The experiences you have had will affect the "which" part of your mouth.
PROFILE
Rapper and owner of his own label, DREAM BOY, he made his debut in 2006 with the album "Prologue" while still a company employee at the time. Since then, he has consistently released 10 albums. He is currently active as a regular judge on "Freestyle Dungeon. This year marks the 15th anniversary of his debut, and he just released a two-disc best album "15th anniversary DREAM BOY BEST ～2012-2020～" in May.
I understand that this year marks the 15th anniversary of your debut. When you released your 10th album "UNBIRTHDAY" last year, you said that you did not think of it as the culmination of your career.
KEN:I am not really aware of any kind of milestone. Such a precise number may be a good way to keep the activity going, though. Hip-hop is a music that evolves with the times, and the pace is very fast. In my case, my motivation is how to keep up with that evolution. This naturally leads to more releases, and I simply enjoy doing that.
KEN: The best-of album you released in May is one that allows us to see the transition of KEN's career once again.
KEN:That may be so. I quit my job and started my own label in 2012, and this album is a compilation of the past 8 years. I don't think there are many rappers who can make a best-of album after a long career on a label, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to present the evidence of my career here.
You have one new song on the album. What is your feeling behind this song?
KEN:There were moments when I realized that elements that I had considered negative were actually weapons. There were times when I felt guilty about the fact that I had graduated from an ordinary university, became an office worker, and became a rapper. But now, looking back on my activities, I realize that I am the person I am today because I overcame those hardships. I have come to believe that my experience as a salaried worker is my strength.
You overcame hardships and formed your own identity.
KEN:There was a time when I was on the street thinking, "Why am I doing this?" But I still kept doing it because I love hip-hop. It will come back to me someday, maybe in a year, maybe in 10 years. But someday it will become your legacy, so I want you to hold on even when times are tough. That's what I wanted to convey in this song.
MACCHO of OZROSAURUS wrote a lyric "It's all about what you say" and I really like it. I like that very much. I think that hip-hop is a music where "what you say" is important, but "which mouth" you use to say it is also important. In other words, the personality of the rapper and his or her usual behavior are also reflected in the music.
When you think about it, the messages of outsiders are obviously heavier than those who are not, and even if they are not, they have their own work, or have straggled or fought in some predicament, and even if they are not seemingly related to hip-hop or the song, such experiences are the "which mouth "It affects the part of the mouth. I feel that I have grown more in terms of "which mouth" now than when I first debuted, and I feel that I am able to convey my message better now.
KEN, your fashion style is different from that of oversized rappers, isn't it? Was this also important for you to maintain your own style?
KEN:When I was in high school and college, I used to dress in a very hip-hop style. But when I got a job, I started wearing normal clothes. It was office casual, so I often wore polo shirts and such. I felt disconnected and didn't feel realistic dressing like a rapper at night, even though I was usually dressed like that. So I started going to clubs and rapping dressed as if it was an extension of my daytime activities. That's why I was winded.
So, you wanted more freedom of expression in fashion while still holding on to the rappers' mentality.
KEN:That's right. But Lacoste polo shirts were very useful because they were easy to wear to the office and to the club. I had many of them. I used to wear polo shirts just like this one today. If you wear a plain shirt with slacks or chinos, it becomes too simple, so it's nice to have a line or point like this. I don't want to be too formal just because I'm an office worker, so it was nice to be able to wear it as an extension of my existing style.
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I think that the field is the most important place for musicians, as you used to frequent clubs even though you were a company employee, and you have been greatly affected by the new Corona. Do you have any thoughts or ideas about this situation?
KEN:My main focus has always been on live performances, but under these circumstances, some are starting to focus on distribution, and I try to look at such situations positively. However, the realism of a live performance can only be experienced onsite, and doing so through distribution will only diminish the experience. If that is the case, I think it is important now, and indeed I am thinking about it, to explore the appeal of a virtual way of experiencing things that can only be done through distribution. In this way, even after this situation is resolved, I believe that we and our customers will be able to enjoy the two axes of onsite and live performance.
Finally, what are your goals for the future?
KEN:In addition to my activities as an artist, I have provided music, been in charge of music for stage performances, and have become more involved with people from other genres, which has allowed me to learn about various cultures. I am thinking of ways to update myself through these experiences, and I hope to eventually incorporate them into my own activities and give back to hip-hop.
