ray-Ban is a brand of luxury sunglasses and eyeglasses created in 1936 by Bausch & Lomb. The brand is best known for its Wayfarer and Aviator lines of sunglasses. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica ...
,
Schott NYC,
New Era Cap Company
The New Era Cap Company (commonly known simply as New Era) is an American headwear company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1920 by Ehrhardt Koch. New Era has over 500 different licenses in its portfolio. Since 1993, it has ...
and
Levi Strauss & Co. In 2012, SWAGGER collaborated with famed American photographer
Ricky Powell
Ricky Powell (November 20, 1961February 1, 2021) was an American photographer who documented popular culture including hip hop, punk rock, graffiti, and pop art. His photographs have been featured in ''The New York Times'', the ''New York Post' ...
to create a capsule collection based on Powell's photos of hip-hop artists
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...
and The Beastie Boys. SWAGGER has also released collaborations with the
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...
and
Nas
Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones.
Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to:
Aviation
* Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea
* National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia
** Nas Air (S ...
.
Osumi would later start another line of men's apparel with a luxury emphasis named PHENOMENON in 2004, which branched off into women's apparel. After filing for bankruptcy in 2013, Osumi ended the PHENOMEMON line in 2015. Osumi and design partner Yuichi Yoshii founded the men's clothing line MISTERGENTLEMAN in 2012 and became directors of the Tokyo-based record store WAVE at
Roppongi Hills
is a development project in Tokyo and one of Japan's largest integrated property developments, located in the Roppongi district of Minato, Tokyo.
Constructed by building tycoon Minoru Mori, the mega-complex incorporates office space, apartm ...
in 2017. Osumi was also the chief men's designer for Mash Holdings, which included the brands Gelato Pique and Snidel. In 2018, DJ and producer
Shinichi Osawa
, also known by his stage name Mondo Grosso, is a Japanese musician, DJ, record producer and composer. Over the course of his career, he has worked in genres ranging from acid jazz to house, with strong influences of underground club music, th ...
a.k.a. Mondo Grosso would collaborate with Osumi for the song "One Temperature", Osumi's first work as an emcee in over ten years. Before his passing, Osumi worked on his final collection, the MISTERGENTLEMAN FALL WINTER 2021-22 Collection, which will be presented by the brand in memory of his passing at
Rakuten
is a Japanese technology conglomerate based in Tokyo, founded by Hiroshi Mikitani in 1997. Centered around the online retail marketplace Rakuten Ichiba, its businesses include financial services utilizing Fintech, digital content and communi ...
Fashion Week Tokyo in March 2021.
Before his hiatus from music, Ignition Man appeared on the track "Don't Be Gone" with Osumi on the album ''Ain't No Stoppin' The DJ'' by DJ Hazime. He was also featured on the tracks "Alcoholic Drive" and
posse cut
A posse cut is a popular form of song in hip hop music that involves successive verses by four or more rappers.Edwards, Paul, 2009, ''How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC'', Chicago Review Press, p. 221.
Tracks described as posse cuts ...
"Planet of The Bapes" on the albums ''Nigo (B)ape Sounds'' by
Nigo
is a Japanese fashion designer, disc jockey (DJ), record producer and entrepreneur. He is best known as the creator of the streetwear brand, A Bathing Ape (Bape), and currently serves as artistic director for Kenzo. Additionally he is a member ...
, ''(B)ape Sounds Mixtape'' by DJ Kent of FORCE OF NATURE, and ''(B)Ape Sounds Mixtape
1Monkeys Liquidwebb Mix' by
Cipha Sounds
Cipha Sounds (born Luis Diaz; on April 19, 1976) is an American DJ, comedian, and radio and television personality of Puerto Rican descent. He is mostly known for his work as a DJ, a VJ for MTV, and as a comedian.
Biography
Radio career
In 1 ...
in 2004. The three albums were released by Ape Sounds Records, a subsidiary of Nigo's clothing brand
A Bathing Ape
, also known as BAPE, is a Japanese fashion brand founded by Nigo (Tomoaki Nagao) in Ura-Harajuku in 1993. . In 2012 and nine years after his retirement, Ignition Man would make a guest appearance on the song "The Sound Distillation" by Japanese rock band BACK DROP BOMB for their album ''The Ocracy''. After the end of the SWAGGER line, Ignition Man founded the fashion brand KAKOI in May of 2017, specializing in hats and apparel.
In addition to his work with Shakkazombie, Tsutchie has done production work and remixes for other artists such as YOU THE ROCK★, ECD,
Tomoe Shinohara
is a Japanese singer, actress, fashion designer, producer and artist. She is notable for her flamboyant fashion sense and bubbly (sometimes goofballish) personality, as well as her distinctive squealing speaking voice. She is also a close friend ...
, Dabo,
Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her,
Kahimi Karie,
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
, commonly abbreviated by fans as Skapara or TSPO, is a Japanese ska and jazz band formed in 1988 by the percussionist Asa-Chang, and initially composed of over 10 veterans of Tokyo's underground scene. At the time, the band's sound was unlike t ...
,
Da Pump
is a Japanese boy band made up of lead vocalist, Issa Hentona and MCs Ken Okumoto, Yukinari Tamaki and Shinobu Miyara. The band formed as students at Okinawa Actors School in 1996. They made their debut on the Avex Trax subsidiary avex tune unde ...
,
Cymbals
A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sou ...
,
Heartsdales
Heartsdales was a Japanese-American hip pop duo composed of sisters and , known by their stage names Rum and Jewels, respectively.
Yumi was born on December 17, 1981, and Emi on December 4, 1976, in Tokyo, Japan. Their family moved to the Yon ...
, and
Miliyah Kato
(born June 22, 1988), better known by her stage name of is a Japanese pop and urban singer, songwriter, fashion designer, and author. In 2003, Kato started her career as a singer when she provided vocal to Reggae Disco Rockers' song "Cherry Oh ...
. He has also worked on
anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
productions such as being part of the production team behind the music of ''
Samurai Champloo
is a 2004 Japanese historical adventure anime television series. The debut television production of studio Manglobe, the 26-episode series aired from May 2004 to March 2005. It was first partially broadcast on Fuji TV, then had a complete a ...
'', being a featured artist on the ''Samurai Champloo'' soundtrack albums, and creating the musical score & soundtrack album for ''
GANGSTA''. Tsutchie has also been involved in a number of collaborative efforts with other artists and a notable example is the duo Ravolta (ラヴォルタ), consisting of Tsutchie handling the production and Aiha Higurashi of Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her on vocals. Tsutchie was also involved in the collaborative project
Suite Chic, which included Japanese
R&B and hip-hop artists such as
Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro ( ; ; born September 20, 1977) is a retired Japanese singer. She rose to prominence as a Japanese idol, teen idol, and transitioned into a leading Pop music, pop artist due to her versatility across music styles and visual presentatio ...
,
Ai, Dabo, Muro,
Verbal of
m-flo
is a Japanese hip hop group consisting of Taku Takahashi, Verbal and Lisa.
Lisa left the group in 2002 to pursue a solo career and the remaining members then started the M-Flo Loves... project working different vocalists for each song over t ...
, and
Zeebra
, known professionally as , is a Japanese hip hop rapper and DJ 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. He went on to pursue a solo caree ...
. Ravolta's self-titled EP and their full-length album ''Sky'', featuring a cover of the song "
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...
" by
George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
, were both released only in Japan by
Skylarkin Records in 1998. Suite Chic's ''When Pop Hits The Fan'', which featured Tsutchie's production, was released in 2003. Tsutchie has also contributed to remix albums such as his remix "Pinocchio Classic and Vintage", featuring music from the
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
film ''
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
'', for the 2005 Japan only release ''Breaks & Beats Disney'' by
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is an American record label owned by the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from the Walt Disney Company's Walt Disney Studios (division), motion picture studios, television shows, Disney Experiences, them ...
. In 2011, Tsutchie started his own label SYNC TWICE featuring up and coming artists as well as his own music.
Discography
Albums
* ''Hero The S.Z.'' (1997)
* ''Journey Of Foresight'' (1999)
* ''The Goodfellaz'' (2002)
Compilations
* ''S-Sense 2000'' (2000)
EPs
* ''Big Blue'' (1999)
* ''Get On Da Track'' (2001)
Singles
* ''Shakkattack'' (1995)
* ' (1996)
* ''"'' (1997)
* ''SZ Burning / 64 Bars Relay '' (1999)
* ''Get Yourself Arrested'' (2000)
* ''共に行こう (DJ Hazime Remix) / 64 Bars Relay (DJ Watarai Street Remix)'' (2000)
* ''S.Z. Burning / It's Like That / 虹 /Kokoro Warp '' (2000)
* ''Kokoro Warp (4Hero Remixes)'' (2000)
* ''Warm Or Cold (Ropes Remix) / Big Blue (D.O.I. Remix)'' (2000)
* ''I Got Style (DJ Spinna Remix) / Wonder Worker (FORCE OF NATURE Remix)'' (2000)
* ''So Tight, So Deep'' (2001)
* ''First Tour'' (2001)
* ''What You Want?'' (2002)
References
External links
Official Shakkazombie websiteOfficial SYNC TWICE websiteMISTERGENTLEMAN website
{{Authority control
Japanese hip-hop groups