Interview
The LiFTED 5: ¥ellow Bucks becomes himself with Wataru
“There are more listeners and players in the game—both real and fake ones.”
Two years ago, Japanese rapper ¥ellow Bucks was a coverstar for LiFTED when his album, Jungle 2, came out. In that interview, he mentioned he had a track with Fabulous that would be released at some point. That time is now with the release of his latest album, Wataru, ¥ellow Bucks’ real name. Representing the Japanese spirit, Wataru connects the MC and the real person. With a big list of guest stars like YG, CFN Malik, Candee, eyden, Watson, Yvng Patra, and LANA, ¥ellow Bucks’ fourth album Wataru looks to have something for everyone.
You have been involved with Hip Hop since the age of 16. What are some of the biggest changes you have seen in the Hip Hop world since then? What are some of the biggest changes that have affected you?
The Hip Hop scene in Japan has gotten bigger than ever. There are more listeners and players in the game—both real and fake ones. And now, there’s real money to be made.
スケールが大きくなった。リスナーもプレイヤーもリアルもフェイクもたくさんいる。お金が稼げるようになった。
Your new album is called Wataru. Why did you call the album your real name?
The Japanese kanji "wa" represents the Japanese spirit, and my name, Wataru, uses the same kanji. The connection between the two words is significant to me and the reason I chose it as the album title.
日本の精神を表す言葉で和って言葉があるのと、自分の名前もこの漢字でワタルなので、このタイトルにしました。
Tell the LiFTED readers about the song ‘Who I Am.’ What does this song mean to you? Why did you choose it as your lead single? What are some other standout songs on the album that have deep meanings for you?
Even without particularly "rapping," I wanted people to know it was me just from listening to the beat. I feel connected to each track on the album, but if I had to choose one, it would be ‘Moshimo.’ It’s a very personal song that really fits with the meaning of the album title, Wataru.
ラップをしなくてもこのビートで誰なのかわからしたかった。全部思い入れはありますが、1番はmoshimoです。パーソナルな曲だから、Wataruってタイトルが1番ハマってるかと思ってます。
You have some very big special guests on the album. Who are you doing collabs with and how did they come about?
Yes, there are quite a few very special collabs on the album like YG, Fabolous, CFN Malik, Candee, eyden, Watson, Yvng Patra, and LANA. The collaborations on this album came together quite organically—some connections were sparked through social media, while others were artists I had long admired to work with. Every guest joined the project through a unique channel or a specific, meaningful occasion.
YG, Fabolous, CFN Malik, Candee, eyden, Watson, Yvng Patra, LANAです。SNSから始まったり、元々やりたかった人もいれたり、各個人で色んな経緯があります。
If the music stopped tomorrow, would you be Wataru or ¥ellow Bucks?
I'd be ¥ellow Bucks, and I would play the music that stopped again.
止まった音楽をもう一度かけたいです。
Check out ¥ellow Bucks' latest video 'Kahbkimono' below.
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