Shing02
Encyclopedia
Shingo Annen better known by his stage name Shing02, is a Japan
ese rap
artist and producer
. Due in part to growing up in Western
cities, Shing02 stands as one of the few multilingual rappers from Japan able to compose songs entirely in either Japanese or English. His rhyming style makes use of lyrics which are largely conceptual in nature and his hip-hop sound is knowing for blending various influences, ranging from reggae
to traditional Japanese music
to jazz. The style of music has made him a significant presence within the underground rap community, and he has achieved recognition beyond the scene for rapping "Battlecry", the theme song of the hip-hop-influenced chanbara anime Samurai Champloo
, produced by Japanese jazz rap
DJ Nujabes
.
, England
, and Japan
. At the age of fifteen, Shing02 moved to the San Francisco Bay Area
of California
just following the Quake of '89, where he became involved in various creative arts programs. He then moved to Berkeley
for schooling and studied art.
Living in the Oakland and San Francisco Bay-area he became immersed in the hip-hop scene amongst direct descendants of members of civil rights movement groups such as the Black Panthers and Asian-American activists. Shing02 has said of his music that "It was natural to have political and social messages in my music; I was fortunate to be exposed to it."
When his music eventually made its way back to Japan in 1996, Shing02 partnered with Mr. Higo of Mary Joy Recordings for his releases which garner enormous support in his homeland. He currently resides in the Bay Area of Oakland, California where he collaborates with numerous other artists from both America and Japan.
In 2010, Shing02 teamed up with Japanese-American Jazz
vocalist Emi Meyer
for her second album, Passport. The two initially met via MySpace
and Meyer joined Shing02 on his summer tour of Japan in 2008, after which they began work on Passport
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. Due in part to growing up in Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
cities, Shing02 stands as one of the few multilingual rappers from Japan able to compose songs entirely in either Japanese or English. His rhyming style makes use of lyrics which are largely conceptual in nature and his hip-hop sound is knowing for blending various influences, ranging from reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
to traditional Japanese music
Traditional Japanese music
Traditional Japanese music is the term used to describe historical Japanese folk music, or traditional music.-Rhythm:One of the characteristics of traditional Japanese music is a sparse rhythm. It also doesn't have regular chords. In Japanese music, one cannot beat time with one's hands because...
to jazz. The style of music has made him a significant presence within the underground rap community, and he has achieved recognition beyond the scene for rapping "Battlecry", the theme song of the hip-hop-influenced chanbara anime Samurai Champloo
Samurai Champloo
is a Japanese anime series created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. It was broadcast in Japan from May 20, 2004 through March 19, 2005 on Fuji TV. Samurai Champloo has earned Watanabe a renowned title in the anime and Japanese television communities...
, produced by Japanese jazz rap
Jazz rap
Jazz rap is a sub-genre of hip hop which incorporates jazz influences, developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The lyrics are often based on political consciousness, Afrocentricity, and general positivism...
DJ Nujabes
Nujabes
was a Japanese hip hop producer and DJ who recorded under the name , the reverse spelling of his name in Japanese order. Nujabes was also owner of the Shibuya record stores, T Records and Guinness Records and founder of the independent label Hydeout Productions....
.
Biography
Shingo Annen was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1975 and grew up in various cities of TanzaniaTanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. At the age of fifteen, Shing02 moved to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
just following the Quake of '89, where he became involved in various creative arts programs. He then moved to Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
for schooling and studied art.
Living in the Oakland and San Francisco Bay-area he became immersed in the hip-hop scene amongst direct descendants of members of civil rights movement groups such as the Black Panthers and Asian-American activists. Shing02 has said of his music that "It was natural to have political and social messages in my music; I was fortunate to be exposed to it."
When his music eventually made its way back to Japan in 1996, Shing02 partnered with Mr. Higo of Mary Joy Recordings for his releases which garner enormous support in his homeland. He currently resides in the Bay Area of Oakland, California where he collaborates with numerous other artists from both America and Japan.
In 2010, Shing02 teamed up with Japanese-American Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
vocalist Emi Meyer
Emi Meyer
Emi Meyer is a Japanese-born, American-raised Jazz pianist and vocalist based in Seattle and Tokyo, active in both the Japanese and American markets.-Background:...
for her second album, Passport. The two initially met via MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
and Meyer joined Shing02 on his summer tour of Japan in 2008, after which they began work on Passport
Studio albums
- 1999: Ryokuousyoku Jinshu
- 2001: 400
- 2002: 400 LP / 400 INST LP
- 2003: SHING02 LTD EXP MIX (Limited Express Mix)
- 2003: Evolution of the MC (Emushi no Susume)
- 2008: WaikyokuWaikyokuWaikyoku is an album by Japanese-American rap artist Shing02, released on June 18, 2008.-Track listing:#"Jo" – 2:27#"Jukou" – 3:32#"Katsubou" – 3:09#"Saikou" – 3:03#"Shingane" – 2:46#"Shousou" – 4:38#"Bijou, Part1" – 8:53 #"Chotsugai" – 6:07...
- 2009: For The Tyme Being, the second mix CD from Shing02. It is mixed by DJ Icewater and is in English. The CD contains previously unreleased tracks.
- 2010: For The Tyme Being 2, another mix CD from Shing02 and DJ Icewater. Contains only English tracks like the previous FTTB mix CD.
- 2010: RxOxTxO (unreleased)
External links
- Official website
- Official Discography
- Shing02 at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...