He was also an owner of "tribe", a record store in Shibuya, Tokyo, and led indie record label Hyde-Out Productions. He released two albums in Japan, Metaphorical Music in 2003 and Modal Soul in 2005. He was also a member of the production duo Urbanforest, an experimental collaboration with Nao Tokui (appearing on the Lady Brown 12").
In addition to Japanese artists like Shing02 and Minmi, he has collaborated with underground American hip-hop acts Cyne, Apani B-Fly, Five Deez, Substantial, Fat Jon and British rapper Funky DL.
He has also contributed music to the soundtrack of Samurai Champloo, an anime which blends a setting in feudal Japan with modern anachronisms, especially hip-hop music.
On March 17, 2010, it was announced on the Hyde-Out Productions website that Jun passed away on February 26, 2010 at the age of 36 after being involved in a serious car accident on the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway. He was promptly transported to the hospital, where attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. An English announcement was made on March 18 by friend and collaborator Shing02 on the Empire22 website:
Today, I have very somber news for the international hip hop community, especially fans of the independent hip hop scene, and those who have followed my career.
It has been announced that Jun Seba, aka Nujabes, Japanese hip hop producer extraordinaire, passed away late February. Official statement from the label (in Japanese) here:
http://hydeout.net/hydeout/2010/03/_hydeoutproductions.html
We deeply regret the loss of a unique talent and a close friend. Through his soulful music, Nujabes has touched so many people around the world, even beyond his dreams. He was a mysterious character to most as he avoided the public limelight, rarely conducted interviews, so only a few got to know the man behind the signature production. Yet it continued to amaze me how young listeners of all backgrounds learned of his enigmatic name, and expressed support for his music.
As I write now from Japan, I had been leaving him messages the past couple of weeks, trying to get in the studio together, so the news could not have come any more unexpected. Even last week, I passed by his house and called him thinking he was still home.
I met Nujabes around 2000 and as an upcoming MC, I was fortunate to work on tracks such as Battlecry, F.I.L.O, Luv(sic) parts 1, 2 and 3. We had been working on the next trilogy of Luv(sic) over the past year (which we're determined to see through). The last time we talked in January, Nujabes emailed me to wish Jeff Resurreccion, a 19-year old beatboxer who had just passed way from cancer, his heartfelt condolences.
While we continue to respect the privacy of his family, we will work to preserve his legacy, and pay tribute to the body of work, some unreleased, that he has left for us to enjoy. Jun Seba will be dearly missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and fans worldwide.
in peace,
Shing02
Feather
Nujabes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reading through the daily news
Measuring the hurt within the golden rule
Centimeters in ether I'm heatin' 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
I'm just a vagabond with flowers for Algernon
An average joe who knows what the fuck is goin' on
Its the hope of my thoughts that I travel upon
Fly like an arrow of God until I'm gone so
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
Riding an escalator to a 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
Riding an escalator to a somethin' that is greater
Taking chances word tap dancing with wolves
In an ice arena out there deep in the woods of Arizona
The sun be high life's ironic
Ain't I tryin' to be Dali when I write
Surreal life I paint it vivid
Habitat, crazy, insane
Watchin' propaganda six o' clock news that are sayin
Cultures clash, poor black folk and white trash
They rebel in the cyberspace that might crash, dash
To millennium a million miles of runnin
At the speed of now back,no return gunnin
Rambo style gun-ho child gunning
Ammo blaow two times loud stunnin, stunning
When it hit ya, lift ya off the earth like
Ayo take you right back to birth, and
Niggas wonder why
They might wonder why this shit might happen but it does, it goes
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
Riding the escalator to a 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
Riding the escalator to a somethin' that is greater
Treat you, better than me 'cause that's the heavenly key
To unlock the inner strength where my essence will be
It's the knowledge of self, understanding of the things around me
That becomes the wisdom that I need,
Livin' this life to the best of my ability
Channelin' energy to my thoughts attain symmetry
Remember me, because my prose remain gold
I got the gift of gab like them pimps in Kangols
It never ends, I keep it rollin' like a cypher,
The first cave man bringing fire, innovating it higher
To blast mistakes I raise the stakes
It's double or nothing in this vacuum of space
I will, survive, divine, the time to cry
Fuck a hold or hide I'm alive with pride
And I drove the chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
Singing "this will be the day that I die"
The lyrics to Nujabes's "Feather" are a poetic reflection on the turmoil in the world and the individual's escape from it. The singer describes himself as light as a feather as he floats through life, metering the hurt that he sees in the world daily. He references the "golden rule," the idea that one should do unto others as they would have them do unto them, and measures the hurt in the world against it. He sees the discord in the headlines, whether it be genocide or uproar on the planet, and recognizes that the rules of paradise are never nice.
As he drifts away like a feather in the air, he uses his words as motivation, hoping to be the teacher that can ignite fire in others. He sees himself as a traveler, flying like an arrow of God until he is gone. He tap dances with words and takes chances, hoping to be something greater than what he is. In the third verse, he reflects on the irony of life and his desire to be Dali when he writes, to paint a vivid surreal life.
Throughout the song, the singer recognizes the instability in the world but chooses to keep it vertical, continually rising higher and higher. He uses an escalator to ascend to something greater. He recognizes that the key to unlocking the inner strength is to treat others better than oneself, to channel energy into thoughts that can attain symmetry. And although he recognizes that mistakes will be made and the vacuum of space can be unforgiving, he chooses to push forward with pride.
Line by Line Meaning
Light as a feather when I'm floating through
I feel light as a feather as I navigate through life.
Reading through the daily news
I stay updated with current events.
Measuring the hurt within the golden rule
I assess how well people live by the Golden Rule.
Centimeters in ether I'm heatin' the speaker
My words have a profound effect on people.
Motivational teacher with words that burn people
I inspire and ignite passion in people through my words.
Seeing the headlines lined with discord
I see division and conflict in society through media headlines.
It's either genocide or the planet in uproar
It seems that the world is experiencing either mass killings or great upheaval.
Never good, the rules of paradise are never nice
The perfect society is never as it seems.
The best laid plans of mice and men are never right
Even well thought-out plans can go awry.
I'm just a vagabond with flowers for Algernon
I'm just a wanderer on this earth who tries to bring beauty to the world like the character in Flowers for Algernon.
An average joe who knows what the fuck is goin' on
I'm a regular person who is aware of what's really happening in society.
Its the hope of my thoughts that I travel upon
I believe in the power of positive thinking.
Fly like an arrow of God until I'm gone so
I strive to follow the direction that God has for my life.
Driftin' away like a feather in air
I let my thoughts take me away from pain and sadness.
Lettin' my words take me away from the hurt and despair
I seek comfort and peace through my words.
So I'm keepin' it vertical forever elevator
I am constantly moving upwards in life, like an elevator.
Riding an escalator to a somethin' that is greater
I am going towards something that is higher and better.
Taking chances word tap dancing with wolves
I embrace risk and boldly confront challenges.
In an ice arena out there deep in the woods of Arizona
I am in a cold, challenging environment in the middle of nowhere.
The sun be high life's ironic
Life can be unpredictable.
Ain't I tryin' to be Dali when I write
I am trying to be artistic and unique like Salvador Dali.
Surreal life I paint it vivid
I portray the strange but fascinating qualities of life in my art.
Habitat, crazy, insane
The environment I am in is wild and unpredictable.
Watchin' propaganda six o' clock news that are sayin
I watch the biased media who promote their own agendas.
Cultures clash, poor black folk and white trash
Different cultural groups fight and there is social and economic disparity.
They rebel in the cyberspace that might crash, dash
People rebel against the system through online communication platforms that may face technical difficulties.
To millennium a million miles of runnin
Society has come a long way but still has a long way to go.
At the speed of now back,no return gunnin
We move forward so quickly that it's hard to look back.
Rambo style gun-ho child gunning
We tackle problems with excessive force and bravado.
Ammo blaow two times loud stunnin, stunning
There is a sudden, shocking event that is intense and unforgettable.
When it hit ya, lift ya off the earth like
The impact of the event can be overpowering.
Ayo take you right back to birth, and
The event can make you reflect on your life from the beginning.
Niggas wonder why
People ask why such things happen.
They might wonder why this shit might happen but it does, it goes
People may question why but humanity's unpredictable fate will continue.
Treat you, better than me 'cause that's the heavenly key
I treat others well because that's the right thing to do.
To unlock the inner strength where my essence will be
I strive to develop my inner strength and be true to myself.
It's the knowledge of self, understanding of the things around me
I understand myself and the world around me.
That becomes the wisdom that I need,
This understanding turns into wisdom.
Livin' this life to the best of my ability
I am trying to live life to the fullest.
Channelin' energy to my thoughts attain symmetry
I direct my energy towards positive thoughts in order to achieve balance and harmony.
Remember me, because my prose remain gold
I want to be remembered for my profound words that touch people's hearts.
I got the gift of gab like them pimps in Kangols
I have the talent of eloquent speech like famous pimps who wear Kangol hats.
It never ends, I keep it rollin' like a cypher,
My life journey continues and I keep moving forward like a cycle.
The first cave man bringing fire, innovating it higher
Like the first person to control fire, we innovate and improve over time.
To blast mistakes I raise the stakes
To surpass our failures, we aim higher.
It's double or nothing in this vacuum of space
In this cruel world, we must take high risks to get high rewards.
I will, survive, divine, the time to cry
I am a survivor and will overcome obstacles but will allow myself to feel sadness.
Fuck a hold or hide I'm alive with pride
I won't hide in fear but will live boldly and fearlessly.
And I drove the chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
I attempted to go somewhere but was unsuccessful.
Singing "this will be the day that I die"
I feel like something significant has ended in my life.
Contributed by Carter E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@omar3339
LYRICS:
Light as a feather when I'm floatin' through
Readin' through the daily news
Measuring the hurt within the golden rule
Centimetres of ether I'm heatin' the speaker
Motivational teacher with words that burn people
Seeing the headlines lined with discord
It's either genocide, all the planet in uproar
Never good but rules of paradise are never nice
The best laid plan 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 goin' on
It's the hope of my thoughts that I travelled upon
Fly like an arrow of god until I'm gone
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 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
Taking chances, word tap dancing with wolves
In an ice arena out there, deep in the woods of Arizona
The sun be high, life's ironic
Ain't tryin' to be Talib when I write
Surreal life I paint it vivid habitat crazy insane
Watch the propaganda six o'clock news that are saying
Cultures clash for black folk and white trash
They revel in the cyberspace that might crash
Dash to millineum a million miles of runnin'
At the speed of now back don't return gunnin'
Rambo style gunho child gunnin'
Ammo blao two times loud stunnin'
Stunnin' when I hit ya lift you off the earth like
Ayo, take you right back to birth
And niggaz wonder why they might wonder why
This shit might happen but it does, they go
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 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
Treat you better than me because that's the heavenly key
To unlock the inner strength where my essence will be
It's the knowledge of self understanding of the things around me
That becomes the wisdom that I need
Living this life to the best of my ability
Channelling energy to my thoughts into your symmetry
Remember me because my clothes remain gold
I got the gift of gab like them pimps in Kangols
It never ends I keep it rulin' like a cypher
The first caveman bringin' fire
Innovating and higher to blast mistakes I raise the stakes
It's double or nothing in this vacuumless space
I will survive, divine the time to cry
Fuck a hold or hide I'm alive with pride
And I drove the Chevy to the levy
But the levy was dry singin', "This will be the day that I die"
@QuietEscapism
The fact that this album was made in 2005 is mind-blowing. The whole record was so ahead of its time
@elijahreynolds1064
It wasn't we are just so out of touch we repeat the past but it was very good and still is
@neighborhoodturnt
@@elijahreynolds1064I would almost argue we’re going in the wrong direction now modern music just isn’t the same sadly
@milesrichardson1500
Music has no time... nujabes is whenever you play his stuff
@Kansaidorifuto_
@@neighborhoodturnt You compare non mainstream music from before to nowadays mainstream music. The comparison is not fair. We have amazing artists you just don't know about.
@neighborhoodturnt
@@Kansaidorifuto_ true but the hay day of hip hop and Memphis horrorcore is long past the era I’m most fond of to each is own and yes their is still great artist but tbh I prefer my old music sorry you got so offended lol
@Xrossbot
Feather is undoubtedly one of the top 3 songs of this album. Amazing poetic song
@17-.
Absolutely agree. This one always speaks to me.
My top three are definitely Luv(sic) pt3, Feather, and Eclipse
@FukUrUsernameRules
In my opinion it's one of the top 20 best chill-out hip hop tracks ever produced.
@JMLsMUSIC
@@FukUrUsernameRules 100% every thing he made was authentic