Reflection Eternal

Who is Nujabes

To tell you the truth, I myself did not know about nujabes until recently and thought he must be DJ in overseas.
But it was not, he was Japanese music producer and DJ.
I wonder then why the name is Nujabes?
It is not Japanese name.
And I found that the name becomes sebajun if you read it reverse.
That is, Jun Seba.
Certainly Jun Seba is Japanese name and that was his name.
He was born in 1974 in Minato Ward in Tokyo.
He was a track maker of hip hop and music producer.
Genre he performs is not perfect hip hop but has also a taste of Jazz that it is called JAZZY HIP HOP.
He once completed a job as a music director of fashion show of COMME des GARCONS that held on March 2004.
For his attitude or character, this is just my guess and opinion but I feel like he was the person who purely treasured and loved music.
Because I was searching his real picture or video but could not find them at all.(What I could find was just one or 2 pictures and live video)
This can not be happened without Nujabes himself or other people around him voluntarily doing so.
Actually he did not advertise his music like the way modern music business does although he had core fans worldwide,too.
He just simply released his works.
I think we can touch or feel his attitude towards music by listening to the music he makes.

How did Nujabes die

He passed away on 26th February, 2010.
During leaving Metropolitan Expressway at midnight, he crashed.
It was a car accident.
He was taken to a hospital in Shibuya Ward by ambulance but his heart did not beat again.
It was just after he turned 36.
Too early death of great musician.

Beautiful Music and Lyrics

I know hip-hop and had a kind of common image of hip-hop but the image was broken into pieces the instant I listened to his music.
What a sophisticated and gentle music it is.
I do not have enough knowledge about hip hop or music but I purely felt so.
I felt like it is really soothing, relaxing and made me want to listen to further more.
Rarely I feel like that for music recently, especially the genre that I have not usually listened to but his music attracted me a lot.
I could imagine from the music that the lyrics must be really delicate and sophisticated.
Sadly I could not listen to the song or each words well because of my poor listening skill that I checked the lyrics.
And it was really beautiful lyrics as I expected.
I introduce one of my favorite musics and lyrics of his here.

Feather

[Verse 1: Cise Starr]
Light as a feather when I’m floating through
Reading through the daily news
Measuring the hurt within the golden rule
Centimetres of ether, I’m heating the speaker
Motivational teacher with words that burn people
Seeing the headlines lined with discord
It’s either genocide or the planet in uproar
Never good. The rules of paradise are never nice
The best laid plans of Mice and Men are never right
I’m just a Vagabond with Flowers for Algernon
The Average Joe who knows what the fuck is going on
It’s the hope of my thoughts that I travel upon
Fly like an arrow of God until I’m gone, so I’m
[Chorus:]
So I’m Driftin Away Like A Feather In Air
Lettin My Words Take Me Away From The Hurt And Despair
So I’m Keepin It Vertical Forever Elevator
Ridin The Escalator To The Somethin That Is Greater
So I’m Driftin Away Like A Feather In Air
Lettin My Soul Take Me Away From The Hurt And Despair
So I’m Keepin It Vertical Forever Elevator
Ridin The Escalator To The Somethin That Is Greater
Source : GENIOUS

Luv(sic) Part3

[Verse 1: Cise Starr]
It’s funny how the music put times in perspective
Add a soundtrack to your life and perfect it
Whenever you are feeling blue keep walking and we can get far
Wherever you are
Like a movie that you can’t predict
Like a book that you can’t resist
I sing along a song that’s oh so sensual
bring along a sip to make it all so sexual
verbally that is, making love to the music means vibing to the beat at night
with the whole city fast asleep, out cold
true words seem to rise to the lips, take hold
of a poet in me, most powerfully
I feel free when the world doesn’t owe it to me
It’s so hard to find a gig that lives up to the billing,
trying to find a reason to work, god willing
I admit, my thinking is wishful
like a star upon a child gazing up to the ceiling
how far do we have to stretch the truth
to fit the lifestyles borrowed and overdue
we can take it all back to the register
and start all over from the canister
let’s break it all down into pieces of bright
moments that pass by like a meteorite
throw on your favorite reel that’s good to go
on the analog player watch the people glow
sit back to the breeze let the memories flow
comedy tragedy all the highs and lows
Source : shing02

Song of Samurai Champloo by Nujabes and Minmi

Shiki no Uta

He once made a music for anime Samurai Champloo before.
This Shiki no Uta is the song he made collaborated with Minmi.
Minmi is a Japanese singer song writer and has sung a song in hip hop since in around 1996.
Song and lyrics of Shiki no Uta is by Minmi and the composition is by Nujabes.
By the way, director of anime Samurai Champloo is Shinichiro Watanabe and this collaboration was realized by his asking of Nujabes.

Is tehre similar music like Nujabes

If you want to listen to similar taste of music as Nujabes’ I recommend you to listen to the following artists.
As long as I checked following musics are similar to music of Nujabes.
All the musics were great and beautiful.
Here are artists and links to YouTube video.

DJ Okawari – The Bonds (ft. Nanase)
DJ OKAWARI

Uyama Hiroto – Freedom of the Son [HD] 2014
Uyama Hiroto

HIDETAKE TAKAYAMA 「Express feat. Silla (múm) 」 Music Video
Hidetake Takayama

tsunenori “FANTASTIC JOURNEY” 2015 -Full Album-
tsunenori

Summary

I really felt sad when I knew he was the person who does not exist now.
He was 36 when he passed away.
I am now just same age as him and felt like he was too young to leave the world.
Every time when this kind of great gifted people passed away at their too early stage, I feel deep sadness and ask myself if I did anything worth that makes people or world around me better or happier like them.
He might left physically but the music he made touches and moves people’s hearts even now.
The music certainly keeps living in this world, in hearts of people.

Author : Hiroshi