THE HOPE 2023, one of the largest hip-hop festivals in Japan, was held in Odaiba on Saturday, September 23, with more than 50 artists performing. 30,000 headliners from all over Japan gathered in one place, and the excitement of the audience was overwhelming. The artists seemed to be enjoying the one-day festival while drinking Hennessy, which has a close relationship with hip-hop.
The turnout tripled. The day was filled with hip-hop alone.
THE HOPE" is a hip-hop festival that started out of a desire to provide a place for the next generation of artists, the "hope" of hip-hop in Japan, to be in the spotlight. Last year, the first edition of the festival was a great success, drawing approximately 10,000 people.
This year's highly anticipated "THE HOPE" was held on a larger scale than last year, at a special venue in Odaiba. The number of hip-hop fans was much larger than last year's event, with 30,000 people filling the venue. The majority of them were in their early 20s, the Generation Z generation . The variety of fashion styles seen at the event showed the broadening base of the hip-hop movement.
Performing were more than 50 artists from across the generations, ranging from the big names who have had a profound impact on the scene, such as Zeebra, Hannya, and AK-69, to up-and-coming artists who are breaking new ground, such as ¥ellow Bucks and Chan-Minna. The featured songs included surprise appearances by uncredited artists, and the stage continued to be a stage not to be missed.
Speaking of festivals, food is an essential part of the fun, and THE HOPE, as usual, had a full food area. Visitors enjoyed the food and drink establishments associated with hip-hop to the fullest.
Among the booths, the one featuring the hip-hop legend NAS stands out. This is the booth of Hennessy, the world's most beloved cognac brand. Hennessy is the favorite cognac of hip-hop artists from all over the world, including the U.S. Hennessy is so popular that its name appears in over 2,500 songs.
Hennessy, which is closely associated with hip-hop, has collaborated for the first time with longtime partner NAS to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop. Hennessy V.S. Limited Edition HIP HOP 50 by NAS" was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop.
Furthermore, to commemorate the release of the limited-edition hip-hop design bottle, the company also sponsored THE HOPE, one of the largest hip-hop festivals in Japan.
Visitors enjoyed Hennessy V.S. and original cocktails at a special Hennessy booth at the event, which seemed to add to the excitement of the event.
Mr. Awich made a surprise appearance on the stage of Lick Tatu Ma. His stunning singing voice filled the venue.
Even after the sun went down, the excitement in the venue never cooled down and the heat continued to heat up. The illuminated stage created a different mood from that of the daytime, and toward the end of the show, the audience was united in their excitement.
Backstage, where the mellow aroma of Hennessy was in the air, we interviewed three rappers who had just finished their live performances about their impressions of "THE HOPE" and Hennessy.
Interview 1 ANARCHY
-They were in "THE HOPE" last year as well, but this year's turnout is more than three times as large.
ANARCHY. it's more fun than last year and I think next year will be even more fun. . the name "THE HOPE" is good, isn't it? The guys who are performing today and the guests who came to play are all hopeful.
-C.O.S.A., and the live show was a great success with a new song featuring C.O.S.A. .
ANARCHY: I thought a track by a beatmaker from New York would be a good fit for C.O.S.A., so we worked together on it. We will be releasing an EP with that track soon , so please look forward to it.
-What is the point of today's stage costume?
ANARCHY. Today I'm wearing " PALACE SKATEBOARDS " all over. . I go shopping and choose the clothes I want to wear at the concert according to my mood.
-You performed at many festivals this year, were there any that left a lasting impression on you?
ANARCHY. It was interesting to see that we performed at many festivals that featured genres other than hip-hop, such as Mighty Crown's "FAR EAST REGGAE CRUISE" and 10-FEET's "Kyoto Daisakusen".
-. is NAS special to you?
ANARCHY: NAS is my favorite rapper. I saw NAS live at Madison Square Garden in New York City this past February. It was really badass.
-What kind of image do you have of Hennessy?
ANARCHY. it's a drink that is strongly connected to hip-hop. I have it backstage at clubs and in VIP rooms, and I drink it really often. Sometimes I mix it with alcohol, but I always drink it straight.
Interview 2 Monyhorse
-How do you feel now that you have finished the live performance?
MonyHorse.. it was my first time to perform live in front of 30,000 people. It was a truly amazing sight. I could feel firsthand that hip-hop was getting bigger. I was very impressed.
-Unlike the others, 30,000 people at a hip-hop-only festival. It's really amazing, isn't it?
MonyHorse.. There are not many festivals where only hip-hop lovers get together, so I think the feeling of getting excited together and confirming each other's work will lead to further expansion of the culture.
-. today I took the stage wearing a collaboration between "Supreme" and "COOGI".
MonyHorse.I wore the "Supreme" and "Koozy" tank top set-up to a live performance in the summer, and the knit felt great against my skin. That's why I'm wearing a "koozie" jacket again today. . Finally, the day came when I could wear this jacket.
-Do you coordinate your everyday clothes differently from your stage costumes?
MonyHorse.. usually I wear only rough clothes, like T-shirts and shorts. . For live performances, I choose from the clothes I haven't worn yet.
-How about "Hennessy V.S Limited Edition HIP HOP 50 by NAS"?
MonyHorse.. I love to drink and I love rappers. I grew up being taught that hip-hop is all about "Hennessy," so I'm happy about this collaboration.
-What is your favorite time to drink Hennessy?
MonyHorse.. I drink before a live concert. . I drink a good drink to get me in the mood for the show, and then I drink Hennessy again when the show is over. And after the show, I drink Hennessy again.
-What would be the best way to drink Hennessy with the chicken burgers at MONICHIKI HOUSE?
MonyHorse.. a Hennessy mixed with a Coke. The salty taste of the chicken burger goes well with the sweetness of Hennessy Coke.
Interview 3 BADHOP
-How do you feel about the last tour "THE LAST SUMMER" after announcing the breakup of the band?
T-pablowI am sure that each of us will go out to perform solo in various places in the future, but this will be the last time we will be able to travel around together.
-On stage today, they announced that they will hold a breakup live concert at Tokyo Dome in February.
T-pablowI wanted to do it in a place where no Japanese hip-hop artist had done it before.
YZERR. it's reckless (laughs).
-How do you decide on your styling when you are on stage?
T-pablow: On big stages or days when we want to compete, we all have a theme together. Today it's black.
-I understand that you often drink Hennessy.
Vingo: I've been drinking it for a long time now . We all love it. I drink it with cranberries and tea , or straight up.
Benjazzy.. because it's easy to drink straight (laughs).
T-pablowWe like Hennessy so much that we used it as a motif for our tattoos and designed our album jacket with Hennessy's image in mind.
YZERRThere's probably not an album that doesn't have "Hennessy" in the lyrics, and once I even banned the use of "Hennessy" and "Henny" in the lyrics (laughs).
Vingo. like a mother, father, and Hennessy all in a row (laughs).
-Hennessy has collaborated with NAS to release a limited edition bottle design.
T-pablow: It's a masterpiece from the first album, really cool. as a b-boy, NAS is the ideal. He keeps on playing music and has a successful business . I have always admired him.
YZERR. when I first started rapping, I even produced a song using the instrumental from NAS's "Hiphop Is Dead". That's how much I like NAS.
Benjazzy's tattoo is a sampling of the Hennessy symbol. Originally, he was holding an axe in his hand, but he changed it to an Uchide-no-Kozuchi.
From the opening to the end of the show, "THE HOPE" was enjoyed by both visitors and performers alike. Hip-hop has matured as a culture in Japan, and will continue to spread.
And I realized that Hennessy is truly loved by artists. Good music and quality drinks are indispensable for an enjoyable atmosphere. Hip-hop and Hennessy go great together.
Photo_Kai Naito
Text_Shogo Komatsu
Edit_Amane Yasuda
