Tokyo today has become a culture of all the big names.

First of all, Konno-san requested the Kira members as your interlocutors this time.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I think they are the ones who are standing out in Tokyo and I think they are good people. I think they are the ones who are making Tokyo exciting, and I have high expectations for them to lead Tokyo as a new generation. I am currently participating in an Air Max project with the slogan "Change The Game. The reason for this is that Tokyo today has become a culture where all the big names are in charge, and it's really boring. I want to change that, and I wondered if everyone else felt the same way. I was wondering if everyone else feels the same way, and that's why I picked them up. It's really boring (laughs). Everywhere I go, there are only old men (laughs).

Do you mean fashion or club culture?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I think that's right. Of course, there are a lot of young people out there, but they are all doing the same thing. It's boring.

How about you, Kira, in response to what I just said? Do you feel the same way?

YdizzyI think so. After all, the Tokyo scene itself is old men. We are in a situation where we have no choice. We know that we are the only ones who can do it.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I think it's really true. I think so too.

kiLLa
A HIP HOP crew active in Tokyo, Japan, and other Asian countries. They are a crew of rappers and track makers, and have attracted attention not only for their music, but also for their fashion style, visuals, and worldview, as seen in their music videos and Instagram. On this day, the three members gathered were (from left to right) No Flower, Arjuna, and Ydizzy.
Their works are also available at iTunes Store, and we recommend you to check out their music videos on Youtube.
www.instagram.com/killatokyo
twitter.com/killatokyo

Arjuna: Everywhere I go, there are only the same kind of people. Even in our generation and the generation a little older than ours, there is no one who is doing anything flashy. The way of thinking itself is different. I don't know, it's not a lifestyle (laughs), but there is no one whose lifestyle itself is HIP HOP.

YdizzySo, there are a lot of people out there, but we are confident in our own way of doing things. I think it's totally fine to be an old man or a young man. There are good-looking people. But we are better looking. There are many ways to approach things, but we do things our own way, and the result looks cool, so I think it's good.

One of your approaches is to use music videos effectively. You have been releasing more and more new songs with videos, and the way you present the videos is different for each song.

YdizzyI don't have one. That is our stance as well. All of our inspirations come from US Hip Hop. It is the same with music and videos. In the end, we do whatever we want. I do it in consultation with my friends.

No FlowerI have many ideas that I would like to do, but there are many things I can't do. For example, there are not many people who can take good-looking videos. It's a hassle in that area.

YdizzyI really don't know about myself or the video, so I asked Mikio (No Flower) and others for their opinions.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I think it's a good thing that everyone has their own specialties. I think it's great that everyone has their own specialties. I think it's great that everyone can do everything within their own group.

No FlowerIt seems to be the norm, except in Japan.

ArjunaIn short, HIP HOP is a bit more advanced than in Japan. Or any other country in Asia.

No FlowerI'm like: but I'm going to do my best, right?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)And I've got to do it.

Naotaka Konno
In 2011, he launched the "Magic Stick" brand, and has since utilized his strong connections in Japan and abroad to organize numerous events, invite artists, and collaborate with them. In 2015, he launched "revised," a small package brand that focuses on domestic production.
www.magicstick-xxx.com
revised.red

I want something original and unique.

Do you feel sympathy for their stance in the creation of clothes?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I have the same feeling. I am not only looking at the U.S. market, but also at the global market, and I am tired of the Japanese way of doing things. I'm tired of the Japanese way of doing things, the fixed way of doing things, the fixed exhibitions, the fixed people... It just doesn't make any sense. I wanted to try a new approach, so I have been holding exhibitions overseas for the past two years or so. I want to send out more information about Japan, and I want to bring the Japanese spirit out to the world.

I think that many people of a certain generation or older have been obsessed with sneakers if they like fashion or music. However, for the generation like everyone in Kira, do they have a different sense of distance from sneakers than the older generation?

YdizzyI mean: do you like sneakers? I like sneakers. But I don't have a very deep meaning or anything, and I'm not too particular about shoes. I like anything and everything. To take it to the extreme, I'll even wear them on my jacket if they look good on me.

No FlowerI don't feel that I want something because it is famous or rare. I want something original, something that no one else has. Something that suits only me. I am happier when I find something cool, not famous.

ArjunaI guess so. It's cheap. It's like turning a pear into an ant.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I thought that's exactly what I'm talking about. That's exactly what I was thinking. They are the ones who can make it look cool. They can make a jersey set-up look cool, whereas we would just look like old men if we wore it.

No FlowerI tend to wear running-type sneakers now. The ones I'm wearing today are Air Max 95's in Halloween colors. (Holding up an Air Vapormax) These are cool, aren't they?

In this one, at first glance, I felt like this is it.

That is the latest Air Max, isn't it? How do you like the Air VaporMax, Konno-san?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)It's cool as a: thing. But it's a very sporty design, so I think it would be difficult to make it fashionable. I'm an old man, so I prefer classic Air Maxes. I know what they were like back then, so I have fond memories of them.

In the 90's, I got the impression that Air Max was worn by dancers.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I think: yes, like 90 or BW. You don't seem to be interested in this story (laughs).

From all of us at kiLLa: (Laughs)

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I'll be interested in that (laughs)! But I wanted to have a conversation with them because I didn't want it to be a memory talk. I wanted to have a talk that wasn't just about the past. Objectively speaking, which of the Air Maxes here is your favorite?

(all kiLLa pointing to the Air Vapormax)

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): Oh, that's a quick answer. That's it.

ArjunaLightweight.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I'm just there (laughs).

YdizzyThat's important. That's the point.

ArjunaI'm not sure what clothes would look good with it.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I think we can wear them well, but in our own way. To be honest, I think it's a high level of fashion for me. Of course they must be comfortable. I guess that's where I'm stuck in my thinking. I wonder if Kira's kids would wear Air Vapormax with a leather jacket, or something like that.

ArjunaI think it's a good idea to have a "how do you wear it" look. How are they going to wear it? We probably have that kind of mindset. It's like the HIP HOP mindset of our generation. It's like the mindset of the cool guys. Maybe I want something aggressive.

Are you doing Japanese rap or HIP HOP? That's the difference.

I'm amazed that everyone immediately chooses the Air Vapormax.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)Really. So Nike's suggestion is correct.

YdizzyI don't know, but it's something like this, isn't it? I don't know what kind of sneakers these are, but at first glance, I feel like this is the one. I don't know what kind of sneaker this is, but at first glance, I feel like this is it. The coloring, the design.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)Design and coloring are important, too. I have the impression that everyone pays attention to color in fashion. When I see Kira's live performances, I feel that they are all very different, but they are all in one place. It's the same with clothes, and everyone looks strange (laughs). I think Kira is an artist who is well-liked by the same sex. Girls, of course.

YdizzyThe audience jumps up and down at our gigs, and it is dangerous for the girls. But recently, girls are still coming to the front of the stage. So I think that's the perfection of it. It doesn't matter if you're a girl or a guy, they all get excited! They get excited. They mosh (Note 1). In Japan, it was impossible to mosh, wasn't it? But recently, it has started to happen. I guess that's the difference between Japanese rap and hip-hop. We are HIP HOP.

(Note 1) A situation in which the audience at a live concert is so enthusiastic that they bump into each other in a disorderly manner.

No FlowerI wonder if they are so happy to be famous in Japan, even though it's called Japanese rap.

Ydizzy: It's a different beginning and a different goal.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): It's still a difference in the way we look at it. A difference in perspective. I think I heard a lot more content today than I thought I would. Let's keep on buzzing!