OWN INTERVIEW CONTENTS Vol.22 MEGA-G (HIPHOP MC / JUICY BURGER Manager)
OWN (hereinafter, O): The last time I interviewed MEGA was when JUSWANNA released "BLACK BOX"...
MEGA-G (hereinafter M): 14 years ago! That's crazy (lol)!
O That's amazing (laughs). Thank you again!
MThank you very much!
First , please tell us about MEGA's profile.
I rap under the name M MEGA-G. I'm from Ota Ward, Tokyo, and this year marks about 25 years since I started rapping. When I first started rapping, I used to hang out at clubs in Shibuya, and that's how I made a lot of connections.
In your early days, you were part of the UBG (URBARIAN GYM, formed around 1997 by ZEBBRA) crew.
M : That's right. Through UBG, I worked with ZEBBRA's younger brother SPHERE and others, and then when I was thinking about slowly starting my own solo career, I ended up participating in a production by Libra Records through DJ DOMMON, and from there I started releasing my own work. While I was with Libra, I started my own independent label called BOOTBANG ENTERTAINMENT. After that, I released a solo album through crowdfunding. Then, in 2019, I released my first solo album, "Re:BOOT," entirely funded by myself.
You 've been in the business for 25 years, so there's been a lot going on.
M : That's right. Then, just as I was releasing "Re:BOOT," I broke my leg and was hospitalized for a long time, which really depressed me. I couldn't even work, so I was pretty depressed. At that time, Musso, who was the manager of MSC, asked me if I wanted to open a restaurant together again.
The timing is perfect. You previously ran a restaurant together, right?
M : Yes. At first, I worked with Musso at a steakhouse in Gotanda. After that, Musso went independent and opened a restaurant called Steak House Double in Ikebukuro. That's when I left the food service industry. Around that time, I had a child, so I tried more serious jobs like transportation. But when I was doing that kind of work, I always remembered the good things about working in a restaurant.
OWhat does that mean?
M: In restaurants, you get a very direct reaction. If the food is simply delicious, you'll be thanked and told, "It was delicious." I can't get that kind of feeling of happiness in other jobs.
O I see. So you had fond memories of the restaurant.
M: That's right. It was a good timing, so I decided to take up the offer from Musso and try my best again in the restaurant business.
OD: Did you decide to open a hamburger restaurant instead of a steakhouse from the beginning?
MNo , at first it was supposed to be a sister store of STEAK HOUSE DOUBLE, but I personally wanted something that was easier to enjoy than steak. As I was thinking about that, I started to think that a hamburger that can be eaten with one hand would be great!
Even though it's a meat dish, it feels like it's easy to enjoy.
M: That's what I found appealing about it. Wouldn't it be great to get takeout and eat it outside while listening to music?
OI see, that's true.
M : Actually, there was another reason... It was a late-night show called "Girls Gourmet Burger Club" that was broadcast on TV Tokyo (laughs).
OIt seems like a very niche program (laughs).
M (laughs). It's a show about cute girls going out to eat hamburgers, and I got so hooked that I watched it every week. But the hamburger places that appear on those shows are American, but they're not the kind of places I like.
Oh , it's a hamburger place with a Western or oldies feel.
M: That's exactly right. There aren't any hamburger restaurants with the hip hop vibe that I like, so I thought, "So I'll do that!"
That 's how JUICY BURGER came about.
M : Yes. However, although the image was solidified, I had no experience of making a hamburger before, so I decided to just go for it.
Oh ! But you have a background in steakhouses, and you're pretty particular about your menu, right?
M : Of course. Of course, we also carefully consider the balance of the meat in the patty, and we try out many different types of buns. We also put a lot of thought into how the meat and vegetables are placed on top. For example, "Should the meat hit you first, or will it come later?" We continued to experiment with the pork and beef mix and spice blend with Musso right up until the day before we opened. We also asked MART, who works at Shinjuku Hormone, to act as a special advisor.
When you first opened, did you have a specific image of the hamburger you were aiming for?
M: I had some idea, but at first I just learned as I went along. I brushed up on my cooking by observing the reactions of my customers and friends when they tried it. I cut out unpopular menu items and changed the seasoning of popular items. It's a small thing, but I'm still experimenting, changing the way I cut vegetables.
This is a bit off topic, but MEGA, do you have any thoughts on "hip hop and hamburgers"?
M: I think this photo hanging in the store is spot on. It's a pretty famous photo, but it's from when Biggie (Notorious BIG) first signed with Puff Daddy. Notorious BIG and Craig Mack make up "BIG MACK," and the contract is inside the hamburger box. To me, Biggie is the root of my rap, so I was really struck by the combination of hip hop and hamburgers in this photo, and it inspired me.
This photo was quite impactful. By the way, what are hamburger restaurants like in America?
M I've only ever been to the east side, so I can't really say, but burger places in New York play hip hop and have the impression of being very community-based. There are a lot of burger stands, where you just pop in and eat on the street corner. I've always thought it would be great if there were places like this in Japan.
I guess the musical element was also important to you, O MEGA.
It's M. Good music based on hip hop. My premise was that the music I thought was cool would be played inside the store. Of course it's a hamburger shop, but it also has a bit of a record store feel to it. That's why I made a sign that says "NOW PLAYING" so that people know what music is playing inside the store. My ideal situation would be to be able to listen to cool music and have delicious hamburgers.
So , please tell us about the special features of JUICY BURGER.
M My second album is called "ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK FROM THE METs LIFE," and my favorite colors are the blue and orange of the NY METS, so I used those colors in the store. I also wanted to fuse all the cool NY vibes that I've seen. Recently, we've had more foreign customers, and an old lady from NY told me, "I never thought I'd see the Wu-Tang Clan logo in a Japanese store," and an elderly couple shaking their heads to Black Moon (the background music played in the store) told me, "It's awesome!" (laughs).
OThat 's a great episode (laughs).
MWe also put a lot of effort into the speakers, and the photos inside the store are sure to appeal to hip hop fans.
For those who haven't been to JUICY BURGER yet , we'd like you to tell us your top 3 recommended menu items!
M : Understood! I think third place is the "Bacon Egg Burger." It's a combination of patty, egg, and bacon, so even if you don't order a double patty, it's satisfying and highly recommended. This burger was featured in the magazine "POPEYE," and it attracted a ton of customers. At one point, it was so popular that it seemed like we were only making the bacon and egg burger (laughs).
O The power of "POPEYE" is amazing (laughs).
M The second place is the "Double Cheeseburger". I think this is the king of the hamburger world. I definitely recommend it to people who feel like a cheeseburger just isn't enough. Even women who want a hearty meal often order it.
Please give us first place!
M : Number one has to be the MEGA-G Burger, which has my name on it. It's a signature dish with two patties, a jalapeno underneath, and chili beans on top. I recommend this to both men and women who want a hearty meal.
Thank you very much. Just listening to your recommendations is making me hungry (lol).
My restaurant isn't trying to be one of the trendy gourmet burgers that emphasize "looking good," but rather I want it to be a place that's more like a place for the everyday person. I run my restaurant in my hometown of Ota Ward, and I try my best to keep the prices reasonable. Ultimately, I want to be a restaurant that's rooted in the hood, one that both young people and older people will come to.
OIs this area MEGA's hometown?
M: It's definitely my hometown. My classmates on their mamachari bikes come by like, "You're doing a great job!" (laughs). It's not one of the four major elements of hip hop, but I think "local area and friends" are really important to hip hop. The rapper SAW works as a carpenter, so he helped out with the interior, and the place is run thanks to the cooperation of many friends.
That 's wonderful! MEGA's view of hip hop is embodied in JUICY BURGER. Now, I'd like to ask you about your role as a rapper. When I produced the music video for rkemishi with my video production team kook film , BES and MEGA also appeared as feat.
M : That's right, thank you very much. Actually, I'm currently working on an album with BES. Or rather, we've formed a unit called "THE ART."
OAre you serious?
M HELTAH SKELTAH has an album called "DIRT," which means "Da Incredible Rap Team." Inspired by that, THE ART is "Amazing Rap Team."
So O MEGA was the one who came up with the idea?
M : That's right. His name was the first thing that came to mind, and I thought, "When it comes to people who rap amazingly, there's no one else but BES!" So I asked him and he agreed. BES also loves HELTAH SKELTAH (laughs).
This is a very exciting collaboration! What kind of album do you think it will be?
I think it's going to be a hardcore hip hop album. I'm going to do the kind of hip hop that only older guys can do, and that young people can't. I hope to be able to incorporate my own ideas of art into it.
O MEGA, what kind of image do you have of art?
M: I've been hearing a lot of straightforward rap lately, so I want to do something more artistic. Using metaphors and similes well, or expressing myself while thinking of a certain person. I want to cherish the kind of rap that I think and like.
Have you decided on the truck manufacturer?
The main artists are M SCRATCH NICE, MASS-HOLE, NAGMATIC, and we're still in the process of discussing it, but we're also planning to have DJ HONDA.
I have a feeling this is going to be a pretty hardcore hip hop album.
M : That's right. In rap, BES is my partner and opponent, so I don't want to lose, so I'm thinking about reaching the highest level of skill.
Do you have a release date?
We plan to release it within the year, so please look forward to it!
O : If you have any information about JUICY BURGER, please let me know.
We're also working on a variety of new menu items for the summer. We've started serving shakes, and MULBE, who previously worked for us as a staff member, has returned to Hiroshima and will be sending us lemons, so we're also selling lemon squash. We're also constantly coming up with new burger menu items. We're thinking about hamburgers using seasonal vegetables, so please look forward to that as well.
Apart from your unit with O BES, is there any information on your solo activities?
M: It's been exactly 20 years since I participated in a SPHERE album. It also happens to be the 50th anniversary of hip hop's birth, with my birthday being August 11th. It's a milestone, so I'd like to release something that shows that there are people in Japan who love hip hop, too!
[INFO]
JUICY BURGER
〒144-0043
Nikko Palace Haneda, 1-4-5 Haneda, Ota-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-5735-4655
Twitter @JUICYBURGER2020
Twitter @Boot_Bang_Ent
instagram @juicy_burger_2020
