Rhymester/Mellow Yellow

Jon Jung (jjung@mail.summer.hawaii.edu)
Mon, 14 Aug 1995 08:59:04 -1000


O.K., I kind of lied, I'm still working on-line because they decided to push
back our account-changing thing. So, I decided to take the opportunity to
reinform you about two good Japanese hip-hop albums out (first reported to us
by Ben List): Rhymester's 2nd album, "Egotopia" and Mellow Yellow's first (the
two are "brother" groups). Rhymester's album far blows away their first, "Ore
ni Iwaserya" (english: "If I had My Say"). Better production, better beats,
better raps. Since Japan has no sampling/copyright laws regarding American
artists (yet!), it was quite amazing to hear two, four, eight bars sampled
multiply into a groove and not being able to look up the sources (though Mommy
D, one of the group, gave me sources for each). The best international hip-hop
album I've heard.
Mellow Yellow's album is a little less interesting but shows promise. Kind of
goofier with a slightly off-production, at times reminds me of Pharcyde. I
have to listen to this one more as it didn't grab me at first.

Both of these albums are on File Records which is sort of a major-independent
(kind of an oxymoron). They'll be difficult to find in import sections without
special order but aren't scarce as both are on the Indie Top 10 in Japan.

--Jon