- Zeebra
nihongo|Zeebra|ジブラ|Jibura|born
April 2 ,1971 inTokyo ,Japan , real name nihongo|Hideyuki Yokoi|横井英之, is a Japanese hip hop artist, who made his first appearance in1995 . Zeebra is a former member of the hip-hop groupKing Giddra , which also includedDJ Oasis andK Dub Shine . He went on to pursue a solo career shortly after in1997 , and signed with the Future Shock record label.Zeebra is one of the most popular rappers in Japan, and his popularity is not specific to either gender. He appears not only in hip-hop
magazine s, but also infashion andstreet culture magazines. He often features in and produces other rappers' songs, and appears in their videos. He has also performed live with various rappers from America.In
1998 Zeebra undertook his first solo tour. He became recognized as an individual rapper for the first time, making hip-hop more familiar to Japanese listeners. In the same year he started the first hip-hop TV program in Japan, titled "Beats to the Rhyme". One of Zeebra's songs was used in a Nike promotion video for NBA Japan games. The following year Zeebra released the single "Mr. Dynamite", the first hip-hop single to break into the top 50 on the Japanese pop charts. In June2000 , he released his new album "Based on a True Story", which sold 250,000 copies. At the end of that year Zeebra started his first Japan tour, the first hip-hop event to sell out. In2001 Zeebra released the single "Never Enuff", the theme song for a Japanese movie called "Brother", directed byTakeshi Kitano and starringClaude Maki . In2002 he temporarily rejoined King Giddra, but has been doing solo work since2003 and has released many songs. At present, he is producing songs not only for rap artists, but also for pop stars likeNamie Amuro .Early life
Zeebra was born in
Tokyo and grew up there. During his youth he briefly lived in theUnited States while trying to become a professionaltennis player.He is the grandson of businessman
Hideki Yokoi , former president of the Hotel New Japan. The hotel's flagship property in central Tokyo caught fire in 1982, disgracing Hideki Yokoi and causing Zeebra to be bullied by his classmates. Zeebra eventually dropped out of high school during his first year.He married around the age of 20 and fathered two sons before divorcing his first wife. He kept custody of both sons, and later remarried and fathered two daughters.
Pioneer of Japanese Hip Hop
King Gridda’s popularity grew in Japan. By 1997 Zeebra left King Gridda to start a solo career, appearing frequently in trendy hip hop and street culture magazines and TV shows about hip hop. In 1999 he released the single “Mr. Dynamite”, which became the first hip-hop single to make it into the top 50 on the Japanese Oricon pop charts. Through his early and newer work, Zeebra became one of the most popular and influential, yet controversial, Japanese hip hop artists.
In 2008, after the MTV Video Music Awards Japan Ceremony, an unhappy Zeebra went onto YouTube and published a video criticizing the MTV Japan for not appreciating musicians.
Discography
Albums
* [1998.06.17]
The Rhyme Animal
* [2000.06.14] Based on a True Story
* [2002.05.29]The First Struggle
* [2003.09.18]Tokyo's Finest
* [2006.02.15]The New Beginning
* [2007.10.17] World Of MusicSingles
* [1997.07.25]
Mappiruma
* [1998.12.16]The Rhyme Animal Remix E.P.1
* [1999.02.24]The Rhyme Animal Remix E.P.2
* [2000.03.23] MR. DYNAMITE
* [2001.01.25]Neva Enuff feat.Aktion
* [2001.08.08] BABY GIRL
* [2003.01.22] BIG BIG MONEY feat.Hiro
* [2003.04.23] SUPATECH (What's My Name?)
* [2003.07.30]Perfect Queen
* [2005.06.01]Street Dreams
* [2005.09.21]Oh Yeah
* [2006.12.06]Stop Playin' A Wall
* [2007.07.18]My People feat.Miliyah Kato
* [2007.09.19]Not Your Boyfriend feat.JESSE (RIZE )
* [2008.03.05]Bushido References
External links
* [http://www.myspace.com/zeebranihon Official Zeebra Myspace]
*ja icon [http://www.ponycanyon.co.jp/arts/zeebra/bio.html Biography]
*ja icon [http://zeebra.jp/ Official Zeebra website]
*http://web.mit.edu/condry/www/jhh/
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