For Japanese female hip-hop duo HALCALI, the world is their stage

By Natsuki Oka

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shibalhangook at 05:41 AM JST - 28th June

Hip hop has become a very serious artform in the USA.

LOL! Serious "artform"? What a laugh.

With songs containing such intelligent lyrics as "Look at this ass baby!" or "I'm gonna work you", "You gonna spend money on me, n*gga", and other such intelligent prose while posing in lots of "bling bling" jewelry in front of strippers, pit bulls, cars, etc..yep really intelligent.

Also, I find it easier to understand Japanese artists' broken English than I do trying to decipher what the hell most of the so called "USA hip hop" artists are trying to yell in their songs.
PrinceskaNo1 at 10:25 AM JST - 28th June

I am not surprised their audience is basically in Canada and USA. No european will be able to bear this visual and musical assault.
RedMeatKoolAid at 10:51 AM JST - 28th June

Is it J-rap? Some dude called Big Shaq singing about Kobe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lQW-FWMcBo&feature=related
Taka313 at 03:53 PM JST - 28th June

I just listened to a few clips on YouTube out of curiosity.

They're definitely not for me.

I think Nobody Knows+ and Cibo Matto are far better representatives of the Japanese Hip Hop talent.

Taka
KaptainKichigai at 06:54 PM JST - 28th June

Art is subjective. Just because you dont understand it or cant interpret it, probably means it aint about you. I didnt say I liked it. It is important to recognize a huge cultural movement of the inner-cities. They express themselves through music and lyrics using what they know. That type of expression can be classified as an artform. I said there is a fine line between fashion and art. These girls are obviously are an exploitation as are many Hip Hop artists, but their predecessors; NWA, TuPac, Biggie Smalls were all definitive artists for the Hip Hop culture. Like it or not, only an ignorant man would disqualify it. It is simply a fact.
Dogdog at 07:23 AM JST - 29th June

Puffy Mk 2.
1GiantStudMuffi at 07:30 AM JST - 29th June

they suck. i saw this performance in NY
Kameleon at 02:37 PM JST - 30th June

Hip Hop my arse.

These two clowns have NOTHING to do with the culture, other than have no idea of what it is and so make a mockery of it.
bamboohat at 06:28 AM JST - 1st July

"Alumni of a Tokyo dance school, Haruka and Yukari passed an audition for female rappers in 2002"

Sounds like a corporate produced Band, like the Monkeys. I doubt they write their own music or play any instruments, or even choreograph their own dance moves. They are young cute, Japanese versions of Johnny Bravo, or Hanna Montanna. Not that their is anything wrong with that, but I hope they don't seriously consider themselves musicians or artists.

But then again, I could be totally wrong. Time will tell.
furuigakko at 09:03 PM JST - 1st July

Funny how they are passed off as Japanese Culture. Wonder what life is like in the 'hood! Shibuya maybe Harajuku.

international debut at the Japan Expo 2007 in Paris

an appearance at New York’s Central Park on June 1 as part of a Japan Day cultural festival
ladykaede at 05:47 AM JST - 2nd July

It's interesting that hip hop has made it all the way to Japan and around the world. However, I find it unfortunate that this is the main aspect of black culture to go global. Hip hop being what it is nowadays - consumer driven, gangster, misogynist, just plain stupid for the most part - is hopefully not being viewed as representative of how most black folks live.
SpanishEyez37 at 04:17 PM JST - 3rd July

I got an idea! Drop them off in my neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY or Harlem and let's see how ''hip-hop'' they are.
Alphaape at 09:12 PM JST - 7th July

A good book to read is called "Hip Hop Hypocracy" on how the notion that Hip Hop and Rap have a social message that is redeeming is shown to be false. It is a pretty good read on how the images and ideas perpetrated are not necessarily the best for the Black or any other community. Don't get me wrong, I listen to it as long as the beat is "fresh" and I can dance to it, but I don't take it as a serious art form on social commentary.

I have never heard of these two ladies, and I hope that I will not have the pleasure of hearing them either. I all ways get a kick out of Japanese guys wearing their hair in cornrows, wearing a "North Carolina" hat to the side or jersey with saggy paints and coming up to me and saying "Wha up Bro?" I am sure that if you showed them a map of America they could not find North Carolina or know what that school is and why it is famous.

I guess it is true what they say: "imitation is the highest form of flattery."
hairforest at 06:06 PM JST - 8th July

Alphaape,..

Yes. Originality is important. Please refer to "Race Music" and see how whites "stole" Rock'N'Roll from the blacks way back when...

"Hip Hop and Rap have a social message"? Oh really? I think it has more to do with the performer than the style, no?
forensicmommy at 03:26 PM JST - 12th July

To SpanishEyez37,

ROFL. Good one!