A new book on BEAMS, edited with director Motoki Yoshikawa. Chapter 8: "Schadaraparr Bose on the Importance of Sticking to the Basics

Bose:We've been able to do a lot of things together.

Yoshikawa:You collaborated with us on "Beams Japan.

Bose:. and "Tokyo Cultureart by BEAMS" and so on.

Bose:Once upon a time, there was a store on Fire Street in Shibuya, right?

Yoshikawa:There was . . it was a very early time in the history of BEAMS.

Bose:It was the 80's, right? When I was still a student, my school was in Shibuya, and there was a "BEAMS" on my way to school. So I used to stop by. They had casual items that suited our style, and I got the impression that they were especially fashionable among select stores.

Bose:There were all kinds of selections, and I bought all kinds of things. . pants made of cut-and-sewn fabric in the shape of jeans, for example. At the time, DC brands were in full swing, but the selection was a little different from other stores. They had clothes that were a little off the main lines.

Bose:It seems like I haven't changed, but actually I have . Maybe (laughs). Many of my friends make clothes, so I wear what they make. But I think I have worn many different kinds of clothes, becoming thinner or thicker depending on the season. I feel like I am back to the atmosphere of the 90s now.

Bose:Yes, that's right. At first, I wanted to imitate the so-called "style" that American rappers were wearing. But at the time, there was a problem that they didn't sell "Champion" sweatshirts (laughs).

Yoshikawa:. "reverse weave," right?

Bose:. yes, yes. I guess it is commonplace in New York, but there were not many in Tokyo. And then there are Ralph Lauren, RRL, and so on.

Then, brands like Abasing Apes (®︎) and Neighborhood, which are run by friends of mine, started to produce pieces that incorporated the same style. We found that they were perfect for us, and we were able to wear more and more of them.

Yoshikawa:Was that in the early to mid 90's?

Bose:Yes, it is. Because it is designed by a Japanese person, the sense of style is a little different from what rappers wear over there. That is why I feel comfortable wearing them. If you wear the clothes as they are, you may feel a little embarrassed because of the large size. But that is not the case.

Yoshikawa:I was born in 1979, and Bose was born in 1969, exactly 10 years apart.

Bose:The senior person with that age difference is the one who is closest to you, but at the same time the one who is the furthest away. In my case, Jun Miura is like that. The people I admired when I was in high school were about that far apart in age.

Yoshikawa:That's exactly right. I was in my first year of high school in 1994, the year "Boogie Back Tonight" was released. The following year, "Summer Jam '95" came out, and it was a perfect match.

I had a little skating experience in junior high and high school, and everyone was making skating videos when I was in high school.

Bose:Yes, yes, yes, everyone does it.

Yoshikawa:When it came time to put on the music, one of my seniors put on a song by Schadara. It was really cool. Until then, most skate video music was hardcore.

Bose:And then there's thrash and stuff. And then hip-hop.

Yoshikawa:Hip-hop was cool, but it was too dope for us at the time. Then, one of my senpai (older students) put in a track by Schadara, and I thought, "What a stylish music.

Bose:Around the time Spike Jonze came out, skate videos became a bit more fashionable.

Yoshikawa:Yes, that's right. I was also influenced by Larry Clark's movie "Kids" and others, and since that is also about the streets of New York, I would wear very thick pants.

Bose:The thicker the better, sort of (laughs).

Yoshikawa:That's right (laughs). But my senpai was wearing "Good Enough" or something like that, and I thought it was very life-size, stylish, and cool.

Bose:. it's a bit of a Japanese downer.

Yoshikawa:It is exactly the kind of clothing that Mr. Bose mentioned earlier. I'm from Niigata, but I really felt Tokyo.

Bose:. It's the same with fashion and music, but it's impossible to do the same thing as in other countries as it is. The same is true of skate videos. Even if you want to take a cool shot, you can't help but see the shopping district in the background (laughs). (laughs) . Then, it would be better to make the shopping district more important. Videos from other countries look stylish with palm trees and such in the background, but there is an environment where that can be done normally. We need to translate the video in our own way.

Bose:I was surprised when I went to LA to take pictures, but it is so easy to get the exact picture I imagined. That is already natural, so I can never do the same thing in Japan. So, once we give up (laughs). . After giving up, we rework our ideas. Not in a negative way, but in a positive way.

We are not as tall as Westerners, and we don't look strong, so there is no need to try to make us look strong, right? I guess we don't have to try to look tough (laughs). (Laughs.) Rappers from other countries all wear their pants down, but the shape of their hips is completely different. The length of their legs is also different.

Yoshikawa:That's right (laughs).

Bose:Americans have plump hips, so they can get their pants caught properly. But Japanese people can't do the same thing unless they put a towel in their buttocks (laughs). (Laughs.) So there is no point in trying to imitate them.

Bose:Schadaraparr has given up once and for all (laughs). We don't look good with afros, and our hair is dry to begin with (laughs). . But inside, we are desperately searching for what we can do. We can't imitate them, but what can we do to be cool? . We can't imitate them, but we are trying to figure out how to be cool.

Bose:Completely, yes. So you found your own way, and as a result, Tokyo fashion became popular overseas, right? Pharrell spread it to the world, and I think NIGO®︎ and Shin-chan (SKATE THING) did the same thing. . I think Schadaraparr is doing music in the same way.