>> EyeQ: I want to start off
by saying hello, and thank you.
Please give it up for
your guests, Shingo.
[ Applause ]
There you go, sir.
Substantial, please
come to the stage.
[ Applause ]
And last, but not
least, Marcus D.
[ Applause ]
Oh! Knocking over everybody's
water, and I missed you.
[Inaudible] because
I missed you.
Here you go.
Alright! So we have come to
talk about the intersection
of African American
and Asian culture.
Is that cool with y'all?
You know, so I'll be moderating.
My name is EyeQ,
and we just came
to talk a little hip
hop with you guys.
So questions are appreciated.
We don't have an itinerary
because we really wanted you
guys to be able to interact,
and talk about the things
that you guys wanted
to talk about today.
Is that cool?
Is that cool with y'all?
>> Yes.
>> EyeQ: Fight!
So please, take a seat.
So I guess we can start
either with questions
or with what you guys kind
of would like to talk about.
Oh, you got a microphone, right?
>> Substantial: Well,
peace, everybody.
As the brother mentioned,
my name's Substantial.
I think like a lot of us,
I grew up obviously, well,
obviously I grew up in the
black community by default,
and growing up, I
remember you know,
obviously there were
certain experiences unique
to my community.
But one thing I always
remember was just, you know,
different influences from
a wide variety of places,
but absolutely, Asian culture.
In particular Chinese and
Japanese probably the most.
You know, whether it
was via television
or you know I was
someone who participated
in martial arts as well.
But just kind of constantly
seeing those connections
early on.
The thing that intrigued me as
I got older was when I started
to see similarities
in the culture.
Like from, you know,
basic things.
For example, I have a group
called Edo Bushido, and so a lot
of times when you
say Edo, people think
of the era in Japan, right?
But there's a city
in [inaudible] that's actually
called Edo in Western Africa,
and there's a lot of things
in that particular region
that shares connections
with the culture and stuff,
and I find that very
intriguing and stuff.
And it's interesting
that it was, you know,
a lot later in life, start to
see all of these connections
and how they've affected me
in one way or another, so.
>> EyeQ: Okay, so I don't
know who wants to talk next,
but one thing we can do, is
just for the people in the room
who might not know,
you know, you origins
or where you come
from, or who you are,
please introduce yourself to
people who might not know you.
>> Substantial: My
apologies, I'm sorry.
And I was kind of
one-sided just now.
Hi, folks, over here
in the middle.
So my name is Stan Robertson.
My stage name is Substantial.
I am a recording artist.
I'm a graphic artist as
well, and I got my start
in the music industry
working with a producer
by the name of [inaudible].
And that happened around 1999
was when he first contacted me,
and I signed a contract with
him and later recorded in Japan
for [inaudible] years.
Before his passing,
and [inaudible] thanks
to my connection
with that brother.
I spent a lot of time going
overseas, and I worked
with him [inaudible]
in Japan and abroad.
>> EyeQ: Okay, next?
Shingo?
>> Shingo: Okay,
hello, everyone.
My name is Shing02,
is my stage name.
My real name is Shingo Annen.
Annen is actually
a Japanese surname
of the Shingon Buddhist sect.
"An" means peace, and
"nen" is for pray.
And I can actually trace that
family name back like 800 years
when one of the samurai
class that worked
with the Wada clan
in the Kamakura era.
They lost a battle and then
they became a Buddhist monk.
And then they went
Toyama prefecture.
And on my mom's side,
too, I can get into that,
but it will take
too long for now.
But they're both from
the, one way or another,
from the samurai class, and
they all fled and survived.
Therefore, I'm here.
I'm glad that they didn't
die an honorable death,
[laughter] otherwise, you know.
But it's true.
History is made by
survivors, you know?
One way or another.
If you run, you survive.
Yeah, so to introduce
myself quickly.
I was born in Japan,
Tokyo, to my parents
who are both from Tokyo.
But my grandparents from
everywhere because of
that history, actually.
Mother's side is from Kagoshima,
all the way to the south,
and Yaku Island, in
particular is my grandfather.
And my father worked
in a trade business,
so I grew up in Tanzania
from age three to six,
so I was in East
Africa for a while.
And that's where
my memory begins,
my exposure to just the
world as I understood.
And I pretty much grew
up in the wild there.
But in terms of race, in
terms of this context,
I definitely had a
unique experience
of having Asian privilege
sort of over there.
Because I lived on the
privileged side of the fence
where on the other side of
the street, you just saw--
this is still the 1970s,
mind you, so I can't speak
for how it is right now.
But you know, you
literally saw people in huts.
And that really quite
shocked me.
Those were like my
formative memories.
You know what I mean?
And I also remember having
a trip down in South Africa,
and people called us
"honorary whites," and even
as a little kid, that kind
of shocked me, you know?
And that stuff still existed
when I was growing up.
And from there, I was
taken, plucked away,
and our family moved to London.
I spent three years
there, and I got exposed
to a lot of pop culture there.
And then I went back to Japan,
spent some years, then age 15,
I moved to Bay Area, you know?
And I went to high school there,
then I went to UC Berkeley,
and fall of '93, I moved
up there for college,
and that's where I met authentic
hip hop artists, you know?
In my high school years,
I was just a listener.
I just listened to
hip hop on the radio,
and I never really dreamed
about participating
except for my love for art.
It was always there
since I was a little kid.
So when I moved up to Berkeley,
I just immediately started
providing art to all of my idols
that I'd listened to in high
school, like [inaudible]
and Hieroglyphics, and I--
they befriended me because I
could speak and read Japanese.
Like I could translate video
game instructions [laughter]
and I was of some use to them.
But I was so psyched just to be
part of that culture, you know?
I was just so excited
to just finish school,
go out on Telegraph Avenue
and everyone was
doing something there.
You know whether it was
selling albums or making flyers
or so I just got sucked
into that culture,
and here I am, 25 years later.
Yeah.
[ Applause ]
>> EyeQ: So Marcus,
please introduce yourself,
and tell them a little
bit about your journey.
>> Marcus: My name
is Marcus Marino.
I go by the stage name Marcus
D. I'm originally from Seattle,
Washington, West Coast.
I currently live
in Tokyo, Japan.
And I'm a composer and producer.
And I actually, kind of
the same way as Shingo,
I started out with my career
of just being a fan of music.
In the very beginning,
I was a huge fan
of the Final Fantasy series and
the composer, Nobuo Uematsu.
And I kind of, I guess
started my love for music.
So from there, it kind of grew.
When I was in high
school, I played piano,
and I was introduced to Nujabes'
music by a friend of mine
when I became a fan of
Shingo's and Substantial's.
And I you know the same
way kind of went to one
of Substantial's shows
and befriended him,
and became close
to, you know, him.
And worked on music together.
We've been working on music
for about ten, 11 years now?
So in the beginning, I
was just a fan, you know.
But with enough drive and
determination, you can turn
that into pretty much anything
if you put your mind to it.
So I was sort of my
story, growing up
and being involved with music.
And you know, I really wanted
to be involved with it.
And you know, continued
to put myself out there,
and just made myself
present and aware of things
that were going on, and just
continued to sharpen my craft.
And you know send it out to
people, and things like that.
They've been gracious enough to
let me be a part of that circle,
even though I never
officially worked with Nujabes.
I worked with his label,
Hyde Out a number of times,
and everybody around him.
And it's just a great group
of guys that, you know,
are really down to earth and
obviously extremely gracious.
So I'm lucky to be here,
and I'm happy that I get
to share the stage with them.
Thank you for listening.
[Applause]
>> EyeQ: Okay, that's awesome!
So before we begin like
talking, questions,
and things of that nature, I
got some things I want to know.
So for me, right?
Everybody has two
moments, right?
When you start making hip hop,
it was that moment that you fell
in love with it, right?
And it's that moment
that you said like, "Hey,
I'm going to actually
try my hand in, you know,
start exploring the
art form, itself."
If it's one thing through just,
you know, knowing you guys,
I've noticed that
artistic expression is
within almost everything
that you guys do, right?
So I'm super curious,
like I got to learn more
about your obsession with
art, which is awesome!
When did you decide,
and like when was
that moment that you said-- .
What was, was there a song?
Was there a moment in hip hop?
Was there something that pulled
you in to where you said,
"I'm ready to do this
and give it a shot"?
So whoever wants to start.
>> Marcus: I guess since
I was just talking,
I'll just go with the flow.
But actually, for me, in the
beginning with music in general,
it was The Final
Fantasy's prelude,
just the [hums] a
real simple scale.
But I went downstairs and
played that on the piano.
I was really inspired by it.
I was actually very
young at the time.
But from that point on, I
kind of got involved more
and more just with music
in general, and then,
when I was in high school, there
were people in my neighborhood
and at school that were
rapping and freestyling,
and they needed beats, you know.
So at that point, I
didn't really think
that I had the gift of rapping.
My rhythm's pretty decent, but
it's nowhere near rap-worthy.
So I decided to,
you know, make beats
and make the music behind it
because I was always interested
in how it was produced, and
the way it was produced,
and the history behind it.
>> EyeQ: Well, you play the
piano pretty darn well, so.
Don't, don't be shy about that.
>> Marcus: I mean, I played
the piano for a long time,
but hip hop was where I actually
felt like my heart was in it,
and my soul was in it, as far
as being able to express myself.
At the piano, I was constantly
playing classical music
and a lot of things that
I didn't necessarily love.
But with hip hop,
I was actually able
to create my own
sound, you know?
Like with the piano,
you're playing other
people's pieces unless you're
composing yourself.
And I enjoyed playing
pieces from video games
that I liked, you know.
And I've always been enthralled
with Japanese culture,
but for me it was hip hop
that really touched my soul.
And the combination of
Japanese culture with Nujabes,
where it was something that was
very easy for me to relate to,
because I'd been listening
to Japanese composers
my whole life.
So the, the way that it
kind of mixed together
with Japanese culture, and
you know hip hop culture,
it was like the perfect storm of
just me being, falling in love
with music, I mean hip hop
again, in a different way
where it felt like I was,
this was something
that I needed to do.
But I really wanted to do.
So that's kind of how
I've gotten involved
with that, you know.
>> Substantial: For me, I
would say I fell in love with,
it wasn't just like rhyming,
you know all the elements.
I'm a visual artist, so
I started doing graffiti
like really, really young.
I grew up in PG County,
not too far from it,
and I was living off of
Sheriff Road in Landover.
And I was just always
a little different.
So like I saw, I saw
dudes in movies and on TV
because I wasn't seeing
it in my neighborhood.
You know, down here,
we got go-go.
So like it wasn't common for me
to walk outside and see someone
with like cardboard on a
pavement, actually breakdancing.
But I was a kid, and because
I was a kid, you know,
there's a fearlessness that
children have where it's like,
"Well, I saw them do it on TV,
so why can't I do it over here?"
So I'd go get, break down
a bunch of cardboards,
lay it out right in front of my
[inaudible] around Palmer Park.
And well, near Palmer Park.
I was at Eden Square.
And, and man, I would
just breakdance
in front of the building.
And then I'd take
that same cardboard,
and I was doing graffiti on it.
I had a thing for wrestling.
Shout out to my man,
[inaudible].
When I was younger, and I would
do graffiti like on these boxes,
and turn them into like
little fake wrestling belts,
and all of that, you know?
[Laughter] I was wild, man.
And so if it wasn't that, you
know, then of course DJing.
Like I was just always going
through my family's records.
You know, my mom's tapes.
You know, and then I
started getting my own.
I didn't have money, so
I'm going to just say,
"I was getting my own."
[Laughter] But yeah man,
I just loved every,
everything about it.
I know, and like, and
when I heard rappers,
they sounded like people I knew.
And so I felt like, I felt
like people I knew had a voice.
And so it was probably, if
I'm being completely honest,
I would say like out of all
other things in hip hop culture,
maybe rap was the first
thing that I was not,
it wasn't the first thing
I really fell in love with.
It was everything else.
And then when I really
started listening to rappers,
and being able to relate that
to different things I saw
in my community,
and people I knew,
instantly like my
heart was full.
You know what I mean?
I just knew it was for me.
Which was tough being from
here, too, because it's all
about go-go here,
first and foremost.
So yes, so the homies
definitely, they were like,
"Man, you love hip
hop a bit too much."
They're like, "It's cool,
but it's not go-go."
I'm like, "Yeah, but," you know?
And so, so it was that.
In terms of when that
moment struck for me?
When I knew I could do it?
It was all, it was always
about the homies, right?
Like if, I mean, rapping
is kind of like a,
it's a rite of passage, right?
In terms of like, like you know,
it's almost like being knighted.
So at one point in high
school, my voice changed.
Like I didn't always
have this voice.
I was real light,
[inaudible] like this is-- .
You know, it's a different time.
So when my voice changed,
the homies started,
like we would be
at the lunch table.
They're beating on the table,
whatever, making beats.
And we're rapping
our favorite songs.
It's like we're battling,
but we're battling
with our favorite songs.
So you're quoting
a song you love.
I come back with a song I love.
And at one point, one
of my homies said to me,
and this is the moment that I
was like, "Okay, I can do this."
One of my friends was like,
"Man, you sound better than some
of the rappers saying
they stuff."
I was like, "What?
What?" Like I almost cried.
You know, like for real?
Like because these, they
weren't just men to me.
They weren't just, like
they were gods to me.
Like you know, when I was a
kid, like certain things that I,
I mean, certain things that
I still apply in adulthood,
I very much learned
through hip hop, right?
Like when people talk about
all the negative things
that hip hop, they perceive
it to be, I don't see that.
Like everything I feel like
that, that people look at me
and say I'm a good brother.
Like I learned through
watching hip hop artists.
I did, my father
wasn't there, right?
So like I learned
about fatherhood
from like different
artist I knew were fathers.
Rakim used to have his son
dancing in the videos with him.
You know what I mean?
And a long list of artists
that I can think of who, like,
always kind of found a way to
involve their children or rapped
about their children
and different things,
and different concerns they had
with their people
in their community.
So I mean, that's and hip
hop has always been political
in a sense, always
been about activism,
always been about
creating peace.
>> EyeQ: Can I mention
something?
Crazy enough-- when I was-- .
>> Substantial: The core
of it, I should say.
I know like people
who don't really,
who really don't know the
culture, like in terms
of what birthed hip hop, they
don't understand that sometimes.
They just see what the
media like gives them,
but the hip hop I know
and what I grew up with,
and I'm not just
talking about rap music,
because hip hop's
more than rap music.
It's, it's literally
like, it's like the love
of it inspired gang members
to create peace treaties
in their own neighborhood,
when police couldn't do that.
When the local government
couldn't do that,
so it's a powerful vehicle that
I'm blessed to be a part of now.
I'm sorry.
>> EyeQ: No, you're good.
When I was, when I was
three years old, right?
When you talk about
political and music,
do you remember a song
called Self-Destruction?
>> Substantial: Oh, absolutely!
>> EyeQ: Like that song kind
of made me look at a message,
you know, in music and say
that, you know, I knew a lot
of gang members and things
of that nature, right?
When people started
actually sending messages
of not just positivity,
but to end gang violence
and to start looking
at each other in a way
where we were more respectful.
Ironically, we did, like
we did essays in class.
Because my teacher was a hip
hop head, so when you say that,
like in my head, right?
It took me back to third grade
where I'm thinking
about my teacher.
And she made us write our
feelings about this song,
which made me articulate it
in a way I never did,
before, you know?
So like I just had to.
>> Substantial: Yeah, and
I think it's important
to recognize that these
were young people like that,
that was leading
this charge, right?
Like that's an important part
of it to understand as well.
Like, you know, any time
people love to point the finger
at what's wrong with
today's society, you know,
which is always going
to happen, you know,
I always look to the parents.
I'm like, "Well, those
kids have parents, right?"
And so it's amazing to kind
of look at the generation
that birthed hip hop, and
the people that followed them
and kind of followed certain
ideologies and different things,
and pushed it forward.
To like what was going
on in their community
and in their homes, right?
That made them like--
I think of the quote,
"something out of
nothing," right?
Like they're taking money
out of music programs,
and so now people are
still trying to find a way
to create music, when they don't
have classical training, right?
And they don't have
the background.
And then you get hip hop, right?
But then there are
problems in the community
that the people responsible for
providing certain opportunities
to that community, and providing
resources to that community,
they're not being given that.
They're not being
given that opportunity,
that chance to actually lift
up their community
be going that route.
So then they find another way
to do it, through block parties,
through other community
activities,
and things that literally made
their community safer for like,
you know, when rival gangs and
other people couldn't even pass
through there if you
had the wrong color on.
So like these are all things
that hip hop is directly
responsible for.
And it was like for
me, that was huge
because the community I grew up
in, I grew up around violence.
Like I've literally seen people
shot in front of me before.
So like to hear this music,
hear people who were coming
from a place that was similar
to where I was coming from,
actually empowered
themselves, other people.
And really give us a voice,
and not give this one,
this one monolithic
look at our people.
Yeah, I will forever
love hip hop for that.
You know what I mean?
So.
>> EyeQ: Shingo?
>> Shingo: Yeah, I
definitely buy what Stan said.
Man, as far as my
personal connection, it's,
it's like while I was
listening to Substantial,
and a lot of things
raced through my mind.
It's very multifaceted,
and I can take it all
the way back, you know?
Like since I have this
opportunity, if you don't mind.
Because I grew up in Tanzania.
Okay, let me take
it back and forward.
I was just, okay, who
here likes stickers?
Be honest.
Everybody likes stickers, right?
I love stickers, and I
still do to this day.
I make stickers, believe
it or not, every day.
I cut them out, I
tag them, you know.
I scissor, I use scissors.
I treat scissors like
they're my markers.
Those are my lines.
And I give them away most of
the time, but I love stickers.
And because I'm so
into it, you know?
I make a lot of layerings
and different types of stuff,
and I love recycling things.
I just go to my friend's sticker
shop and take all the scraps.
And then I just keep them,
and I use them as my,
you know, my supplies.
So and then, anyway.
I make a lot of good stickers.
[Laughter] So I was talking
about this, why, like,
it was almost like we were
having a panel discussion
about why I like
stickers so much.
Like what was your
first love, you know?
When did you get into stickers?
And I was talking to my friend
about it, who I did a portrait
of him using sticker layering.
But anyway, we're talking
about it, and I was like,
"You know what/ like
it definitely started
when I was in Tanzania.
Because when I was growing up
in Africa, I was so isolated
from like printed matter.
I'd never seen like
colored print until I was
like age five or six, like ever.
So the first time I saw
like colored magazine,
like printed magazines,
it just blew me away.
And then when I saw
like sticker sheets,
that just like melted my brain.
[Laughter] You know,
like I could not believe
that you could even have glossy
prints, and then detach them
from a backing, and then you can
permanently put it somewhere.
That concept just blew me away.
And to me, hip hop is like that.
It's really the same thing.
You know, you take things,
and then you rearrange them.
You reorganize them,
decorate them in a way.
You collage a sound the
way you collage images.
Or graphics or tagging, and
that's always stayed with me.
That's why I got into art,
you know, when I was a kid.
And that was my way in.
When I was always
treated as an outsider.
When I was an Asian person
in London, my way in was art.
So I now recall, you know, I
drew a bunch of characters.
I drew a bunch of mazes,
and I passed them out,
and people just saw me, "Oh,
he's just an art kid, you know?"
I was, that was just
me, you know?
And that always stayed
with me, you know?
Even when I went back
to Japan for schooling.
Everybody saw me as like,
"He's like the foreign kid.
You know, he grew up, he
didn't grow up with us."
But my way in was to be artistic
and sometimes I put on plays
and sometimes I made
posters or, you know?
But I would just take it so
far that people would be like,
"Damn, he's really
into it," you know.
And I remember always
incorporating things that was
like sampling, you know.
I'd put on a play, and
then I'll play this song
that everybody knew that
referenced something else.
And then I'll just
trigger a memory, you know?
So that was like the
fun that I always had.
But throughout high school,
I was just a fan, you know?
And of course a lot of
songs piqued my interest.
But I was just a
kid in California.
Like hip hop obviously
came from New York,
and that whole rugged
culture I never really grew
up in it, you know.
So I never really understood
it until I moved to Berkeley,
and then I met all
these wonderful mentors
that taught me what hip hop
was, for the first time, really.
So I've literally been playing
catch-up since I was 18.
That's pretty late to be an
artist, in my eyes, you know?
But because I have this
little background in art,
and I had a knack for putting
things together, I've just been,
like I said earlier,
I've just been sucked--
I got sucked into it.
And I still feel the same
way since I was 18, you know?
I still feel like
a kid in a library.
I don't know everything.
I'm still in awe of all these
you know pioneers of hip hop
that created the culture.
And the music.
But also quickly,
before I forget,
but it's also something
unique to the Bay Area
that I was given the opportunity
to be somebody, you know?
As an Asian immigrant or Asian
American because I had a lot
of great role models, too.
You know we had DJ Qbert,
and his entire crew,
the best scratch DJs
or turntablists ever.
You know? Shortcut, Apollo.
All of those guys.
And all these DJ crews, right?
That we were literally
friends with.
There was one panel that I sat
in that really influenced
me that had Jeff Chang.
He's a great author.
He does like, yeah, he's knocked
out a lot of great books.
Just look him up: Jeff Chang.
And another guy was Oliver
Wang: he's a professor too now.
He's a great DJ.
He goes by O. Dub.
Another guy, his
name is Lyrics Born.
He's mixed European
and Japanese.
He was a part of
[inaudible] and Latyrx.
He's a great rapper.
He's a great actor now, too.
He's doing a lot
of great things.
So anyway.
I had a lot of great mentors.
So and of course, Hieroglyphics
and Living Legends,
and all the guys that came up
from you know the barrio culture
where their parents were in
the Civil Rights movement
and the Black Panthers.
For, for them it was
normal to be into activism.
It wasn't like a stretch, you
know, to talk about the ills
of society as much
as the fun parts.
You know, of being a
musician and an artist.
So I was just kind of thrown
into that whole scene, you know.
And I just kind of picked
it up as I went along.
Yeah. And just the whole
activism and the innovation
and using the turntable
and sampler,
and then eventually the
computer to do everything, DIY.
That's just kind of been
my motivation, for me,
and that has not changed.
>> EyeQ: Well, thank you, man.
Thank you so much!
So real quick, and I mean I had
a couple of other questions,
and we're going to get to those,
but I do want to give people
in the audience a chance
to interact with you guys.
So how do we do this fairly?
Oh, thank you!
So please, anybody who wants to
know a thing, thus far, right?
This would be your opportunity
to ask your question.
>> Audience Member: EyeQ, won't
you tell us your origin story?
>> EyeQ: I was trying
to get away from that,
to be honest with you.
But I got you.
>> Audience Member: EyeQ, will
you please answer the question
about your origins as well?
[ Laughter ]
>> EyeQ: Okay, guys, so hello.
I'm EyeQ, and I'm from
Brooklyn, New York.
[Laughter] I would say for me,
I'm, I'm a lot later to the game
than most, and hip hop, for
me, was derived over a love.
But I never thought
it was something
that I would do, right?
I would write poetry.
I grew up writing, so I write
short stories, I write poetry.
But hip hop was a thing
where I knew like every lyric
to every song to
every MC I liked,
and I listened to
music everywhere.
So for me, it just
started with a love
of music from my mom, right?
My mom would play
Anita Baker, you know?
And I think it's Anita Baker's
music that really started
to pull me into the
musicality of it all, right?
Because the people who play her
music, it was always so great.
And if you listen to
her voice, for example,
it's like an instrument,
you know?
So when I listened to her music,
I cared more about the melodies
and the way things kind of
brought across other people
that really-- I know this
might be a little cheesy,
but I love Will Smith,
for example.
Right? When I heard
Brand New Funk, right?
I liked hip hop, but when
I heard Brand New Funk,
it was over for me.
Like I knew that hip
hop would forever be my,
my medium, you know?
When I decided to start making
music was actually I think maybe
seven or eight years ago at an
event here in DC called MagFest.
And it was very important
because at that point,
I would write music, and I would
write rhymes and the whole nine,
but I just thought I sucked.
So a teacher of mine from high
school who was like a mom to me,
I found out at MagFest that she
was passing away from cancer.
And we talked about life
and a lot of things.
And the one thing that
she, she told me was just
in life, to follow my heart.
And so hip hop has
always been my heart.
And it's always been a thing,
it's been like a you know
something that I was ashamed
that I wanted to
be a rapper, right?
That I wanted to make rhymes
because I didn't think I was
good enough to participate.
And so after that, I promised
that I would do whatever it was
that struck my heart to do, but
hip hop has always been there.
I mean, I grew up not just
listening to dudes like Rakim.
I also, I also listened to
a lot of like, I don't know
if anybody's familiar with
any Korean hip hop, right?
I, I grew up, like
I mean I listened
to you guys throughout the years
because I listened to a lot
of Japanese hip hop, right?
But I also listened to
a lot of Korean hip hop.
Like wherever I was going in
the world, I was always looking
for their hip hop, right?
Because I was always
curious as to
like how they would
spin it, right?
And you know some people,
they, I love the way
that they would take
our culture, right?
And they would, they would
make it into their, right?
That was great because I
would, I would hear elements
of their lives and their
cultures in their music.
So that's kind of how it all
started for me was just wanting
to express myself and tell
my own stories or talk
about the things that I saw,
and when Miss Lay passes away,
it really made me reevaluate
my entire life, right?
Like I was a basketball
player, and I was all right.
I wasn't great, but I was good
enough to make most teams,
but music was always my heart,
and I put it behind
other things.
And so that's how I
started making hip hop,
is I just simply said that after
that, I went home from MagFest.
Miss Lay had passed away,
and I wrote my very
first song-song, right?
And it started off as a poem,
and I sat in the closet,
literally, and just
wrote and cried like,
like nobody's business.
And a friend of mine
named Richie Branson,
he released a bunch of
instrumentals, right?
Because I didn't
have a producer.
I didn't know how to
produce or any of that stuff.
And I was listening to
the music, and I had the,
the music in my head, right?
And that's kind of how
I made my first song.
The other thing was
I started writing.
Ironically, how Nujabes is very,
he's been around in
my life a lot, right?
It's taken me through
a lot of times,
but there was a dude
named Sule, right?
Sule actually at one point
in time, had something to do
with Hyde Out, and
he was a rapper.
He turned around and I heard his
music, and it was very similar
to the music that you guys make.
And so once I heard the music,
I was like look, I want this guy
to continue, you
know, making music.
We talked about life.
We hung out and played spades,
but he was not making
music anymore.
So past the poem that
I first wrote, right?
I kept bothering Sule every day.
I was like, "Yo, when you going
to make some more
music, because I want it?
When you going to
make some more music."
And he got tired of me saying,
and he was like, "You know what,
I'll make it when
you make it with me."
But I wanted him to make music
so much, I was like, "Yo,
I'll see you tomorrow."
[Laughter] That's how bad I
wanted to hear this music,
and it just, it kept
growing from there.
And he said, "You should
really consider it,"
and I just thought
he was being nice.
Ironically, in the
back of the room,
the very first--
where you at, K?
I know you in here somewhere
because I saw you walk in.
It was actually K,
an artist by the name
of [inaudible] K-Murdock,
you might as well stand up.
[ Applause ]
It was actually K and another
artist by the name of Mega Ran.
When I first made my demos,
I let them hear my music.
And they were like,
"Chris, you rat!"
And I was like, "No,"
but you know.
And so they actually also
encouraged me to try it.
And if all of these people
who I thought made
amazing music was like,
"You should give it a
shot," well, why not?
And you know X amount
of years later,
here I am, and here we are.
But it's funny because a
lot of my journey, you know,
started with a lot of the
people that I'm around now.
And in some way,
shape, form, or fashion,
pushed me in the direction
to where I, you know,
I never thought in a
million years I'd be working
with you guys or doing
anything pertaining like because
in my mind, you guys are, like
when you connect with something
in that way, it kind of
makes you look at people
like they ain't people
no more, you know?
And I met you, and it just,
it humanized you in a way.
And like I said, here we are.
So I hope that helps.
I know I was all over the place.
It's been a long, long journey.
[ Applause ]
>> Shingo: On that note though,
like I definitely want to put it
out there that when I was
still studying the game,
and all the peers
that I looked up to.
Like if you think about it now,
how young they were, you know?
Like even in the nineties,
and it's amazing how
innovative they were.
You know, I mean, to me, the
people who are just so high
in talent and execution,
it's just everything.
You know, like the
Hieroglyphics,
the Freestyle Fellowship.
Those guys are still up there
for me, just everything in terms
of delivery, performance, just
the lyrical content, the flow.
It's just so high up there
musically, like yeah.
Like better than, I mean, not
better than, but just as good
as any great jazz
record, you know?
Like it's perfection to me.
And to think about looking
back now 25 years ago,
they were still 18-, 19-,
20-year-olds, you know?
It's amazing like what type
of fertile ground they were
raised in like culturally.
You know, spiritually.
It's amazing.
Yeah.
>> Substantial: I
wanted to piggyback that.
I think of like J
Dilla is like one
of my all-time favorite
musicians, period.
And I've had the pleasure,
I've had the pleasure
of meeting his mother, and
talking to different people
in the biz, and one of
the things I think about,
when you were talking about it's
amazing what they were doing,
the perfect example, just to
kind of help you understand.
Because oftentimes,
these are people
who don't necessarily
always have
like the classical
background, right?
But they have the man,
like the drive, right?
And the dedication to, to
kind of figure something out
and push it in a direction that
maybe no one thought of before.
One of the craziest stories
I think about when I think
of Dilla, is there was a
track he was working on.
And this is before most
people knew who he was.
And he wanted, he felt like the
current tempo of the beat was,
it just wasn't working, and
it needed to be slowed down.
And so this dude, he
didn't have the equipment,
and he didn't have the
money to just go out
and buy something, right?
Because you've got some
producers making YouTube videos.
They like, "Hmm, I hear a bugle.
I'm going to just order
one from Amazon Prime,"
and it just shows
up, and you know,
there's a bugle on the track.
And that's dope, I guess, right?
But Dilla literally took
apart a cassette deck.
He took apart the tape deck,
reconfigured it in a way
to make it play the tape slower,
and then put it back together,
and recorded it slower.
Like that's how [inaudible]
like I don't have any equipment
in my home right now
to make this slower.
I'm going to take it apart.
I'm going to become an
engineer right here,
right now [laughter], and
I'm going to figure it out.
I'm going to figure out how to,
the mechanics of this works,
and I'm going to make
something amazing.
That right there, I think, is
the spirit of this culture.
Like people who just,
they don't,
they don't have the same
tools to work with sometimes,
but they have this desired
just to constantly create
and express themselves.
And inspire other people who
are from similar situations
or completely different
situations.
To do great things.
Dilla, like what Dilla does for
me is like there was a quote
where he said, "I don't
know what it feels
like to not want to make music.
Like I don't know what that
feels like to not be inspired."
And then when I think of the
story of him making the beats
for Donuts, and how like near,
over 90% of those beats
were literally made
from a hospital room.
Like you know, [inaudible]
like I'm tired.
I'm super tired.
And I don't want to
do a lot of things.
But I think of things like that.
I told his mother that when I
met her, and I was just like,
"I think of your
son a lot," right?
"Like yesterday I
had my car packed
with this brother's belongings
that he had shipped here.
And had every intention
to delivering them to him,
once he got off the
plane safely.
I'm at the park with
my daughter.
My daughter broke
her arm yesterday.
Like while we were at the park.
And you know, I mean, I
was in an emergency room
with my daughter for
four, almost five hours.
But I also you know of
course I'm going to do,
I like to think I'm a good dad.
So I did everything I could
to make sure my daughter
was straight.
My wife came to the
hospital, met us.
But like I also told
this brother I was going
to give him his stuff.
>> Marcus: By the way, I
told him it was okay-- .
>> Substantial: Huh?
>> Marcus: I said, by the way it
was okay if he chose not to show
up because his daughter
broke her arm.
[Laughter] You don't have to-- .
>> Substantial: I
need my stuff, Bro!
[Laughter] She got another arm.
>> Marcus: And?
And? [Laughter]
>> Substantial: Right, so?
You showing up, right?
[Laughter] No man, he was
like, "Dude, it's cool."
He was saying, you know,
everyone was checking in,
and they were cool about it.
But just like my musical hero
and a long list of other dudes,
it's like my musical
hero was dying
for like quite some time due to
his illness, and was still going
on tour, performing
in a wheelchair.
Like so yeah, so doctor
said my daughter's cool,
and I did everything
I could do for.
And my wife was worried
about me going out by myself,
so me and my whole
family rolled up,
dropped off my brother's stuff,
and now we're here with y'all.
Like I love this.
I love this and I think all
of the greats or whatever,
there's nothing that's
going to get between them
and how much they love it.
And how much they're going
to, how far they are willing
to push it to inspire others
and create just great things
and great opportunities
for themselves and others.
>> Marcus: So right before we
give it back to the audience
so they can ask more questions,
I was going to say that a lot
of people, you're talking
about your heroes and people
that you've looked up to, and
that makes you feel that way.
But you guys are also
those types of artists.
Like you inspire other people
from other generations like me,
and like EyeQ to like, you
know, follow that example
because you continually put
out that example and you know,
basically show that
to other people.
And you know we continue to
look up to people like you,
because it's just
a constant cycle.
You need more role models as
people are still coming up
and learning more
things, so you know.
You guys are also role
models and artists
of that caliber that you know.
>> EyeQ: That's true.
[ Applause ]
>> Shingo: If I can
say one more thing.
But yeah, I definitely
take that to heart,
and obviously I try
my best to be one.
My studio door's always open.
I'm in Hawaii right
now, in Honolulu.
But also based on
everything that you said,
I mean if you watch
any documentary,
you know the whole
drive and invention
and innovation is not
limited to hip hop, you know.
Any genre or any art form
definitely goes through that.
Like people use tools
that weren't intended
to do certain things, or
even if it's machinery
or electronics or medium.
People always break that barrier
because they'll take it there.
You know, and often, oftentimes
it is the limitation of things
that will, you know
is the, is the mother
of all inventions, right?
Or necessity or limitations
in my book.
So I feel that in
this day and age,
everything is so convenient.
Even hip hop and music
production is so convenient
because the companies
are catering to the user.
Okay, you have these tools.
We're going to give
you the software.
We're going to give
you the sound pack,
we're going to give
you the plug-ins.
And it's not inconvenient
anymore.
And that kind of takes a
lot of the fun away from me.
It takes away the DIY aspect, it
takes away you going out there,
finding something to
record, or finding a musician
to record something
that's unique to you.
As opposed to using something
that anyone can access.
You know, it's kind of fitting
that we are in a library now,
because it is the same
feeling when you go out,
either dig for records.
You've got to dig really with
your own hands to find something
that is unique to you,
and you've got to put out,
sometimes finding things,
I feel like it is a
very spiritual thing.
Like it is, like, you know,
not to get all hippie,
but it is the law of attraction.
Even if you want to go
find an item of clothing,
or you want to go find
a particular scooter
that you need.
You've got to put
out that vibration.
Then you'll find it, and when
you find it, you'll know it.
And that's, that's just a
cycle that perpetuates itself,
and that's the creativity
that'll enforce your,
your knack for doing that,
and it makes you feel good.
So you want to do it again,
and you know it just
becomes a cycle.
>> Audience Member:
I have a question.
So me and my friends have just
actually just finished making a
Samurai Champloo-inspired
fan film, and I just want
to thank you for
everything, Shing02.
And my question is
what was the process
like into making
Battlecry with Nujabes?
>> Shingo: I'm going
to make it real quick.
So me and Nujabes, we
started working in,
around 2000, '99-2000.
And this was probably year
before Samurai Champloo came
out around 2004, so probably
around 2003, and I was living
in Oakland at the time.
And me and him were probably
working on other songs as well,
like luv(sic) Part
3, I remember.
And one day, he just
hit me up like, hey,
there's this late night
animation that needs some music,
so would you like
to contribute to it?
I said sure.
And he gave me a song.
It was a happy piano track
that eventually became
Horizon on his album.
And he told me he
wanted it in Japanese.
So I wrote the song, you know,
talking about my background.
And I have my DJ scratch
on it, it was good.
But then the song went to the
producers, and it came back
to us like, "Actually,
you know what?
We want something dark, and
we want something in English."
So he resent the
beat which, you know,
is the one that you hear now.
And I was like, I was
definitely bummed a little bit
because I was excited about the
first one, but I never expected
that it'll be heard
anywhere else out of Japan
because it was just
this late night anime.
And I was just trying
to cater to that,
but I was like okay,
well whatever.
We'll just do it in English.
And that's just kind
of how it came out.
And at that time, you know, I
was researching my own ancestry.
I actually have a friend
who forges, you know,
katanas in [inaudible]
prefecture.
I had gone to his workplace
to really study the process.
I had a great deal of respect
for the craft, so that's kind
of how the verse
is dedicated to.
>> EyeQ: Okay, so moving along,
and then great question,
by the way.
Hello!
>> Audience Member: Alright,
so this is a question for any
of y'all, whoever
wants to answer this.
And it is a kind of
an and/or question.
What are your top five
favorite hip hop artists,
or what is you top five
musical like influences for you?
>> Marcus: Stan, just the list.
Just the list.
[Laughter]
>> Substantial: One,
two, one, two.
One, two, three, four, five.
>> Audience Member:
If it, if it, I mean,
if it's not that
many, that's fine.
If you don't want
to go that many.
>> Substantial: Here we go.
So my top five MCs are, and
this is in no particular order.
Black Thought, Three Stacks,
that's Andre 3000, what was it?
Redman is forever
in my top five.
Oh my god, who am I forgetting?
Who am I forgetting?
I usually do this-- oh, Nas.
And then it's, oh Convict.
Those are my, those are my five.
I mean, I got love for all
the OGs who came before them,
but I really feel
like those, those MCs,
like they were great then, and
them dudes, at any given moment,
can give you something on par
with the greatest
artists right now.
And that's what's amazing
because every one I just
listed is like mid-40s
to almost 50 years old.
But they get on tracks
with 20 year olds.
They get on tracks with
some of the OGs in the game,
in the game, and they
handle business every time.
Most of those MCs I
listed are arguably some
of the most consistent artists
in history, in the history
of hip hop, and so that's why
they remain in my top five.
No pressure.
[ Laughter ]
>> Marcus: Yeah,
I guess I'm going
to take it a different
route then.
My, I mean, I have a
lot of favorite MCs.
Not really in any order
but Royce da 5'9" is one
of my favorite artists
of all time.
Yasiin Bey, most def.
Kanye West before he started
making a lot of the newer stuff.
[Laughter] I grew up on College
Dropout and Late Registration,
so like College Dropout was like
my most-played CD of all time.
And so I mean, but I'm going to
move onto more like composers
and producers, because I'm
a beatmaker and producer.
And just off the top,
Nobuo Uematsu did all the Final
Fantasy from one to ten is--
[applause] possibly the
greatest modern-day composer
of all time, I feel like.
He had no musical
training whatsoever.
And he was composing, like
Shingo was talking about,
the things that stop you
from being able to, you know,
the convenience of it.
He was making music on
8-bit systems that were
like basically orchestras,
you know?
Like he was putting these
sounds together in ways
that you can't even
imagine that people
who had full orchestras
were unable to do.
And he had no musical
knowledge either.
So he was doing that for
SquareSoft at the time.
And then everything, you know,
upgrading to the 16-bit system
with like the [inaudible]
and stuff.
He was still basically making
orchestral compositions with,
you know, that type of stuff.
So he just did so much, and I
feel like he is one of the best,
if not the very best
of all time.
And then Yasumoto Mitsu
is also, did [inaudible]
and a bunch of good stuff.
So I'll leave it at that.
>> EyeQ: You got two minutes.
Are you saying your
list, or are you good?
>> Shingo: I can.
Well, I already kind of said it,
but obviously I love everybody
from East to West Coast.
My top five would be
[inaudible], Hieroglyphics,
the rapper Sasfir,
his Hobo Junction.
He's one of the most
creative guys in the world.
Freestyle Fellowship, of course.
That's four MCs, all of them,
they are like the Beatles
to me, Freestyle Fellowship.
And, yeah.
Actually, can I give
one special shout-out
which is my motivation has
come from reading Tezuka Osamu.
Mangas, he's the godfather
of manga and anime in Japan.
He would be 90 years old
this year, and I'm also part
of a tribute project that
we're going to record for.
And I met his daughter,
Rumiko, who's an avid music fan.
So that's highly materialized.
So you know hip hop is really
about incorporating your
knowledge and inspiration
and then spitting out
through your filter.
So. I'm forever grateful
for that format, you know?
>> EyeQ: Alright.
With that said, we
had like two minutes.
I don't know where we at.
So real quick.
One minute: so unfortunately
guys, we have to wrap this up.
But on a positive note, right?
Anybody here going
to Otakon weekend?
[Applause] Yeah?
So on a positive note,
we have other panels
that we'll be doing.
We have a funimation panel
where we'll be talking
about Samurai Champloo.
We have an anime
and hip hop panel,
and I'm missing one right now.
>> Substantial: We
also have the tribute!
And a concert.
>> EyeQ: Tonight.
We have a tribute
[inaudible] panel.
We also have a concert here
tonight at seven o'clock
so you know, try to
plug all the things.
Am I forgetting a thing?
>> Substantial: Yes,
so as he said,
the concert's outside
here tonight.
We have a concert
tomorrow at Otakon,
as some of you already know.
>> EyeQ: Correct.
>> Substantial: And then
there's another panel
that I'm actually doing
with my business partner,
[inaudible] on Sunday, for
those of you-- no, seriously.
Y'all are laughing.
I'm serious.
>> EyeQ: She's doe.
She's real doe.
>> Substantial: She's amazing!
But no, we're doing a
panel on Sunday for all
of the artists here who are
looking for different ways
to find what it is you're doing.
We have a business called
Substantial Art & Music
where we consult, and we help
artists find their projects,
their goals, and
different things.
So we're doing that
at 11:30 AM on Sunday.
Bright and early, so get up,
let's handle some business
and help you live these dreams!
>> EyeQ: Last but not least,
I want to give a shout
out to the Library of Congress!
So you might as well
come on up here.
Come on up!
[ Applause ]
>> Sasha Dowdy: Everybody,
thank you so much for coming
out to our awesome performers,
and we're going to check you
out at seven, in
like half an hour.
And thank you guys for
coming to the library today.
We really appreciate
that you came out here,
and the whole reason we
wanted to host this panel
and the whole partners
ship with Otakon is,
kind of what you said,
Shingo, in that knowledge
and creativity are a cycle, and
we keep receiving from history,
and we keep giving back to
people who are going to dip
into what we think is present,
but is going to become history.
And we want to keep
that creativity going,
and you can find out more
about the library and you,
and how we can connect
together on Saturday at 10 SM
at the LOC panel at
Otakon, so come see us.
And if you like this panel, you
can relive the joys of panel
when you catch this on YouTube,
so you can subscribe to Library
of Congress and see what other
amazing collections we have.
We represent all
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of life, from every country.
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We have 22 pieces of music,
including 22 million pieces
of music-- [laughter].
I wanted you to be
impressed with 22 but.
[Laughter] Twenty-two
million pieces
in our collection of
168 million items.
So I hope you guys are going to
continue a relationship with us.
Explore out digital collections,
and just, you know, have fun!
>> EyeQ: And if you
need some hip hop,
we'll be definitely cataloguing
some things with them here.
So just so you know,
that's a thing.
[ Applause ]
>> Sasha Dowdy: Thank
you so much!
Thank you everybody,
and have a good night!