OWN INTERVIEW CONTENTS Vol.16 SILENT KILLA JOINT
OWN (hereinafter, O ): First, please give us a brief self-introduction!
SILENT KILLA JOINT (hereafter S): I'm a rapper who goes by the name SILENT KILLA JOINT . I was born in 1994 , so I'm 28 this year. Other rappers my age include MU-TON and WELL-DONE .
Which came first, rap or YouTube ?
S YouTube came much earlier. I started using YouTube around 2011-12 , so that was about 10 years ago. The word YouTuber didn't even exist yet.
By the way, is it okay if I ask you about YouTube ?
S : It's totally fine! As for YouTube , I'm doing it as a prank or something, more like a hobby. Lately I've been posting a lot of stuff about my family. I don't really think of myself as a YouTuber anymore.
O What was the reason you started YouTube ?
S: At the local junior high school I went to, it was popular to secretly film someone and upload it to YouTube as a prank (laughs). That's how I got into the habit of using YouTube . At the time, uploading fake fight videos was popular on YouTube , and when our team uploaded one, it caused quite a buzz. It had 8,000 views at the time, so I guess it got a lot of views. Then, in the comments section of the video, someone wrote something like, "The picture quality is crap." That really pissed me off. Around the same time, there was someone who was uploading videos with similar content, but with great picture quality, so I asked them in the comments how they filmed them. They said, "I film them with a digital camera." So I immediately got a digital camera too.
By the way, do you feel like you're on YouTube right now?
I don't have an S anymore. There was one when I was doing it. But I still like YouTube , so I plan to continue using it.
O What do you like about YouTube ?
S: I think it's entertainment after all, and it's fun to make videos while thinking about the viewers' reactions. But I think it's important to have fun, so I don't think it's right to push yourself so hard that you can't enjoy it anymore.
O I see. When did you start your musical career from there?
S : I started making music when I was 18 or 19 , at the same time as using YouTube .
OH ...
S: I'm one of the few people my age who likes music. I wasn't really digging into it back then. It's not like I was from that generation, but I listened to Eikichi Yazawa and Yutaka Ozaki because of my brother-in-law. My dad liked Led Zeppelin , so he'd let me listen to their music. Of course, I listened to the latest stuff, but I felt a bit embarrassed about it.
O Why did you choose to become a rapper when starting out in music?
S : My local Yankee senior's ringtone (cell phone ringtone) was King Ghidorah's "Public Execution." I was a Yankee at the time, and I thought Jib's voice was so cool! (laughs). From there, I listened to " STREET DREAMS ," then Rai, Rhymester, and BUDDHA BRAND . I was particularly blown away by BUDDHA BRAND 's sound and flow, and I was blown away. So I immediately decided to try rapping myself.
Unlike expensive instruments, you can start rapping right away.
S: That's right. There was a time when the current SUSHIBOYS were on YouTube , and I was friends with them back then. One of them was the same age as me, so he taught me about the equipment and I got it all together. There are no studios in my hometown of Awaji Island, so I started by setting up a home recording environment. Of course, I couldn't afford good microphones or anything like that.
OHow did it feel when you actually started rapping?
S: It's just a feeling, but I felt it was easier to express my emotions on SNS than on YouTube . It's a more creative activity, you could say. Also, it's something I simply love, so it was fun.
How did your career progress from there?
S : The first one was Himeji Cipher. They used equipment like the SP-404 , and the level of that Cipher was really high. I started going there and people started inviting me to parties with live shows.
O Onion, were there any scenes in your hometown of Awaji Island?
There are some Ss , but there were times when I felt that it was a little different from what I had in mind. Naturally, there was a seniority system, so it was difficult to work freely. Of course, I like the hood, but because of the neighbors' relations, I can't make much noise, and not many people come.
OIf that's the case, does that mean most of your activities are in Osaka?
It was S , I naturally ended up going to Osaka a lot. At the time, I commuted to Osaka by express bus and train, which took about two hours. The older generation in Osaka were really passionate and kind. I learned the basics of B-Boying at a party hosted by MADJAG , the manager of TRIANGLE in Amemura.
You've also released a lot of O works.
I've released five or six singles and two albums. My next album is almost ready, so I'm working on releasing it before the end of the year. I'm also working on a lot of other things. I was arrested in 2016 , but got out on bail. But I knew I was going to prison, so I wanted to hurry up and leave something behind. So, in about 20 days, I made a CD-R with nine songs and sold them for 2,000 yen each, and they sold like hotcakes. I thought, "I can make a living with this!" That was the trigger, and I've been writing songs every day since my release.
Are there any rappers or artists of the same age that you are close to?
S: Myself and KAKKY are in a crew called SQUAD WORDS , and KAKKY 's house is only a two- minute bike ride away, so we get along well. MU-TON is also the same age as me, and rkemishi is close to me too, so we get along well. I hadn't heard of MU-TON until I got out of prison, but he won the UMB and the beatmakers he used on his albums were all amazing, so I was intrigued by him.
I heard you've been writing songs every day since you were released from prison, but where does that vitality come from?
S: It's simply because I love rapping. It's similar to how a book lover reads a book every day. I also think that if you don't do it, you get rusty. I think it's the same with any job, but if you simply don't do it, you forget. Also, while I was in prison, I couldn't even sing properly, let alone rap, so I felt like I had a blank period. But prison allowed me to face myself, and I feel like I developed a core that connects me to where I am today. Right now I'm making a living doing rap, which is what I want to do, but I don't want to gradually end up doing things I don't want to do, so I'm trying other things too. I've even tried making beats. I feel like relying solely on rap is wrong.
The Onion-kun live show I saw the other day in Shinjuku was amazing. He was way more impressive than other young artists.
Thank you S ! When it comes to live performances, I personally think it's not good to play a recording and just sing over it. There are a lot of people who say that these days, though. I'm the type of person who wants to really listen to the vocals of my favorite artists. Some US rappers play recordings during their live performances, but I wonder what's going on.
OH ...
S Actually, I haven't been taking part in many battles recently. I'd like to take part in the Infukai Kumiai battle event if the timing is right. I'm invited to perform live all over the country on the weekends, and I don't have enough time because I'm making songs with various beatmakers. Right now, there are a lot of things I want to do with music. Like the beat making I mentioned earlier, but I also really enjoy playing instruments.
OYou play instruments too!
I'm currently practicing S- synth and guitar. It's fun, and I feel like I can use it in my beat making. Recently, I've been getting together with Arμ-2 and KAKKY to make songs. Making music is really fun.
When I interviewed O MU-TON and rkemishi, they were talking about things like "Shall we go into the studio after this?" and I thought they really love music.
S : That's true. It's great to have something you love, and it feels like you're continuing to do it because you love it. I'm grateful to everyone in the Infukai Association for their help and they're always thinking about rappers, so I'd like to be able to repay them. Also, regarding the Sengoku MC Battle, I made it to the finals in Chapter 22 , but they haven't invited me back since then. Is it because my matches aren't interesting (laughs)?
I haven't been invited. I wonder why (laughs).
S: I don't really put people down in battles. Of course, I do use what's known as "battle rhymes. " If someone says, "I'm going to point a gun at your temple," I'll say, "Dodge it and stand behind you, so keep your head up." But I don't think it's a good style to expose your opponent's secrets on stage. The last time I fought CIMA , we had a really intense back-and-forth. The match itself was really exciting, and everyone told me it was amazing! But I really like CIMA , so... I thought it was bad for my heart to say mean things when I don't dislike him. I felt a sense of discomfort at the battle scene. I find live shows and DJ parties more enjoyable and more suited to me now.
As a rapper, it feels like you're now at a point where you're focusing on recordings and live performances rather than battling.
S : That's right. I want to improve the quality even more. That doesn't just apply to recordings and live performances, but I also want to put more effort into the way I release my music. As for collaborations, I'd like to make music with friends or people who I think will become friends in the future.
O I feel like that way you can create something more positive.
It's S , isn't it? So I've set up an environment at home so that I can record whenever I want. I can come over to hang out, go record shopping, sample and make beats, rap and record, and so on. I want to be quite creative. For the past two years or so, I've been recording in various studios, but since I used to work alone, I feel better working at home. Also, when it comes to production, if we're going to make a song together, I want to get together and make it. I think it will be better because we can say what we want to say to each other. I believe music should be dramatic.
O I see! Now, regarding the glasses, I have the image of Onion-kun as someone who has always worn glasses.
I like S glasses. I have poor eyesight, so I wear them a lot, and I have a few pairs so I switch between them.
As for O OWN , they chose #08 Clear Brown and used it.
S: Didn't newspaper reporters in the old days wear hunting caps with glasses designed like this? I really like that image. Call it retro, or maybe classic. OWN 's #08 was perfect for that image. Also, I've mostly worn black glasses up until now, so I thought these brown ones were really pretty and good. They fit perfectly, stay in place even when I move my head, and don't hurt the backs of my ears.
It might be usable for O Live too.
My friends around me also say they look good on me, so I've got a good reputation. I was wearing these OWN glasses when I appeared on "Machiroku Channel " the other day, and I got a DM asking, "Where are those glasses from?" I sent them a link to the OWN store (laughs).
O That's the best! Thank you (lol)!
SNo flattery required, it's my favorite item.
Finally , if you have any information, please let us know!
I'll be releasing my third album around autumn ! In fact, the title has already been decided. It's planned to be called "Silent Asama Maki," which is the Japanese translation of SILENT KILLA JOINT (laughs). I'm also working on my second album with dhrma , and I'm planning to release an EP with a beatmaker called Gemini ( GeminisAzul ). I'm also planning to release an album under the name SQUAD WORDS , which is my crew with KAKKY , with all the tracks produced by Arμ-2 .
OThere are a lot of things going on at the same time!
S : That's right! I hope you'll look forward to it. Oh, and I'm also working on a project with MU-TON , but we stopped it six months ago and haven't made any progress, so I'm not sure what will happen (laughs).
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