Very true. His statement that the show was disconnected from the music because it is an anime was pretty low. Especially from someone who didn't bother to check out the show before making a statement like that. The vibe of the show and that of the music is a perfect match. A bummer in an otherwise very good piece on Nujabes.
@@Mtrospectiv i hope he ment anime in general is disconnected from hip hop. cus Samurai Champloo represents hip hop better than most rappers n DJs i know. i could still disagree that anime is disconnected from hip hop since the boondocks and samurai champloo were two of the most popular early animes to alot of western fans.
@@koldraiynedownskayle5744 neither is avatar the last airbender but if you ignore their inspirations and treat them like American cartoons the experience is lessened.
Uyama Hiroto continues to hold the torch high after Nujabes' passing. Forever a devoted fan of Nujabes' music and art, he truly left an indelible mark on the realms of hip hop and lofi music.
Nujabes saved my life. I would literally have committed suicide without his music to comfort me and help me through the bullshit of my 20's. I stand here as a 35 year old man who's put his life back together and it wouldn't have happened without the solace that modal soul, the ristorante mixtape, metaphorical music and spiritual state provided to me. I was devastated the day he died. I still remember it and it stuck with me as i tried to forge ahead. I will forever be grateful to him and his music. Rest in Power to the legend.
I can relate to this through his song Feather. When I gave up on the world it reminded me that it'll get better. I played it on repeat for 3 months, day and night. Might not be here today to be a successful graduate and see the world for what I want it to be and what it truly is.
His music is what makes Samurai Champloo a transcendent, spiritual experience. Thank you for this fascinating look into the life of the genius behind the glorious music.
Lori hip hop has become elevator music Too many people heard it and thought “I can do that” without understanding the complexity of what Nujabes was actually doing So they make simple nostalgic longing loops without considering each component fully
@@sepg5084 not really, people just don't want genres being commodified and losing their original meaning, ethos, intention or aesthetic, in favor of lazy copied husks of what it once was, in order to make a lot of money.
Samurai Champloo is not "anime", it's fucking art. I've never seen another tv show with this level of composition. Every frame, every situation, every character and every dialogue is harmoniously driven by the same emotions. Music feels like it's born out of what you see, the way this show was directed is brilliant.
Testify. Presenter’s blasé and closed-minded dismissal of the show because “it’s just anime” makes it hard to take the rest of the video seriously. To me, any serious, open-minded video essayist would have no issue giving the show a watch purely out of respect for Nujabes, if they love him as much as this guy claims to.
calling something "anime" as if it diminishes the art of something is pretty weird behaviour, anime is art. full stop. samurai champloo is a classic for sure but to elevate it above all others of its medium is disingenuous and closed-minded.
Shinichirō Watanabe (who is a legend in his own right) specifically asked for Nujabes because he liked the mixture of cultures which fit right into the aesthetic of Samurai Champloo
Loved the vid, but presenter needs to put some respect on the name ‘Samurai Champloo’ fr. “Just anime music” is a narrow minded enough statement on its own, never mind for such a masterpiece of a show literally built around the feeling of music like Nujabes’
Nujabes and Shing02's Luvsic parts are legendary, of course all his albums are but Luvsic has a special place in my heart, the music and rap lyrics are on another level, always a conscious message. R.I.P Seba Jun
I feel like Nujabes was such an influence to many people growing up on the internet in the mid 2010s as well. I remember stumbling upon his songs on RU-vid back in the day and they always struck a cord with me. I'm glad you pointed that nobody truly sounds like him, and it's because it's true.. Nujabes is one of a kind.
Very true. I probably first heard/saw the intro of Samurai Champloo when it first aired in the US around 2005, but I didn’t really get into Nujabes until around 2008-2010 when I started going on RU-vid, and eventually downloaded his songs onto my iPod. I was only 15 in 2008, and like you, his music struck a cord with me. Man…time flies
Knowing shing02 lives on with memories of nujabes as a friend, colleague and fellow musician softens the tragedy that nujabes didn’t get to see how impactful and far reaching his music was. Thanks for making this video
I spoke to shingo on facebook last february and around this summer, a really nice guy, if anyone ever wanna use battlecry in one of their productions he will be honored to say yes
I still remember the moment I found out he died so clearly. I was a senior in high school, sitting on the floor of my room on my laptop. I’d been listening to him since I’ve as in middle school, and on that day decided to look up if he had any tours. I typed in his name and found out he had died only 3 days prior. I sat on that floor and just started heaving crying. I’ve never cried so hard about the passing of an artist since
It's great to see somebody made a video on Jun and his legacy. I noticed a few mistakes, though: 1. Jun spoke English decently. 2. Although he kept a low profile and maintained an air of mystery, he did participate in several interviews, at least in Japanese.
Like many I found Nujabes' music from Samurai Champloo, a friend showed me the rest of his music after his death, and it was a shame to find out his passing. Since then, his music has become a very important part of my life that keeps me going.
I miss Nujabes. 😢 However, I'm glad to live in a timeline where his music exists. He even inspired me to make great music, 10 years, and I'm not stopping now. Thanks, Nujabes. ❤
Growing up I listened to Nujabes, FlyLo, Dilla, and you. Found your stuff through AS Bumps and have been a fan ever since. Keep up the amazing work my man
I gotta disagree that hip-hop and anime are disconnected.The impact of shows like Dragon Ball Z had on the hip hop community was HUGE. And oppositely, I highly recommend watching Samurai Champloo as it pulls huge influences from hip hop all throughout the show, most commonly the record scratch they use between scenes
So glad someone said this. There's a lot of anime references in underground rap and hip hop. I had a friend who swore up and down that he hated anime and I couldn't believe it because of every other art form he liked (avid music listener and classic hip hop fan amongst other visual art forms). I told him we had to watch at least one episode of Samurai Champloo and if he didn't like it would could bail on it. We watched the whole series. This was almost 10 years ago and now he recommends me anime.
This reminds me of Denzel Curry being inspired by Cowboy Beebop to make his jazz/rap album (melt my eyez see your future) which is an anime already inspired by, well, jazz bebop I thought that was a really cool example of a cultural exchange like that
There was a video about it made by a youtuber I wish I could remember the name. But he said Nujabes grabs sound an rhythm from very old classic theme songs. It sounds simple but how he converts it into his style. Thats something only he could do.
Crazy how long ago he's passed away, Nujabes helped carry me through many sleepless study sessions during high school and still helps me carry through my work days! Words will never convey how grateful I am to this man's craft, Rest in Beats Nujabes.
I am so stoked you are covering nujabes! My homie put me on to him four years ago, when I moved to LA. We would stay up till 3 or 4 in the morning, smoking and vibing in our kitchen which we called the stage because our kitchen windows faced an oncoming road so people could see us rapping, singing and listening to music like we were on display. Nujabes holds a special place in my heart
Cool I always wanted to move to LA and I heard the lofi vibe out there is amazing.I remember working at a diner and a Japanese guy gave me a copy of methophorical album made Nujabes and it was AWESOME.
I think the older era of LoFi (2014-2017) bares a much closer resemblance to Nujabes work, where the lofi Genre has since moved closer and closer to simple jazz territory in more recent years. Great video!
The segment on Aruarian Dance is remarkable because, without having watched Samurai Champloo, you described what makes the series unique. Just like the song, it's a fusion of multiple different cultures and time periods
It's my all-time favorite song. I only listen to maybe twice a year so that the magic doesn't die. I don't listen to it when I want to. I listen when I need to.
It’s crazy you’re such a Nujabes fan, but you’ve never seen Samurai Champloo. That’s how I discovered him. EPIC show and his music on that show is one of the major reasons it has legendary status
I first discovered Nujabes through Samurai Champloo in the early 2000's. I was hooked from the get go and had to find more. Digging through music blogs I was able to get the soundtrack, Metaphorical Music and not too long later, Modal Soul. I couldn't wait for more and was so bummed when I heard he passed. Now I'm recollecting everything on vinyl whenever I can. I wish he knew how much people appreciate him.
My era of Hip Hop was the mid 1990s Golden Age of Native Tongues, so of course, by the mid 2000s American Hip Hop had turned me off (vapid wasteland garbage- Diddy, Lil Wayne, Lil John, Drake) and I was almost excusively listening to foriegn Hip Hop from Asia (Japan), Europe (France, Germany, Turkey) and Africa/Middle East. Its like the SOUL of Hip Hop had left the US and gone to other cultures.
I grew up listening to Nujabes, started with Love Sick 1-3, arurian dance, and it kept going on and on. One of my close friends showed me his music when I was in 4th grade and I loved it so much he kept my genre of music specifically to underground hip hop. Rest In Beats to this beautiful soul♡
I love both Nujabes and Samurai Champloo. In particular hearing Mystline immediately makes me tear up, with the emotions of that episode hitting me super hard.
Electronic Music set to animation is honestly awesome. I would highly suggest the Daft Punk Interstella5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem. So chill. Still so great. That really needs a 4k AI remastering, or a faithful reanimation or "sequel" in HD. Yeah, it is french disco and french animation...yet it is still so damned awesome.
There is also another anime movie called "Paprika". The composer for that film is also brilliant and did this odd kind of psychedelic electronica. I think his name is Susumu Hirasawa? He has alot of music, both in film/anime and just music.
I would not be doing music if it wasn’t for Nujabes and Samurai Champloo, forever grateful for his impact on Hip-Hop and his music got me through my darkest times. He’s also one of the biggest what if stories to because imagine if Nujabes was still alive and he didn’t passed.
Doug Stanhope said it darkly but brings an interesting point Maybe your favorite artist died at the right time. They could've lived, had an experience and their new stuff would shit all over your cherished memories, leaving you thinking "what the fuck did i ever see in this person". Nujabes RIP
I remember I messaged him on MySpace like I love your music, and he just message back like thanks. I know it’s not any kind of crazy blown out story, but I will forever hold it in my heart.
I agree with saying that Nujabes music isn't just lo-fi, it sounds something much more than it. His sound will forever be timeless and thankfully we have many people that preach his creations. There is so much more Id love to say but your video describes what I wanted to express. Long live Nujabes❤
I can't stand when people put his music in the "lofi" category. That low fi sound of his earlier stuff was a product of the technology of the time, not a deliberate aesthetic choice. His later stuff especially doesn't even remotely resemble lofi.
it's just too broad of a term to use to describe nujabes. i can hear it in his earlier stuff, but i think around modal soul he started to leave out the lo-fi sound, intentional or otherwise. every now and then, i think about what his music would be like now since the difference between metaphorical music and modal soul was huge.
His tracks always make me sad and happy at the same time. I love his version of melancholy. If anything, once I'm gone from this world, I'd love to leave a similar vibe behind to my friends and family
I was exposed to jazz at a very early age but Nujabes really perfected the "jazzhop", I guess this considered lofi now, sound. To this day, Luv(sic) remains one of my favorite projects he's ever done and Hikari is my favorite song from him. RIP Nujabes. Edit: Also Samurai Champloo is fire. Everyone needs to watch it.
Metaphorical Music has seriously been one of my most listened to albums for the last 10 years. I have always felt like it doesn't receive near the amount of appreciation it wholeheartedly deserves and it is actually surreal to hear somebody speak on it in a format like this. Thank you.
Hearing about Nujabes & Samurai Champloo brings back OG memories from the 2000's. I was a teenager, life was simple ... Thank you for everything, Nujabes, especially "Battlecry" 🖤🎵
Wow I wrote a 22 page script and this video has like 10 pages of it! The article you are quoting is the only reliable information out there about Nujabes, so good job doing your research!! I am a bit shocked that you released this video, with such great editing, just as I finished my script yesterday. But I don't think there will be an issue, since It will take me close to a month to record and finish editing it. Hopefully the videos can boost each other in the future :)
@@DeviousJoker93I recorded the script, but the editing will be tough. I am super busy until Nov. 7th, so only after that I will be able to 100% focus on finishing it. I say mid to late November :/
I was drawn to revisit to Nujabes after my mother passed from cancer in 2020. This time around I decided to listen to the lyrics for some reason. I stared weeping. It was exactly what I needed to hear. It was LUV (SIC.) PT6.
I had never heard of Nujabes before this video, and I didn't realise that his music was the soundtrack to so many sunny, lazy Saturday afternoons with my dad when I was a kid. We'd go out for icecream, books or just a drive round the city. My kinder brain didn't appreciate this kind of music at the time, but now these songs take me back and I feel so connected to my dad listening to them. ❤ I also feel lucky to have stumbled upon this video. Thank you, Volksgeist. 🌼
Nujabes was the best friend I never got to meet. His music truly speaks to my soul, and I will forever be grateful for the lasting effect it has had on my life. Thank you for making this wonderful tribute of a video. Rest in beats Seba.
I was never able to put into words how I felt about Nujabes. "The best friend I never met" is so perfect. Its like he was able to give you a hug without even being there but he is there because we still listen to him. He embraces you with sound and allows you to cry on his shoulder and tell you "everything is going to be ok". Keep rocking in the free world dude.
Definitely give Samurai Champloo a watch. It was the anime that bought me into the world of Nujabes and all the other artists within the downtempo, trip hop, and jazzy hip hop productions such as Libyus Records. His music along with Shinichirō Watanabe vision of hybrid themes significantly changed my life and added a positive quality throughout my transition of difficult times, coming out of highschool and feeling lost in university. I thank all the members on the website forum Swords & Sunflowers for posting all those music links. I still hold those mp3 copies to this day as well as later purchasing the physical copies. I will have my own vinyl copies once I get to Japan. RIP Seba Jun
Appreciate your work man, I love how you didn’t hide your not a big anime fan but you still touched base on a crucial part of his career, I seen samurai champloo since I was 10 so I’m a big fan but I can’t state enough how important Nujabes is to the musical landscape. I believe what makes him so legendary is the fact that with his minimal lifestyle and he isn’t a big famous person for doing anything stupid but just making amazing music to transcend time, as well as that he wasn’t somebody that sounded as if he came from some major music family but somebody that just loved the art and wanted to create is so inspiring. I believe he wanted to show people that anyone can do it, but just make sure to do it on your own terms and put love into it, Major love man !!
Bro. I PROMISE YOU, you will enjoy Samurai Champloo EVEN MORE now that your an expert at Nujabes Discography. The story and themes hit even more. I comeback to the series every couple of years and the moments hit more.
Am an Anime fan and I have watched countless extremly good shows but I swear nothing is as poetic, soulful and dear to my heart as samurai champloo is. This show and Nujabes music will forever be that nostalgic comfort dose that keeps me both melancholic and happy at the same time. Nothing, literally NOTHING is like them.
Musicians, artists, actors, and other influential people pass away every day. But nujabes was the first artist whose passing truly shook me. His music was my entire life in high school. It's so tragic to think about all of the amazing music he could have made if he was still with us. His legacy will live on forever through his work. Rest in peace, Nujabes.
I'd like to think Nujabes was happy in those small forums, knowing a handful of passionate and dedicated people found beauty in his works. I will forever be grateful for what he created. Rest easy Jun, you did a great job.
I wouldn’t say anime couldn’t be “more disconnected” from hip-hop. I mean the Shinichiro Watanabe occasionally tigers a genre into the theme of his shows. Samurai Champloo’s is Hip-Hop while Cowboy Bebop was Jazz.
There is quite simply nothing that comforts me nearly as much as “City Lights“, my favorite song of his. It sounds like a hug feels and I am so thankful for that
Nujabs is a musical genius who art changed the way I view and listen to hip-hop. Gone way to soon before he could fully master his amazing potential. But the music he has blessed us with is infinite, so he will always be eternal. Thank you Watanabe for making Samurai Champloo and introducing me to this legend.
@@kjyudidnt so much change my view on "hip hop", that was mostly master p, pimp c, nas etc. Nujabes evolved my view on composition of sound, similar to dj screw, dj paul, big boi etc 15:03 this is a great summary of the words I lack lol
I am Afro/Black American I grew up on hip hop & r&b, later I found out electronica & house. Somewhere down the line I ran into his sound. His beats are so chill & amazing ❤❤❤ I remember when I first found out about him, I was obsessed! I wish I could hear it for the first time over & over ago. I will forever love the fusion between Black Amer & Asian Amer vibe/aesthetic, it was so loved in the 90s that it stayed with me my whole life. I do not blame Nujabes from being out of the public eye, his sound probably would’ve been infiltrated.
15 years ago I would bring up sebajun whenever an old hip hop head would mention Dilla to me and no one would know who I was talking about. im so glad mini essays and record stores in the states are carrying his stuff now and praising him as much as dilla.
The Space Between Two Worlds is one of my favorite songs of all time. Volkgeist said it best its melancholic but so hopeful and really touches the soul in a way that says everythings gonna be alright
Great video. I discovered Nujabes about 15 years ago. I was so excited when his music finally made it to Spotify. Unfortunately the departure album he did with fat Jon isn’t on there anymore. Rest in peace, Seba-San.
MF DOOM fan since KMD circa 1991, Jaydee (Dilla) fan since 1994, Nujabes fan since 1999”. First Vinyl I remember seeing produced by Nujabes was “L Universe” and “Funky DL “Peoples Don’t Stray”. Only real true Underground heads knew about Nujabes, Substantial, Funky DL, etc. Back in 99’ you had to stay up til 4am to hear this music.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate you making this. Nujabes, Shing02, and Samurai Champloo saved my mental and continues to do so. There's nothing like taking a night walk and listening to "Aruarian Dance" to take off some stress! "Every process has a genesis, and ends with a revelation God bless this!" 💯❤
Wow Amazing and Well Researched Video of Nujabes 💯💯💯 Still Cant believe he was Born at the Same day Like J Dilla. Thank you Philip/Volksgeist for taking your Time to make such an Important piece of Music History👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
This video brought me to tears, I’ve been struggling in life lately, with myself and life itself, but this video helped re-deepen and affirm my passion for life and learning and for creating love, positivity, and peace through my actions and expression in life and in music. Thank you ♥️Fly like an arrow of god til I'm gone 🙏🏻
samurai champloo put me onto nujabes which is also one of my favorite animes of all time. he produced the intro "battlecry" ft shingo 02. nujabes to me is one of the greatest hip hop producers ever. his music will never leave my soul.
I recall the day I first discovered Nujabes, more than 20 years ago. His Ristorante (cassette) was incredible, and "To this union a sun was born" introduced me to the amazing talent of Substantial. It's hard to express how profoundly his music guided me through life and altered my perspective. Since then, I've cultivated compassion, hope, and love for the world. Despite facing challenging times, there's always a glimmer of hope. Reflecting on my oldest upload, which dates back 18 years, brings back memories of the heartfelt comments left by people long ago. Nujabes, you were a remarkable human being and brought immense meaning to all of us.
Both Nujabes and J Dilla are really the best thing to come out of the Hip-hop culture and never got the recognition until they died.Crazy both was born the same day.
I still remember the exact moment I read about his passing, sat in art class in high school what seems like a lifetime ago. It shattered me. I cannot thank Nujabes enough for the comfort his music brought me in some of the most tumultuous years of my life.
I am so happy to see Nujabes getting recognition, been listening to him for about 3 or 4 years and have only met 1 person irl who listened to him. Definitely helped me and influence me into who I am today.
Respectfully and god bless Nujabes’s soul 🙏🏽 the greatest of that “lo-fi” (I really, really hate that term!), jazzy, boom bap sound, but being into Japanese hip-hop well before Nujabes’s time, it’s DJ KRUSH who’s forever my hero! If you’re a true hip-hop head and lean towards the dark, hardcore, gritty, even more jazzier, even more ethereal/ambient, and are familiar to the trip-hop genre, Krush is GOD. I promise my comment isn’t trying, at all, to take away from Nujabes’s legacy. Nujabes was more on the lighter, soft side, practically the polar opposite of Krush. I’m only tryina shed light to those just getting into Japanese hip-hop, the best non-American hip-hop imo (sorry, Korean fans…just…nah!). DJ Krush comes from the golden era of the early 90s. You can say that what Krush was to Nujabes is what Pete Rock was to Dilla. And vice versa. (Speaking of Pete Rock, Krush has a track with CL Smooth that is the hardest thing you’ve never heard!) Some recommendations to start with: MiLight (1996) Meiso (1995) Holonic: the self-megamix (1997) [If you want a compounded, quick gist of his sound, give this a listen!] Kakusei (1998) Also, if you’re down to dig deeper, Kemuri productions and the rapper Rino is some of the finest Japanese hip-hop you’ll ever hear. Enjoy.
For sure! Infact some of Krush's early work in the 90s sound a lot more like what Nujabes did. It's weird making a docu about Nujabes without mentioning his place within the J-hip-hop legacy. Nujabes was definitly a master of the scene but in no way a pioneer. Tokyo's Major Force crew was sounding very much the way Nujabes started out way back in the late 80's.
My era of Hip Hop was the mid 1990s Golden Age of Native Tongues, so of course, by the mid 2000s American Hip Hop had turned me off (vapid wasteland garbage- Diddy, Lil Wayne, Lil John, Drake) and I was almost excusively listening to foriegn Hip Hop from Asia, Europe and Africa/Middle East. Its like the SOUL of Hip Hop had left the US and gone to other cultures.
@@juniorjames7076 SAME! France, for me, was also really killin it during that period with the likes of Mc Solaar and Alliance Ethnik! The beauty of what started as an American art form, much like jazz, spread across the globe and gave such a refreshing take on hip-hop!
@pastense French Hip Hop truly domininated the early 2000s! In my travels people introduced me to IAM, Saian Supa Crew, Joey Starr (ha ha, all considered old school now!!l) and Outlandish! Euro Hip Hop was amazing, but Asian Hip Hop blew me away!
It's crazy how listening to his music (and any) while living can shape those moments when you try to remember them. I used to read my favourite book (the incorrigible optimists club) while listening to reflection eternal on the bus and have bonded the song and the book in such a unique way, which makes that time in my life years ago so nostalgic and special. Samurai champloo also stays in my heart, along with the time of my life that I was watching it, partly cause thats when i first was introduced to nujabes and his music.
This video was so well done. I almost started crying at the end, missing this guy and his music. Music as good as his doesn't seem to be made anymore, from what I've noticed. I went on to see Shin02's Nujabes Tribute Tour and it was phenomenal, but that was the last time I saw anything novel regarding his music. Thank you for the nostalgia
I'm not usually into long form videos but this was so engaging and wonderful that I couldn't click away, the respect and passion behind this from the samples of songs to the art to present it was wonderful, incredible video, thank you for sharing the story of such a legend.
Whatever you say, won't change my opinions that Love Sic is the masterpiece of all masterpieces when you're talking about Nujabes. The beats flow was on point and the message it carries across the entire series of the songs was great that you can literally headbop to it at any situation almost all the time.
Twenty years later, I'm thrilled to see people discussing a videos about him. I really Liked your video specifically when you said ❤In his life, he made music; in his death, he became music." 🙏 RIP Seba Jun❤ You will always be loved.❤
Thank you for this. I listened to Nujabes literally non-stop, on repeat for years in high school through college. Someone mentioned him in a comment on another song (from the new Lupe Fiasco album) and that is when I decided to look up Nujabes again. I just found out that he passed away and I have been crying and listening to his music all day.
Feels like I just become a better person when I listen to nujabes. I have very fond memories of going on bike rides for hours, listening to some nujabes, and coming out of with a distinct feeling of fulfillment and wisdom
LuvSic Hexalogy keeps me sane up to this very second. On a bustling hectic day, the tranquility of the rythm calms me down while the raps keeps me awake and get things done. 'imagination brings bliss at no cost, when i blink blink i receivin no loss'. Thank you Nujabes. I think Haruka Nakamura as a frequent collaborator deserves a huge respect as well.
The deepest connection I've felt with music happened with Nujabes songs, and as someone who holds him in such high regard i feel this video absolutely makes justice to his art, Amazing job!
I walked into this video blind. When you played the track from Metaphorical Music, the connection to Champloo kicked so hard it was an audible click. Hands down my favorite anime soundtrack
Don't think there's another musician, nor artist in general, that invokes so much emotion with his work. I recently fell back in love with his music again. This came at such a great time
@@DaveDEF82bummer town just called, said you were the mayor dude. Sure the glaze is insane but quality is up to one's taste and I agree with this point of view.
@@trash_khan214 just say that you have no clue about early 2000s hip hop. It's okay... But no way in hell are Nujabes beats or sample choices anywhere above what Illmind did with "Remind my Soul" for Akrobatik or what 9th Wonder did with 'The Way You Do It" for Little Brother. Or what moO did with "Fountain of Youth" for Supastition. Or really unknown gems like Surreal - "Time is of the Essence". Freaking casuals...
