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Song of the Day - SHINPEITA (晋平太) - I WILL #1 PV

The Ultimate MC Battle legend is  back! The two time UMB Grand Champsionship winner has had a career spanning nearly 4 years and is releasing his first BEST OF compilation. The first track is brand new and like a good label will, they released a video for the new song. The BEST OF will really show his evolution and growth as an artist and it features a DVD of all of his best MC battles!

Song of the Day - YSK - Jealousy (ジェラシー ) PV

Ultimate MC Battle mainstay YSK is finally releasing his first album this month and if this is any indication it will be great!

Song of the Day - BOMBRUSH! - "STAY STRONG"

What's up RSF fans! It's Alan with your daily dose of Japanese HYPE! Today's RSF recommendation- "Stay Strong" features my friend DAG FORCE on the track. This song is great, even if you don't understand Japanese. Push play, share and enjoy!

BOMBRUSH! - "STAY STRONG" feat. NORIKIYO, SHINGO★西成 & DAG FORCE

Song of the Day - KOWICHI (Enmaku) feat. AKASHINGO (EMERALD) - JUST WALK ON PV

KOWICHI (Enmaku) is back with a new single featuring EMERALD member; AKASHINGO. I love KOWICHI's flow and AKASHINGO makes good use of auto-tune, which isn't always easy to do.

REVIEW - PePe&Jony the sonata - paper.cheeze.plate.

Last month I bought rapper and Ultimate MC Battle champion 晋平太's (Shinpeita) latest release, a compilation of various artists who competed in UMB, all coming together to contribute their own original tracks as well as a cypher type track as the opening. Number three on the album's first disc is Peep Show by PePe&Jony the sonata and upon hearing them I had to find out more. Luckily I found their album on iTunes and that's about it. On to the review!

Song of the Day - LIL KOHH - Young Forever

This kid can rap for someone so young and looks to have a very promising future doing so. Let's hope to see him at UMB some time in the next 5 years or so. Another great video directed by EillyHustleHard (At least I think, I found it on his page and he only uploads videos he directed or produced, at least usually.) A very clever and refreshing video. I look for him to go from LIL KOHH to just KOHH on down the road, reminiscent of Lil Bow Wow for instance.

INTERVIEW - AXIS (LIBRA LTD)

I recently had the opportunity to interview Yokohama based rapper AXIS. AXIS is on the LIBRA LTD label which has acts such as MSC who are known as one of the founding groups of Japanese Hip Hop. As with all of my interviews it was via email.

Song of the Day - GAZZILA - WHAT'S MY NAME?

A brand new PV from R-Rated Records, starring label newcomer GAZZILA! Pretty cool video if you like R-Rated Records and skateboards/BMX! This came out of nowhere on YouTube yesterday and it's not being released as a single yet either. Hopefully it's a sign of his first album. The track is produced by NAOtheLAIZA & RAGSIX. The video is directed by JONAH SCHWARTZ.

REVIEW - AXIS - UNCIVILIZED

I pre-ordered AXIS's new album from JetSet Records and after it arrived I got sidetracked for a month and didn't get around to reviewing it. AXIS is a rapper on the LIBRA LTD label known for Japanese hip hop legends MSC aka Mic Space Crew and SHINGO NISHINARI as well as JUSWANNA and many great DJ. Anyway! Without further ado, on to the review!

1.Prologue - It's basically a good intro track that sounds like it could go in a action film, then AXIS just kills it with a freestyle session. It definitely sets up the rest of the album, especially the eerie demonic laughter. The beat is courtesy of DADDY VEDA a.k.a. REBEL BEATS (ILL EAST RECORDS).

RIZE 2012 Fallin' Tour

RIZE TOUR 2012 - Sponsored by Stride gum

Everyone's favorite Japanese grunge-rock band RIZE is back at it again, along with the release of their newest single, "Local Defense Organization." 

Song of the Day: ChthoniC - KAORU

By now, it should be painfully obvious to most of our regular readers that I am a HUGE fan of ChthoniC. Their latest album, Takasago Army embraces the theme of a WWII Taiwan. I am especially fond of the art style they chose for the posters and flyers - it really draws people in, as if it is another piece of wartime propaganda.

Song of the Day: Loreena McKennitt - Marakkesh Night Market

I am very fond of Celtic music, and Loreena McKennitt is probably the main reason for this. When I was in junior high school, my father gave me one of her albums to listen to, The Book of Secrets. I fell in love with her music, and it is a love that continues to this day. Traditional and innovative, McKennitt's music captures the ear and draws the listener into a world far away, filled with dreams and fragments of histories that long passed by.

Song of the Day: Silver Ash - Gorgeous Devil

Many of the veterans of the visual-kei scene will be familiar with the name Silver Ash. Silver Ash are one of the first visual kei bands to come out from China, having been founded in Beijing. They are not well-known to most younger fans (who, at most, are familiar with ParanoiD, Venue, and other current VK bands from Hong Kong), but at one time they were rather popular. Their song Gorgeous Devil is one of my favorite tracks. 

Song of the Day: Melechesh - Negative Theology

I will admit that I find metal rooted in traditional music to be  one of the most engaging genres possible. From Orphaned Land to ChthoniC, from Kagrra to Rudra, I find myself enchanted by the timeless melodies that echo amidst the clanging chaos and the sounds of battle. Metal is meant to portray a battle - perhaps that is why some of the heaviest metal comes from Scandinavia, where vikings had once feasted in the name of Odin and planned their battles. In that line of thought, the Middle East should also produce music of battle, music of war, music steeped in blood and tears and sweat and history - and they do. Melechesh is one such band, and today's song of the day is a prime example of excellent metal. 

Song of the Day: Dio - I Could Have Been a Dreamer

I remember quite clearly where I was, when I heard about Ronnie James Dio's death. I don't suppose many people do, but it was a strange night for me, that one night. You see, I was outside of Webster Hall with some friends, waiting to get into a show... in the basement, of course. Cool people go to the basement, don't you know? It's underground. (Yes, I made a hipster joke. Moving along, now.) Now, it was about 6:30pm, and the sun was setting, and it was a lovely May evening, and my friend was checking his facebook when he nearly shit himself and announced that RJD was dead.

Song of the Day - Shazna - Sumire September Love

Ah, the 1990s had certainly been a great decade. Lately, I have been feeling nostalgic for that time - watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed, and listening to Savage Garden and such... ah, yes. It had been a great time for music and a fascinating time to be alive. Thus, coming back to RSF after my hiatus as I am, I thought I'd start with one of my favorite songs. Shazna were one of the first bands I encountered, and their Golden Sun and Silver Moon compilation is one of my most prized albums to date. 

Regarding - Politics - The Way It Looks ( US Election 2012)

Due to a very disheartening revelation I must make a correction to the statement I made earlier.

Mitt Romney will be the next President of the United States. Mitt will be the next president thanks to no actions of his own. Mitt Romney will be the next president thanks to the voter suppression ID laws, cut backs on early voting (especially in Democratic leaning counties/districts and in Florida for instance have an 10 page voting ballot. 

Few people, excluding hardcore voters I.e. few young people and the sick, disabled, elderly will not spend a lot of time in line and if you're older you may very well have eyesight issues. The turn out will be lower than usual if it's raining or even snowing in some states like Colorado.

All of this makes for a perfect storm of rigging an election in the GOP's favor. The system has never been more rigged than it is this year. It will be amazing if Obama gets a second term.

Regarding a Personal Matter - 30 Days in Seclusion

Last month after seeing my routine matinee movie in the form of The Bourne Legacy, I decided that was the last time I would go anywhere for the rest of the month. Little did I know it would be the beginning of a routine that would be very powerful.

Song of the Day - Purple Swag Remix PV

Watch "Purple Swag Remix feat. VITO, KUTS DA COYOTE, ERA, Cherry Brown, PUNPEE & DJ TY-KOH" on YouTube

Another great PV from EillyHustleHard. It's got some great rappers on it!