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
Latitude Remix Feat. Five Deez
Nujabes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't look any further while your vision is clear
A lotta fog in the mist tryin to throw you a curve
All these rappin thugs gettin on my last damn nerve
You eat the same piece of cake day in and day out
That tired ass flavor gets played out (no doubt)
You say that tag along warning to a rhyme for the rest
When we rock all the people say "yessuh"
The scratch, you know the wickywicky words to match
You still playing catch-up, fall far behind the line
Trying to cut, but you wasting your time please, come on dude
We the Five Deez, superior rhyme steez, don't have our own style
We got styles plural, you still caught up in yesterday
Steppin and fetchin, gettin swept away
Futuristic black holdin mics like soldiers hold weapons
On the attack im reppin, cincinatti's finest no question (give me five)
Now you say Queens City
Throw your hands up in the sky
Wave around from side to side
We about to get fly
Roll my glock over on a sucker who's locomotive
I'm moving in like the ocean, devotion within my rhymes
Same year, last time committed crimes like a felon
Three fifty seven lyrics can bust you up like melons
They ending when I'm dealin at five hundred decibles
I'm yellin "Five Deez" tellin cities and countries before me (say what?)
I'm lucky, these other cats bore me, cold and plastic
I turn the crowd into elastic, I'm stretchin them to the left
And get pulled to the right
Like a periscope, seeing over normal eyesight
I rock all night, so you can roll through the day
Feelin the rhythm to hear my rhymes in delay
I give em what is needed while you just form what they want
Who gonna get jumped, chump? Crunk brothas
Bounce to my jams like blubba, we doin it for lovas
While you suckled with the hatas, on the crossfada
And you say Queens city
Hey, you can call me on your mobile phone
Or grab a pen and a sheet of paper and write a letter at your home
You can download my music off an internet site,
Or you could be mixtapin it, we'll still be creatin it
You could have a compact disc, with vinyl gratin' it
Vibrations, be still, and keep the vibe waitin
A watcher or a reader, a loner or a leader
You could be the one that make the party cold or make it heat up
(make the beats heat up)
Bust slow to my motion, from the highest mountain to the bottom of the ocean
You want it? Final attack, get attacked on DAT
Cause and effect, it's because we wreck
There's no flaws to detect
So don't pause the deck
Local or international, took galactic respect
You could fall from the pressure
Or could you take the weight
(and rhythmic break)
And you say Queens city
The lyrics to Nujabes's song, Latitude Remix Feat. Five Deez, addresses the current state of the hip-hop industry and how Five Deez, an underground hip-hop group, has a distinct and superior style. The song is a call-to-action for listeners to join their side and embrace their unique sound. The beginning of the song asks the listener what side they are on and assures them that the right choice is to stick with Five Deez. The following lyrics criticize the homogeneity of mainstream hip-hop and the repetitive lyrics and beats that are being churned out. The song asserts that Five Deez offers something fresher and more innovative, with multiple styles evident in their music. The lyrics emphasize the power of their performance and how, when they take the stage, people respond with enthusiasm. The song also highlights the power of social media in disseminating music, urging listeners to contact Five Deez via any means necessary.
Overall, Latitude Remix Feat. Five Deez is a rallying cry for hip-hop fans to embrace something different and daring in a world of repetition and conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
What side you on, you want alive? It's right here
You don't need to look any further for what you're seeking, it's right here in front of you.
Don't look any further while your vision is clear
Stay focused on what's in front of you, don't get distracted.
A lotta fog in the mist tryin to throw you a curve
There are many obstacles and distractions that can throw you off course.
All these rappin thugs gettin on my last damn nerve
I'm annoyed with all the rapping thugs and their predictable style.
You eat the same piece of cake day in and day out
You keep doing the same thing over and over again.
That tired ass flavor gets played out (no doubt)
The flavor gets old and boring quickly.
You say that tag along warning to a rhyme for the rest
You try to add a warning to a rhyme to sound different.
When we rock all the people say "yessuh"
People are excited and happy when we perform.
We fresher than alla these miggy-figgy-niggies on the mic
We have a unique and fresh style compared to other rappers on the mic.
The scratch, you know the wickywicky words to match
We have a great ability to match the scratch with our lyrics.
You still playing catch-up, fall far behind the line
You're still trying to catch up to us but you're too far behind.
Trying to cut, but you wasting your time please, come on dude
You're trying to compete but it's a waste of time, stop trying.
We the Five Deez, superior rhyme steez, don't have our own style
The Five Deez have a superior rhyming style and we don't have just one style.
We got styles plural, you still caught up in yesterday
We have many styles and you're still stuck in the past.
Steppin and fetchin, gettin swept away
You're just going through the motions, getting swept away by the crowd.
Futuristic black holdin mics like soldiers hold weapons
We hold our mics like weapons, ready to attack in a futuristic way.
On the attack im reppin, cincinatti's finest no question (give me five)
I'm representing Cincinnati and I'm the best, no question.
Now you say Queens City
Representing Cincinnati, now you say Queens City.
Throw your hands up in the sky
Put your hands up and get ready.
Wave around from side to side
Move your hands back and forth.
We about to get fly
We're about to start performing and it's going to be amazing.
Roll my glock over on a sucker who's locomotive
I'm taking down my enemy who thinks they're tough.
I'm moving in like the ocean, devotion within my rhymes
I'm coming in with power and passion in my lyrics.
Same year, last time committed crimes like a felon
I committed crimes like a felon in the past but I've moved on.
Three fifty seven lyrics can bust you up like melons
My lyrics can destroy you like a powerful gun.
They ending when I'm dealin at five hundred decibles
My performance is so loud that everything else fades away.
I'm yellin "Five Deez" tellin cities and countries before me (say what?)
I'm shouting out to Five Deez's fans everywhere we perform.
I'm lucky, these other cats bore me, cold and plastic
I'm lucky to be working with Five Deez because other rappers are boring and fake.
I turn the crowd into elastic, I'm stretchin them to the left
I'm controlling the crowd and moving them around like elastic.
And get pulled to the right
I'm also moving the crowd to the right.
Like a periscope, seeing over normal eyesight
I have a unique perspective and can see things beyond normal vision.
I rock all night, so you can roll through the day
I perform all night so you can listen to my music all throughout the day.
Feelin the rhythm to hear my rhymes in delay
The rhythm of my performance continues to echo in your mind.
I give em what is needed while you just form what they want
I give my audience what they need while other rappers give them what they think they want.
Who gonna get jumped, chump? Crunk brothas
Who's going to get attacked? Other rappers who are trying too hard to be cool.
Bounce to my jams like blubba, we doin it for lovas
Dance to our music with joy, we're making it for our fans.
While you suckled with the hatas, on the crossfada
While other rappers are stuck with the haters, we're moving forward.
Hey, you can call me on your mobile phone
You can reach out to me in many ways, including through your phone.
Or grab a pen and a sheet of paper and write a letter at your home
You can also write a letter to me if you prefer.
You can download my music off an internet site,
You can easily find and download my music online.
Or you could be mixtapin it, we'll still be creatin it
Even if you're just making a mixtape, we're still creating our music.
You could have a compact disc, with vinyl gratin' it
You could have our music on a CD or on vinyl.
Vibrations, be still, and keep the vibe waitin
Allow the vibrations of our music to resonate within you and feel the full vibe.
A watcher or a reader, a loner or a leader
Our music is for anyone, regardless of their personality or style.
You could be the one that make the party cold or make it heat up
You have the power to either kill the party or make it more exciting.
(make the beats heat up)
Make the music more intense and exciting.
Bust slow to my motion, from the highest mountain to the bottom of the ocean
Listen to my music at any time, in any place. It can take you to the highest or lowest point.
You want it? Final attack, get attacked on DAT
Are you ready for it? Here's the final attack, recorded and ready to be heard.
Cause and effect, it's because we wreck
We're causing a chain reaction with our music because it's so good.
There's no flaws to detect
Our music is flawless and perfect.
So don't pause the deck
Don't hesitate to keep the music going.
Local or international, took galactic respect
Our music is respected everywhere, even in space.
You could fall from the pressure
Our music is intense and can be overwhelming.
Or could you take the weight
Can you handle the intensity of our music?
(and rhythmic break)
A brief pause in the music to emphasize the intensity.
And you say Queens city
Representing Cincinnati, now you say Queens city.
Contributed by Jackson T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@etriantrujek286
What side you on?
You want alive? it's right here
Don't Look any further
While ya vision is clear
A lotta fog in the mist
Tryin to throw you a curve
All these rappin' thugs
Gettin' on my last damn nerve
You need to say "a piece a' cake"
Day in and day out
That tired-ass flavor gets played out (no doubt)
You say that tag-along warning
To a rhyme for the rest
When we rock all the people
Say "YES SIR"
We fresher than all of these
Miggy figgy niggys on the mike
And scratch, you know
The [scratch] words to match
You still playin' catch up
Fall far behind the line
Try to cut but you wastin' ya time
Please come on, dude
We the Five Deez
Superior rhyme steez
Don't have our own style
We got styles plural
You still caught up in yesterday
Steppin' infection
Gettin' swept away
Futuristic black holdin' mics
Like soldiers hold weapons
On the attack and reppin'
Cincinnati's finest, no question (five)
And you say queen city
(Side to side)
Throw ya hands up in the sky
Wave 'em round from side to side
We about to get fly (whoa)
of a sucka who's locomotive
I'm movin' it like the ocean
Devotion within my rhyme
Sayin' gift that's time
Committin' crimes like a felon
.357 lyrics to bust you up like melons
They ending when I'm dealin'
At five hundred decibels
I'm hailin' Five Deez
Tellin' cities and countries before me
(Say what?) I'm above these
These other cats bore me
Cold and plastic
I turn the crowd into elastic
Stretchin' 'em to the left
Then get pulled to the right
(Like a periscope)
Seein' 'em with normal eye sight
I rock all night
So you can roll through the day (come on)
Feelin' the rhythm
To hear my rhymes in delay
I give 'em what is needed
While you just flaunt what they want
Who gonna get junk, chum? (Who?)
Crunk clubbers
Bounce to my jam like rubber (yeah)
We doin' it for lovers
While you second with the haters
On the cross fader
(Side to Side)
And you say Queen City (city, city, city)
Hey
You can call me on ya mobile phone
Or grab a pen, a sheet of paper
Write a letter at ya home
You can download my music
Off a internet site
Or you can be mix tapin' it
We'll still be creatin' it
You can have a compact disc
Or vinyl gratin' it
(Vibration) but we still
Won't keep the fire waitin'
A watcher or a reader
A loner or a leader
You could be the one
To make the party cold
Or make it heat up
(Make the beat speed up)
(Press slow to know motion)
From the highest mountain
To the bottom of the ocean
(You want it?) Final attack
yeah, attack or adapt
Cause and effect
It's because we wreck
There's no flaws to detect
So don't pause the deck
Local or international
To galactic respect
You could fold from the pressure
But could you take the weight?
(And a rhythmic break)
And you say Queen City (city, city, city)
@lumin6108
I haven't heard the song for so long
@aeonezalpha3655
Do you want me to diiieeee???
@Dbales34
Me neither. I forgot it existed Tbh. It was a nostalgia I didn't even know I had
@terrasloush6617
I liked your comment so you can come back once again :)
@lumin6108
i get in such a good mood when i hear this song.
I love this song
@aeonezalpha3655
Diiieeeee!!¡!!
@AnimalsMix
Me too bro. Too nostalgic :)
@shutupack5389
popped in my head today, it's been years. feels like my life started here
@johnnymorgan5907
Nujabes was such a gem. Just incredible beats and music. RIP Nujabes.
@Red_Keeper
The instrumental is fabulous