The curiously named Creepy Nuts are a Japanese Hip Hop pair (get it?) comprised of R-Shitei and DJ Matsunaga. R-Shitei, whose rap name means “R-Rated,” is a lyrical genius who spouts fast-paced rhymes over his partner’s catchy tracks. The duo began working together in 2015 and released their first mini album just about a year ago in January 2016.
R-Shitei had slowly been making a name for himself in the Japanese Hip Hop world, which has seen a huge leap in popularity over the last 10 years. He eventually landed a role on Freestyle Dungeon, a late-night TV show hosted by notable grandfathers of Japanese Hip Hop.
Next month Creepy Nuts are releasing their 2nd mini album and the title track is called joendanyusho (above), which means “award for best supporting actor” in Japanese. The track is upbeat, catchy and more poppy than some of their previous songs. It’s clearly aimed at a broader audience but does a good job of showcasing the versatile talents of the two, who blend elements of j-pop, jazz and Japanese traditional music into their sound.
Their music videos are often humorous and parody some of Japan’s more absurd institutionalizations. And this video is no different. In it, R-Shitei and DJ Matsunaga get swept up into the Japanese pop music factory. They’re quickly replaced by better-looking versions of themselves and the music video chronicles the rise and fall of their own success as their image gets manipulated and eventually spit out by the factory.
There’s a lot to see (including a jab at Pico-Taro and his Justin Beiber-induced rise to fame) and the video moves as quickly as the lyrics so try and keep up.
Below is the title track off their 1st mini album and is titled gohoteki tobikata no susume, or “how to get high legally.”
Like what you hear? You can find more of their music on YouTube. Creepy Nuts is also on Twitter and Facebook. And be sure to check out our other Music Monday picks.
