Aside from being considered one of the pioneers of Japanese hip hop, KRUSH has established himself as one of the most respected artists and producers in the hip-hop industry, both in Japan and abroad. One of the reasons for this is that he approaches the music with a very humble perspective, and by not allowing over three decades of success to hinder his abilities, he constantly seeks out new styles and sources of inspiration, which expand his craft further. Read More...
Aside from being considered one of the pioneers of Japanese hip hop, KRUSH has established himself as one of the most respected artists and producers in the hip-hop industry, both in Japan and abroad. One of the reasons for this is that he approaches the music with a very humble perspective, and by not allowing over three decades of success to hinder his abilities, he constantly seeks out new styles and sources of inspiration, which expand his craft further.
Born in 1962 in Tokyo. Gifted producer & DJ with a superb sense in Mixing and composing his sound who’s been greatly received in the international club scene.
It was the movie “WILD STYLE” that got him into hip hop in the early 80’s, and in 1987, he formed KRUSH POSSSE which made numerous appearances in various media as the best hip hop act in Japan. KRUSH began pursuing his solo career after the break-up of the group in late 1992, and soon grabbed people’s attention as the first DJ to use turntables as live instruments, doing free sessions with live musicians on stage. Released his 1st album “KRUSH” in January 1994, and since then released countless records in Japan, Europe, US and around the globe. All his solo releases have ranked high in various charts in & out of Japan, and his 6th album “Zen” had been highly acclaimed and awarded the Best Electronica Album in 2002 AIFM Awards (US). His 8th album “jaku” released in late 2004 has topped the RPM chart of CMJ for 3 weeks in the US. In March 2006, he released his first best albums in self-remixed style, “STEPPING STONES” & , making another huge buzz around the globe.
In March 2007, a historical collection of the 12 years of his career ”???? (Suimou Tsunenimasu)” was released in Japan in a special DVD box.
Aside from his outer national activities as producer, remixer and DJ, he constantly expands his field from soundtracks for films, TV dramas & commercials to live sessions with various musicians that transcends music genre.
In ‘98 spring, he formed a production unit with DJ HIDE & DJ SAK, collaborating with Nigerian percussionists and releasing a single & album from Polydor Japan. From the end of the year 2000, he also got involved in project which will be launching various projects to question worldwide issues in the 21st Century.
