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K Dub Shine

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K Dub Shine
Birth nameKōta Kagami (各務貢太)
Born (1968-05-08) May 8, 1968 (age 56)
OriginTokyo, Japan
GenresJapanese hip hop
OccupationRapper
Years active1993–present
Labels
Websitehttps://web.archive.org/web/20080331105158/
http://www.atomicbomb.co.jp/kdub/index.html

Kōta Kagami (各務貢太, Kagami Kōta, born May 8, 1968), known professionally as K Dub Shine(Kダブシャイン), is a Japanese rapper.

Early life

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Kagami was born in the Shibuya ward of the city of Tokyo, Japan. As a child, he was quite sickly and was in and out of hospital. It was said that he may not live to see his first day of primary school. He dropped out of high school and studied abroad in a high school in Florida, the United States. Upon returning to Japan he joined Temple University, Japan Campus but dropped out again.[1] In the late 1980s he discovered hip-hop in the United States. Although he believed that the Japanese language was not fit for rapping, he changed from rapping in English to Japanese, after a friend questioned his decision to not use his own language.[2]

Career

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He formed the acclaimed hip-hop group King Giddra, alongside fellow rapper Zeebra and producer DJ Oasis in 1993.[3] By the late 1990s, K Dub Shine had created his own record label and had become a big force in the Japanese underground hip hop scene. Many of his lyrics seek to depict accurately and without bias the reality of Japanese youth culture.[4] He has done multiple collaborations with Soul Scream in his career, and has also featured on RGTO by AKLA, which has surpassed 26 million view on YouTube as of 2024.[5][6] In 2011, in response to the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, her performed a charity gig alongside King Giddra to raise money for the victims.[7]

Political views

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K Dub Shine has expressed negative and critical views towards the United States [8] In multiple songs such as "Why So Much?", he is critical of the use of the English language by Japanese rappers.[9] He uses his Instagram account to express his political views, including criticisms of the president of Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy,[10] the Israeli government and what he calls a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza[11][12] and towards transgender people and the BLM movement.[13]

Discography

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Albums

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  • Genzai Jikoku (現在時刻) (1997)
  • Ikiru (生きる) (2000)
  • Riyuu (理由) (2004)
  • Jishu Kisei (自主規制) (2010)
  • Shin Nihonjin (新日本人) (2016)

EPs

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  • Jiko Hyougen (自己表現) (2006)
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References

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  1. ^ "Kダブシャインが抱える複雑な感情 変わりゆく地元の風景に何を想う". CUFtURE（カフチャ）｜テクノロジー×カルチャーで、未来を耕すWEBメディア (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  2. ^ miyearnzzlabo (2015-08-21). "K DUB SHINE アメリカ留学と日本語でラップを始めたきっかけを語る". miyearnZZ Labo (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  3. ^ "日本語ラップの金字塔！キングギドラ『空からの力』20周年 - TOWER RECORDS ONLINE". tower.jp. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  4. ^ Condry, Ian. Hip-hop Japan: Rap and the Paths of Cultural Globalization. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.
  5. ^ "SOUL SCREAM、客演にRHYMESTER、Zeebra、K Dub Shine、DJ Oasis迎えた「TOu-KYOu 2021」リリース - Spincoaster (スピンコースター)" (in Japanese). 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  6. ^ AKLO (2014-09-03). AKLO "RGTO" feat.SALU, 鋼田テフロン & Kダブシャイン. Retrieved 2024-05-21 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "K DUB SHINE - 他のラッパーとの関係 - わかりやすく解説 Weblio辞書". www.weblio.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  8. ^ KDUBSHINE. "「日本人には顔がない、フェイスレスなんだ」と言われたことも…レジェンドラッパー・Kダブシャインが語った、日本がイノベーションを起こせない理由". 文春オンライン (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  9. ^ Why So Much ?, retrieved 2024-05-21
  10. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  11. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  12. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  13. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-05-21.


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