Nujabes: What He Taught Me

Jun Seba, AKA Nujabes 瀬葉 淳, was an underground Hip Hop Producer in Japan that collaborated with fluid underground artists such as Substansial, Pase Rock, and Shing02. Because of his unique beats, he inspired a known genre of music called Lofi.

Metaphorical Music (August 17th, 2003)

Where do I even begin? This album, in my opinion, is one of his best. I also feel like this album has many hidden gems that should be well known but aren't. Looking at the tracklist, you can see the multitude of artists he collaborates with. From Shing02 to Cise Starr, he puts all his energy and artistic quality into each track.

The first track starts well, with the jazz-inspired opening to Blessing it (Remix) by Substantial ft. Pase Rock. The energy and the lyrics are not only nostalgic and give a vibe that gets you on your feet. Horn in the Middle gives the same energy, going with a faster-paced beat and cymbals that spark up the song.

Lady Brown is a song with more of a laid-back, chill vibe and has you daydreaming about a dark-skinned woman. The lyrics, sensual yet powerful, are performed by Cise Starr.

Kumomi, a song that reminds me of the Samurai Champloo soundtrack, almost gives the same feeling as "Feather," a song from Nujabes that's well known to this day. Those are just some examples of the first part of the album.

The vibe in this album alone is a description of the perfect getaway in your mind, the Highs to Lows (see what I did there) are amazing and are definitely worth a listen.

Samurai Champloo Music Record: Departure (June 23rd, 2004)

This album heavily inspired not only my love for anime but my love for DIY music. This album is the glue that holds the show "Samurai Champloo" together. It's actually two of the 4 albums for the show, but it's one of the best.

One of the best and most well-known tracks of this album is Aruarian Dance. Aruarian, according to the Urban Dictionary, means to have a cavernous love you feel for someone without any remote reason. Aruarian Dance and the way it sounds makes sense, according to the definition.

The sound, with the acoustics from the guitar and combining it with beats, sounds divine. It sounds like a cool night with the wind in your face and the moon high in the sky. You can tell the tune is inspired by something or someone. We sadly can't ask, but it's nice to dream.

Battlecry is a song on its own that starts every episode of Samurai Champloo perfectly. Starting the song, it's impossible not to bob your head to the rhythm. Shing02 is one of my favorite artists, simply because his rap style is unique. Though he's off a few beats with a face-paced lyric style, I get the feeling it's intentional and captures the intensity and fighting styles from Mugen, one of the characters from the show. Nujabes' beats are more Jin-inspired, slow but have rhythm, and together, create an amazing song.

Shiki No Uta.

I can almost find no words to describe how beautiful this song sounds. The lyrics, even in English, the complexity in some of the lyrics is its own beauty. The high and airy tone from the song, Minmi, makes the song flawlessly perfect.

Fuu, another character in the show, her character I feel is more inspired by the ending theme. Even watching the ending, you see her life images that seem to hold sadness and nostalgia.

Nujabes takes a perfect mix of percussion, guitar, and the alto sax, to create the perfect ending for an anime.

What's absolutely amazing is that those are just 3 songs from that album with great musical influence. Out of the 4 featured in the show, they are more emotional and have a lot of hidden beauty.

My Personal Experience with Nujabes' Mixtapes

Though not many people know his backstory and don't have a lot of information on his start and personal story, his image is still held on the pedestal of Underground Hip Hop music.

Growing up in the early 2000s, I was introduced to Adult Swim late nights when I was over at my grandma's house with my family. 8 pm was the hour were introduced the first Adult Swim bump for the night, and I danced and grooved to the different sounds that made me feel like an alien raving on a new planet.

In my early teens, rewatching Samurai Champloo, the beginning and ending inspire me to look up the artist one day on Youtube. The results read "Nujabes." Clicking the first playlist, a wave of curiosity and amazement sends chills down my spine, making me wanna listen to repeat.

I have an odd feeling of wanting to run into a field or fly on an airplane to see that perfect moment of watching the sunset above the clouds. It's been close to 10 years, and I still can't describe the feeling to you of how I feel listening to his music, even if I tried my hardest. Maybe that's what's amazing about his work.

In high school, the obsession with Metamorphical Music, an album (that I believe is one of his best works and includes rappers like Cise Starr, Five Deez, and Uyama Hitoro,) inspired me to write poetry.

Poetry and Slam Poetry was a way for me to escape many insecure feelings in high school, from screaming at the top of my lungs about confidence to crying while performing poetry on colorism. Nujabes was the inspiration that allowed me to express myself. His songs always brought that part of me out onto the notebook paper.

Then high school ends, and I stop listening to his music for nearly 2 years. During those two years, was nothing but heightened anxiety, quitting and getting fired from dead-end jobs that paid minimum wage, and being in horrible sexual relationships. This blew out the creative light that allowed me to be myself truly. I even start feeling lost and trapped in my body.

Have you ever listened to a song you used to love as a child, and as soon as you listen to it, the emotions come back? That's exactly what I felt after my breakup. (Very dramatic, I know, but I was 18.)

Laying in my bed, crying my eyes out, I click on "Highs To Lows" by mistake. Before changing it back to my Billie Eilish breakup playlist, (Billie Eilish is a rockstar for making those "make-you-cry" tunes), the piano and beats stop me; as soon as Cise Starr raps the chorus and the music plays with more intensity, I finally got comfortable, and fell asleep.

Nujabes helped me a lot through my emotional suffering with body image, depression, and losing faith in life. Though he lived a short time, he definitely left something that inspired me to do something with my life, write my emotions for something I want to put my whole body into, whether it's political issues or even my own emotions to present to people.