|
:: FEATURE
Thello Entertainment -
Bringing Hiphop to Japan
 What
musical traditions hip hop ultimately came from is debated, but
that it emerged in the dynamic but desperate ferment of the Bronx
in the late 70s, is not. Bored of the formulaic, commercial, and
essentially white music dominating the charts, and even more bored
of daily life in one of New York's poorest neighbourhoods, young
people took matters into their own hands. Underground DJ/MCs like
Kingston (Jamaica) native Kool Herc adapted reggae DJing techniques
to the basics of American popular music and DJs like Afrika Bambaata
took the message to the streets with impromptu, unlicensed block
parties. In 1979 the Sugar Hill Gang's Rapper's Delight single was
released and in less than a decade underground 'MCs' became superstar
'rappers' and hip-hop became the US's most marketable music.
The genre rapidly spread across the globe in
the 90s, with Japan one of the most fertile markets for a genre
seemingly very unJapanese in character.  But
whereas hip-hop as a marketable phenomenon has been a huge success
here, there is still a serious shortage of quality homegrown talent,
or local labels to nurture them. Which is a gap Bobby 'Digi' hopes
to fill with his Gotanda-based company, Thello Entertainment Inc.
The organisation that is now Thello, began to
get involved in music production and event organisation - still
their mainstays today - in around 1995. Quickly networking through
the US's East Coast hip hop and reggae scenes, Thello executive
producer Rebel Dainja has worked with hip-hop legends the Wu Tang
Clan, classic old-skool rappers Cold Crush Brothers, Force MDs,
and others.
 Not
content to stop there, Bobby 'Digi' - the name is partly borrowed
from a famed Kingston producer called Digital and expresses Thello's
forward thinking approach - looked to expand. After considering
Canada and the UK, where he once lived, he chose Japan and incorporated
here in early 2001, the first US hip-hop label to do so - several
months ahead of Def Jam records. Mariko Ueno, who he met many years
before at his former college in New York, became Vice President
of the company.
The force that Bobby hopes will carry the Thello
brand forward is what he calls "character". Bemoaning
the traditional lack of originality in the local scene he says "there
were problems with hip-hop in Japan...The artists weren't original,
they were imitating and not expressing things that Japanese people
could realate to".  As
he explains it, "hip-hop is character" so to make it as
a hip-hop artist, you have to "be yourself" first and
foremost. Using Eminem as an example, he says "he's himself,
and that's why he's a success ﾉ Thello Entertainment is here to
show Japan what hip hop is really about ﾉ It's not about imitating
a sound, it's about character." Thello hopes that as the scene
matures in Japan, it will be the artists with the most musical integrity
that survive - Bobby identifies Da Butcher as a good example of
one artist keeping things "real".
Of course, Thello hope to nurture successful local talent too and
is on the lookout for artists (hip-hop, reggae, 2step, jungle) to
join Bullu4Dollo, Da Butcher, DJ Tack and dancer trio Luxury on
the Japan side of the label.
 The
NY side already includes Gem,veteran Rebel Dainja and Jah-Bami,
who has a new album Freshman out. Thello has no plans to stop there.
With nothing less than global success as its goal, Thello also hope
to open an office in London in a year and expand into China (Thello
has a small publishing office in Hong Kong) by opening an office
in Beijing before too long.
Thello is a label to watch.
Thello Entertainment Inc. (recording studio and
import fashion boutique), Gotanda 4-8-9-3F, Shinagawa-ku. Tel: 03-5798-2233.
Fax 03-5798-2234. URL: www.thelloentertainment.com
i-mode: www.thelloentertainment.com/i Note: The regular website
includes a catalogue of some of the import clothes/accessories available
individually or wholesale at their Gotanda location.
Events:
Following up their hugely successful party on
Friday November 1st Thello will be back once again on Saturday December
7th for more of the same madness, again at Yokohama's club Bridge.
Thello reggae act Da Butcher will "perform and deliver messages
in a husky energetic voice" alongside Crystal Crew and DJ Kibo.
Continuing with something that was a surprisingly a big hit with
the females in the crowd last time, they will have a stripper too.
Tickets: \2000 (adv). Open: 11:30pm.
Bigger still will be the hip-hop party they are organising for Oricon
magazine - the people behind the leading chart of the same name
- on December 24th, also at Bridge. It will feature the interestingly-named
Microphone Pager's MC, alongside big crossover names Twigy (a former
'Pager member) and hip-hop experimentalist DJ Yas, who has had connections
with Thello since they first came to Japan. Naughty hip-hoppers
need not worry - Santa's musical gifts aren't limited to good boys
and girls at this Christmas Eve extravaganza.
Tickets: \2500 (adv). Open: 11:30pm.
The Bridge, Yokohama.
1-13-5 LAVI 4F
Nearest station: Ishikawa-cho
Tel: 045-650-2228.
| 
