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, better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop,
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
, and
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
, as well as incorporating elements of
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...
, breakbeat,
downtempo Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may b ...
, and ambient music. Seba released two studio albums during his lifetime: '' Metaphorical Music'' (2003) and '' Modal Soul'' (2005), while the album '' Spiritual State'' was released posthumously in 2011. He was the founder of the independent label Hydeout Productions and released two collection compilations: '' Hydeout Productions 1st Collection'' (2003) and '' 2nd Collection'' (2007). Additionally, Seba collaborated on the soundtrack for
Shinichirō Watanabe is a Japanese anime television and film director, best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'' and ''Samurai Champloo''. An auteur of the industry, Watanabe's work is characterized ...
's
anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
series ''
Samurai Champloo is a 2004 Japanese historical adventure anime television series. The debut television production of studio Manglobe, the 26-episode series aired from May 2004 to March 2005. It was first partially broadcast on Fuji TV, then had a complete a ...
'' ('' Music Record: Departure'' and '' Impression'') in 2004. In 2010, Seba died in a traffic collision at the age of 36. Although relatively niche during his lifetime, Seba has since achieved posthumous acclaim and been referred as the "godfather" of lo-fi hip hop. Seba's production techniques and career have also been compared favorably with
J Dilla J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon vari ...
.


Biography

Seba was born on February 7, 1974, in the Nishi-Azabu district of Minato in central
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, Japan. Seba was the owner of two
Shibuya Shibuya (wikt:渋谷, 渋谷wikt:区, 区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern ...
record stores, T Records and Guinness Records, and in 1998 founded the independent record label Hydeout Productions.


Career

Seba adopted the stage name Nujabes (his name spelled backwards) and became notable for his approach to producing hip hop beats, often blending jazz influences into his songs creating a mellow, nostalgic and atmospheric sound. He is considered a pioneer of lo-fi hip hop, or "chillhop". Seba collaborated with Japanese artists like Uyama Hiroto, Shing02, L-Universe, and Minmi, and with various underground American hip hop acts such as CYNE, Cise Starr (as a solo apart from the hip-hop collective CYNE),
Apani B Apani N. Smith (born September 17, 1974) known professionally as Apani B. Fly, is an American hip hop emcee. In 1996 her first 12-inch single, "Estragen", was independently released and shortly followed up by several high-profile guest appeara ...
,
Five Deez Five Deez is an American hip hop group from Cincinnati, Ohio and a part of the Wanna Battle collective, which also includes DJ Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli, Rubix, and Lone Catalysts. The group consists of members: Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician ( ...
, Substantial,
CL Smooth Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Career After the duo Pete Rock & CL S ...
,
Fat Jon Jon Marshall (born September 8, 1975), better known by his stage name Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician, is an American hip hop producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a member of the American hip-hop group Five Deez. He is also one h ...
,
Terry Callier Terrence Orlando "Terry" Callier (May 24, 1945 – October 27, 2012) was an American soul, folk and jazz guitarist and singer-songwriter. Life and career Callier was born in the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in the Cabrini ...
as well as
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
rapper Funky DL. Seba was also a member of the production duo Urbanforest, an experimental collaboration with Nao T. Seba collaborated with Shing02 on the critically acclaimed ''Luv(sic)'' hexalogy, making the parts 1-3 together, but after Seba died unexpectedly many doubted that the series could ever be completed. However, parts 4 and 5 had already been completed, which were released shortly after Seba's death. Part 6 was not among the previously completed tracks, but it was released on February 26, 2013, on the third anniversary of Seba's death. According to Shing02's official Facebook page, the instrumental to what would eventually be part 6 was discovered on Seba's cell phone a few weeks after his death. Seba was one of the most prolific contributors to the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed anime series ''
Samurai Champloo is a 2004 Japanese historical adventure anime television series. The debut television production of studio Manglobe, the 26-episode series aired from May 2004 to March 2005. It was first partially broadcast on Fuji TV, then had a complete a ...
'', which blends a
feudal Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC when new inve ...
ese setting with modern
anachronisms An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common type ...
, especially in regard to
hip hop culture Hip hop or hip-hop is a culture and art movement that was created by African Americans, Latino Americans and Caribbean Americans in the Bronx, New York City. Hip hop culture is characterized by four key elements: rapping, DJing and turntablis ...
such as
graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
and rapping.


Death

On February 26, 2010, Seba was in a traffic collision upon exiting the
Shuto Expressway is a network of toll expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the . Most routes are grade-separated (elevated roads or tunnels) and central routes have many sharp curves and multi-lane merges that requi ...
at 22:14. He was pronounced dead at a hospital in Shibuya Ward after efforts to revive him failed. His grave is located within the Japanese section of
Tama Cemetery in Tokyo is the largest municipal cemetery in Japan. It is split between the cities of Fuchu and Koganei within the Tokyo Metropolis. First established in April 1923 as , it was redesignated Tama Cemetery in 1935. It is one of the largest green ...
.


Legacy

Seba's death elicited many tributes from other artists around the world. On
Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...
, the New York-based Digi Crates records released a series of tribute albums performed by various artists in a style reminiscent of Seba's. Seba's label Hydeout Productions released a tribute album titled '' Modal Soul Classics II'' featuring a number of former collaborators and with lyrics and song titles that reference Seba's work. Frequent collaborator Shing02 remarked, "Through his soulful music, Nujabes has touched so many people around the world, even beyond his dreams", and " deeply regret the loss of a unique talent and a close friend." Shing02 has performed at tribute concerts for Seba. Daniel Hodgman, founder of hip hop culture website BonusCut, in a 2014 highlight of ''Modal Soul'' said that, "Nujabes may not be physically with us anymore, but through his music, his legacy and lust for life lives on." Co-founder Gus Navarro remarked that, "The music of the late producer Nujabes is something to hold onto and never let go." In 2013,
Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...
producer
Ta-ku Regan Mathews, better known by his stage name Ta-ku, is an Australian musician, producer and photographer. Life and career Mathews was born and raised in the Australian city of Perth. He is half- Filipino, half-Māori. Mathews attended high ...
released the tribute album ''25 Nights for Nujabes''. In 2018, Polish rapper Zeus released the tribute song "Kwiaty dla J." In 2018, American rapper SahBabii mentioned Nujabes in his song “Anime World”. He said “RIP Nujabes, nine tails a Jinchuriki”. In an interview with '' XXL'', SahBabii said Nujabes was an influence for him to make music. In 2018, American rapper
Logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premise ...
mentioned Nujabes in the track "Thank You" off of his album ''YSIV'', saying "I had to write this over a Nujabes vibe", referencing the production style of the track, which is reminiscent of Nujabes' music. In 2020, Logic cited Nujabes as a key inspiration behind his production style alongside
MF Doom Daniel Dumile ( ; July 13, 1971October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and ...
, RZA and
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
in the track "Perfect" off of his album ''No Pressure''. On 26 July 2019, Otakon held a tribute concert in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, featuring Shing02, MINMI, Substantial, Marcus D and EyeQ. On October 21, 2020 Chester Watson released the album ''A Japanese Horror Film'' featuring a track titled “Nujabes”. In 2022, videogame '' Stray'' featured track ''Counting Stars'' as a part of collectible sheet music pages.


Hydeout Productions

Hydeout Productions is an independent record label formerly run by Nujabes.


Artists

*
Nujabes , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...
(deceased) * Uyama Hiroto * Emancipator * Kenmochi Hidefumi * Ficus (Cloud Ni9e, Kic. & HISANOVA) * Nitsua (Zack Austin) * Feng (FK) * Funky DL * L-Universe * Marcus D * Pase Rock * haruka nakamura * Shing02 * Jemapur * Substantial * Cise Starr * Monorisick (DJ Deckstream) (deceased)


Discography


Studio albums

*2003: '' Metaphorical Music'' *2005: '' Modal Soul'' *2011: '' Spiritual State''


Compilation albums

*2003: '' Hydeout Productions 1st Collection'' *2007: '' Hydeout Productions 2nd Collection'' *2008: '' Modal Soul Classics'' *2009: '' Mellow Beats, Friends & Lovers'' *2010: '' Modal Soul Classics II'' *2014: ''
Free Soul Nujabes First Collection Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procure ...
'' *2014: ''
Free Soul Nujabes Second Collection Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procure ...
'' *2015: '' Luv(Sic) Hexalogy'' *2016: '' Kei Nishikori meets Nujabes''


Soundtrack albums

*2004: '' Samurai Champloo Music Record: Departure'' *2004: '' Samurai Champloo Music Record: Impression''


EPs and singles

*1999: ''Ain't No Mystery'' *2001: "Dimension Ball Tracks Volume 1" *2002–2013: ''Luv(sic) Part 1 - Part 6'' *2002: "Blessing It/The Final View" *2003: "Flower/After Hanabi (Listen To My Beat") *2003: "Next View" *2003: "Lady Brown" *2003: "F.I.L.O" *2003: "Still Talking To You/Steadfast" *2015: ''Perfect Circle'' (with Shing02)


Collaborative albums

*2001: ''To This Union a Sun Was Born'' (with Substantial) *2003: ''Bullshit as Usual'' (with Pase Rock)


Official mixtapes

*1998: ''Sweet Sticky Thing'' *2002: ''Good Music Cuisine - Ristorante Nujabes'' *2003: ''Tribe Sampler Vol. 1''


Hydeout Productions discography

* 2001: Monorisick (DJ Deckstream) - Hydrothermal Formation * 2002:
Nujabes , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...
- Good Music Cuisine Ristorante Nujabes * 2003:
Nujabes , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...
- Hydeout Productions 1st Collection * 2003:
Nujabes , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...
- Metaphorical Music * 2005:
Nujabes , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...
- Modal Soul * 2006: Jemapur - Dok Springs * 2005: Nujabes & DJ Ryow A.K.A Smooth Current - Hydeout Sound Lab * 2006: Emancipator - Soon It Will Be Cold Enough (Japanese release only) * 2007:
Nujabes , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...
- Hydeout Productions 2nd Collection * 2008:
Nujabes , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...
- Modal Soul Classics * 2008: Uyama Hiroto - A Son of The Sun * 2008: Kenmochi Hidefumi - Falliccia * 2010: Various Artists - Modal Soul Classics II * 2011:
Nujabes , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...
- Spiritual State * 2013: Haruka Nakamura - Melodica * 2013: Ficus - Black Foliage * 2014: Various Artists - Free Soul Nujabes First Collection * 2014: Various Artists - Free Soul Nujabes Second Collection * 2015:
Nujabes , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...
feat. Shing02 - Luv(sic) Hexalogy


References


External links


Hydeout Productions
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nujabes 1974 births 2010 deaths 20th-century Japanese musicians 21st-century Japanese musicians Chill-out musicians Hexalogies Hip hop record producers Japanese DJs Japanese hip hop musicians Japanese record producers Musicians from Tokyo Nu jazz musicians Road incident deaths in Japan Trip hop musicians Lo-fi musicians