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Tracklist | |
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01 - Intro 02 - Champion Ov The Seven Seas 03 - Creative 04 - 俺らそれぞれ 05 - のびのび 06 - 性 07 - 革命はいつも下の方から (With Gebo) 08 - ミュージック 09 - Know Ryoku 10 - たべもん 11 - バイリンガル 12 - 女の子の歌 13 - Sleepy Field (With Robofoot) 14 - Life 15 - 挨拶がわり 16 - Changes |
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Review | |
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Arata is a little-known member of the Living Legends hip hop crew. Being the sole Japanese member, he isn't quite on the forefront of the group or all that well known in the American rap scene. Still, with only a few guest spots he's been more present here in America than in Japan (I'm not even sure this CD was released there). It seems that the man is doomed by this fate; the album came out with absolutely no promotion and little to no word of mouth. The only way this record is going to be moving units is hardcore fans of the Legends and reviews (this might be the only one, though). It's a shame too, this album, while not an unsung masterpiece of its genre, is a damn fine slice of rap and surely worth more than it's received from the press. Arata's vocal work is as solid as you'd expect from his previous experiences, that is if you're not immediately turned off by his nasal drone. His flow is superb and kept very tight all throughout with English phrases thrown in randomly (which surprisingly works, a rarity for the genre). Arata sounds very unique most of the time and is refreshingy different from the majority of underground emcees in Japan. DJ Madd and Shunami turn in a good production effort as well, not all of the tracks are excellent but none are bad at all. Check out "Sleepy Field" and "Nobi Nobi" for examples of how laid-back beats should be done. I wasn't initially sure that he would be able to hold his own for an entire hour's worth of music, after having only one verse an album for most of his career, and The Way I Live does start to drag in the third quarter but it's not nearly as bad as I would have imagined. Not to worry though, Arata holds surprising replayability, thanks in large part to the diverse production throughout the album. If you're looking for some high quality Japanese Hip Hop for a low American price, this is a choice pick. Even for old fans of the genre, Arata's first is well worth picking up for its refreshing production and solid verses. The Way I Live is easily available from all major online hip hop stores (and Amazon), so there's no excuse to miss out. It's a shame that the first non-instrumental Japanese hip hop CD released in America should be released with so little fanfare, especially when it's this good. |
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