It starts and ends with Mr. D. It is no exaggeration to say that this song is now Mummy-D feat. Nulbarich.
How did you go about the production process?
JQ: Usually, we start by creating the beat, but in the case of "Be Alright," the image of the song had already developed in our minds when we had dinner together and exchanged drinks, so it was just a matter of how to finish it. First, I would pitch the theme to Mr. D and at the same time give him the framework, and have him kick it around and write the lyrics....
As you mentioned earlier, is it normal to collaborate on online productions?
D: I think there are a lot of them now. Since it became possible to communicate via e-mail, apart from Corona, the number of collaborations that end without a meeting has really increased. In the past, you absolutely had to go to the studio to record. JQ thinks the song is about me, but I put JQ in the song too. It's about a guy who really likes hip-hop but doesn't do hip-hop, what influences he's had, and how he looks at the scene now. I wanted to include the thoughts of someone on the outside looking in.
JQ: Anyway, it's amazing, lyrically! Especially for people in fashion and music, labor and compensation are often not commensurate. Photographers and stylists have what is called an apprenticeship period, and musicians also have a period when they don't sell well. For dream chasers who are going through those periods in their lives, this song definitely sticks with them, even though it is in a different genre. I feel like I can be cool when I listen to this song while walking around town. The lyric "I'm looking for the FRESH RHYME that I haven't stepped on yet" is at the end of the song! This is it! That's it!
D: When I first gave it to him, he was very happy and I thought, "Oh, that's great," but it was really hard on my part. There was no chord progression, just a loop of the A-melody, and no singing. I was like, "Am I going to start by myself from this state? I was like, "I'm going to start from this state all by myself?
JQ: Usually, when I have guest performers, I ask them to fill in the empty space with the song, but I really wanted to make it Mr. D's song, so I wanted him to write the lyrics freely, without imagining how my voice would be in it....
D: You say it like it's a good story, but I'm irresponsible (laughs). Like I said, I'm a producer, and I'm the type of person who has to finish things up. So I had to finish it in this one loop! I worked hard to finish it. But wait a minute, this is a "feature" song, isn't it? (laughs). I wrote a verse and handed it to him, leaving the chorus part open, and he liked it. Then he said he was going to change the chord of the chorus, and I told him that was right (laughs). Because, with the usual Nulbarich, the ensemble is always in the A-melody, B-melody, and C-melody in a super stylish way, but why is the beat so simple and thick-boned only this time? Isn't it strange? You think. When I came back to the chorus, there was a wonderful chord progression with a song, and the beat was completely different. I heard it and thought, "Cool! I'm Nulbarich now! I was like, "Cool! I thought that was pretty cool. Until then, I was a little worried (laughs).
JQ: In Japan, the chorus is considered important, but in black music, the chorus is the hook, and the chorus is positioned as an auxiliary part or break in the verse. Normally, I would make the melody after the chorus or, conversely, the chorus as an extension of the melody, but it would be strange for me to decide on the concept of Mr. D's rap part, so I wanted him to start with as little information as possible since it was his words, To be honest, I knew it would be difficult, but I ended up just handing over a single loop for about five minutes....
D: He's a really bad guy.
JQ: (laughs). But it turned out to be a really good song. I was shocked by it more than when I first heard RHYMESTER's "Respect"! It starts and ends with Mr. D. It is no exaggeration to say that this song is "Nulbarich" featuring Mummy-D. It is the story of how Mr. D met rap music, formed RHYMESTER, and lived his life and thoughts up to the present day. I think it will give many children a dream just to know about it.
Mr. D himself commented that it is "definitely one of his top five masterpieces.
D: I'm probably the most featured rapper in Japan, from Sheena Ringo to Shimajiro. There are a lot of songs that I like, but the chances of magic happening are pretty low. This time, I was a little nervous at first, but then he jumped over it and I was like, "Oh my God! When I came up with the C-melody, I thought that if it was not just a song but a narrative coming from the side, it would expand the worldview of the lyric. Then JQ pulled back his own vocals and made me the main vocalist. There are not many singers who can pull back their own vocals, but JQ is a producer in that he can make that judgment. It means that even his own voice is an instrument.
The way the story unfolded towards the end was really cool, like a scene from a movie.
D: Theatrical direction adds depth to the songs and allows for scene development. I said, "It's got a bar-like atmosphere, so why don't you put in a barbecue or something? I replied, "I was just thinking of adding that" (laughs). (Laughs.) Because we both had a goal in mind, we were able to talk quickly! I was very happy to see that kind of magic happen, and I thought, "This is something that doesn't happen often. I don't often say this, but I think this song has become one of my top five favorite songs among all the collaborations I have been involved in. I get a lot of collaborations, and I write lyrics all the time for both RHYMESTER and my own projects, but I don't get this kind of luck very often. This was the happiest thing that happened to me recently.
JQ: I would be shivved if someone said this to me. Today, I definitely want to drink until morning with what you just said! (Laughs). But I am not joking. I really want people from all walks of life to listen to this song. The lyrics are in Japanese, so the worldview is easy to understand, and the overall sense of composure, including the sound and development, is as good as Western music, which is not at all tacky even if you listen to it on the street. It is not at all tacky to listen to on the street. The listener can link it to themselves and push themselves forward, saying, "It's okay to keep going! It's the kind of song that pushes you to keep going. It is that kind of song.
You both have the word "producer" in common. What are you conscious of as producers, and what are your specialties?
JQ: I'm curious about everything, so my basic premise is that I want to figure it all out myself. Then, I take as my goal what kind of effect will be achieved in the end, and come up with ideas anyway. And I never compromise. It's not that I can't do something because I don't have the budget, but I always think about how I can use the cards I have to fight for the project. So even on a shoot like today, I really want to make funny faces all the time.
D: What is that? What are you talking about all of a sudden? (Laughs)
JQ: For example, if we were to compete with Mr. D in terms of good looks, we would never be able to beat him. However, if I have a funny face but a stylish atmosphere, there is a possibility that I can find a chance to win. I have decided on one thing that I will never waver from, and I will stick to it while competing in my own genre. I think this is the reason why I am not in the hip-hop world. If I approach it from the outside, there is a chance for the hip-hop scene to get to know Nulbarich. So maybe my goals are a little different from others, but if you ask me if I am a producer, I would say that I am a little different.
Mummy-D / 〈Children of the discordance〉bandana quilted jacket ¥264,000, bandana quilted pants ¥165,000, 〈Kazuki Nagayama〉T-shirt ¥14,300（STUDIO Loafers ¥57,200（NEONSIGN / 03-6447-0709） JQ / All stylist's personal effects
However, I think it is because you are a producer that you can see where you stand from a bird's eye view and aim for the optimum while setting a goal to be the best.
D: I guess so. I also thought he was a great producer when I collaborated with him. That's why I could understand why he is doing Nulbarich in this style. He is not only sensible, but also logical, and he is able to hear and see various things. That's why I can make a decision to leave this to him. Players may be able to sing or play, but they may not be able to write songs.
D., as a producer, is there anything you are conscious of?
D: I have recently learned that in the end, it all comes down to "is it interesting or not? There are many words to evaluate a work of art, such as "cool," "beautiful," or "good taste," but I think the most important thing is "whether it is interesting or not. There are things that are cool, but smooth and don't grab my attention. This is true not only for music and movies, but also for clothes, and for all creative expressions, whether or not the "interesting part" is clear. This does not mean "fanny," but rather "something that stands out. It is difficult to stand out in this age of information and goods, unless you have the courage and determination to do so. Be Alright" could have ended nicely as it did, but by taking a turn at the end where everyone was like, "You're going to do that? But by taking it to the end, everyone found it interesting. I think it is the spirit of service to take something that is good as it is and make it interesting.
I can't wait to hear you two sing "Be Alright feat. Mummy-D" at the live concert.
JQ: That's right. I'm confident that everyone who hears the song will be affected by it, so I want to perform it as much as possible so that it will reach as many people as possible during my lifetime.
