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
Home Sweet Home
Nujabes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born in Maryland, let me make that known
The county of P.G.'s my home sweet home.
Yo, I gotta put it down for my home town,
MD, the B.C.'s my stompin' ground.
Home to some of the wildest brothas on the planet,
From blue collar workers, to thugs, and bandits.
Horny individuals, we call them "mammas."
If a nigga's trippin', we say the dude is stuntin(?)
Good lookin' women translate into youngin's.
A hoopdee is a bucket, so act like ya know,
We don't care what your name is cause everybody's Joe.
For real though, Dogo's the music we invented
Jump around the junkyard, et cetera, don't you forget it.
Who do you think had the world doin' The Butt?
B.C. to P.G., recognize, nigga, what?
*Chorus*
In the song Home Sweet Home by Nujabes, the chorus talks about the pride and love for their hometown, Maryland. The lyrics begin with the declaration that their home is in Maryland, specifically in the county of P.G. The rapper then proceeds to express the diversity of the people in the area, ranging from blue-collar workers to thugs and bandits. The community in Maryland has its own local slang and language that differentiates them from the rest. For example, "mammas" is a term used to describe horny individuals, and "youngin's" is used to describe good-looking women. The rapper also explains the phrase "stuntin," which is a local term for someone whose behavior is troubling or annoying.
The second half of the chorus puts a spotlight on the musical achievements that the community in Maryland cultivated. The rapper mentions the regional music genre known as Dogo, which originated in the neighborhood junkyards. The singer then boasts of their ability to invent music that had the world dancing to their beat, citing "The Butt" as an example. By the end of the chorus, the singer calls for recognition and respect for the Maryland -BC to P.G- community.
Line by Line Meaning
Born in Maryland, let me make that known
I am proud to say that I was born in Maryland.
The county of P.G.'s my home sweet home.
Prince George's County is where I feel most at home and connected to.
Yo, I gotta put it down for my home town,
I need to represent and speak out for my city and community.
MD, the B.C.'s my stompin' ground.
Maryland, specifically the Beltway Corridor, is where I have grown up and spent most of my time.
Home to some of the wildest brothas on the planet,
Our area is home to some of the most energetic and dynamic people around.
From blue collar workers, to thugs, and bandits.
Our diverse population includes people from all walks of life, from laborers to criminals.
Got our own slang that we use in our grammar,
We have created our own unique language and expressions that are specific to our community.
Horny individuals, we call them "mammas."
When someone is feeling lustful, we refer to them as a "mamma."
If a nigga's trippin', we say the dude is stuntin(?).
If someone is acting crazy or irrational, we say they are "stuntin'."
Good lookin' women translate into youngin's.
We refer to attractive women as "youngin's."
A hoopdee is a bucket, so act like ya know,
A beat-up, old car is known as a "hoopdee" in our community.
We don't care what your name is cause everybody's Joe.
We don't judge people based on their name or status, we treat everyone equally and call them by the same nickname.
For real though, Dogo's the music we invented
We take pride in our unique style of music called "Dogo" which originated from our community.
Jump around the junkyard, et cetera, don't you forget it.
We have a distinct way of having fun and expressing ourselves, such as jumping around in junk yards and other unconventional spaces.
Who do you think had the world doin' The Butt?
We are proud of our contribution to popular culture, such as creating the famous dance move "The Butt".
B.C. to P.G., recognize, nigga, what?
From the Beltway Corridor to Prince George's County, we want people to recognize and appreciate our community and culture.
Contributed by Charlie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@emilbersonka8713
So unglaublich dope...
@friedrichfermi6559
this collection is underrated
@tempestional
its actually so cool to see a local guy go so far
@DonSulli
2:30 goes hard
@Monorisu97
Indeed this song feels like home sweet home
@animelover9389
This song is home sweet home ❤
@alexl4645
🙏🏾🙏🏾
@Guivi99Druid
HITS HARDA then any beat or rap today Like something on adult swim or on Samurai champloo/Cowboybebop in the 2008 during the recession or something you would download and jam to on your ipod or your whip beats so fluid
@oswaldovarguez4958
Esta canción no fue producida por Nujabes, por eso puedes notar la diferencia en calidad
@Migger_29
Dimention Ball’s remix is also worth a listen