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
The Sign
Nujabes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time I walk I watch
I look, I notice, I observe
I read the signs
And the signs are pointing in the wrong direction
The signs are not naming the streets
or leading you to the highways
the signs are naming names
and I don't mean abortion I mean what is to come
The signs are telling me to turn back around
the signs are telling me to research my past
the signs are telling me to learn from my mistakes
the signs are asking me questions
Do you wanna watch it all fall apart?
Do you have any control?
Is there anything that you can do?
Time is not a nice person
I know because the sign said it
time can be generous but ultimately time is indifferent
time does not give two damns or a fuck
So what will you do?
What will we do?
So I'm in the middle of the street talkin' to the signs
and people are lookin' at me pointing and laughing
like, "This mothafucker's crazy!"
But do they not see the signs?
Do you not see the signs?
If there is one thing in this world
that you can depend on
that you can bet your last dollar on
it's the ignorance of the American people
But still I have faith
But still I read the signs
They are indeed there
Some of us are lost
and will not find our way
no matter what the signs say
Some of us do not see the signs because
we are too busy shopping.
Some of us do not see the signs because
we can't help but stop and look at the accidents and stare
We are in a daze
We are amazed by the world's displays
Some of us do not see the signs because
we are giving spare change to the homeless
we are getting gas
we are volunteering for duty
and we are watching television
We are driving around in circles on spinners
and we are working eight to six
We are on our way to the club
we are high, we are drunk, and we are sober
and we do not see the signs
We are listening to a moron babble
we are listening to tongues that lie
we give them an ear
we give them a hand
we give them both eyes
so we cannot see the signs
There are children playing in the streets
and they cannot read the signs
They are only children
Stop.
Stop!
I fear there is no U-turn
and that this road dead-ends
because we cannot read the signs
Do you not see the signs?
We must read the signs
and we must turn around
we must turn around
we gotta turn this shit around
and we gotta read the signs
we must read the signs...
we must read the signs...
we must read the signs...
we gotta read the signs...
we gotta turn this shit around...
we must turn this shit around...
In "The Signs," Nujabes and Pase Rock paint a bleak but honest picture of the world we live in. The song's overarching theme revolves around the signs we see in our daily lives and how they point in the wrong direction. The signs, in this case, are not the kind that lead us to our destination, but those that indicate the decay of our society. The signs are pointing to a future where children don't even have a chance to be born, where time is indifferent, and where people are too busy shopping and chasing material gains to notice what's happening around them.
The song's lyrics talk about observing and interpreting the signs around us. It's about reading between the lines and seeing what's really happening in the world. The signs are telling us to turn around, to learn from our past, to stop chasing our own tails, and to start paying attention. The signs are asking us whether we want to watch it all fall apart, whether we have any control, and whether there is anything we can do.
The song is a call to action, a wake-up call to all of us. It's a reminder that we need to be attentive to our surroundings and pay attention to the signs around us. We need to turn this thing around before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
You wanna watch it fall apart
You want to witness everything falling apart
Every time I walk I watch
Every time I walk, I observe
I look, I notice, I observe
I closely examine my surroundings
I read the signs
I analyze the signs
And the signs are pointing in the wrong direction
The signs are indicating that things are headed in the wrong direction
The signs are not naming the streets
or leading you to the highways
the signs are naming names
tombstones to mark the death of children not even born
and I don't mean abortion I mean what is to come
The signs are not providing directions or guidance, but instead pointing towards a bleak future where children are dying before being born
The signs are telling me to turn back around
The signs are indicating that I need to turn around and go back
the signs are telling me to research my past
The signs are indicating that I need to examine my past
the signs are telling me to learn from my mistakes
The signs are indicating that I need to learn from my previous errors
the signs are asking me questions
The signs are posing questions to me
Do you wanna watch it all fall apart?
Do you want to witness everything falling apart?
Do you have any control?
Do you have any power over the situation?
Is there anything that you can do?
Is there anything that you can do to bring about change?
Time is not a nice person
I know because the sign said it
time can be generous but ultimately time is indifferent
time does not give two damns or a fuck
Time is not a compassionate entity and is indifferent to our plights
So what will you do?
What will we do?
What actions will you take? What actions will we take?
So I'm in the middle of the street talkin' to the signs
and people are lookin' at me pointing and laughing
like, "This mothafucker's crazy!"
I am conversing with the signs in the middle of the street, and people are mocking me and considering me to be insane
But do they not see the signs?
Do you not see the signs?
Do they not observe the signs? Do you not observe the signs?
If there is one thing in this world
that you can depend on
that you can bet your last dollar on
it's the ignorance of the American people
One thing that can always be counted on is the ignorance of the American populace
But still I have faith
But still I read the signs
They are indeed there
Nevertheless, I have faith and continue to observe the signs that are present
Some of us are lost
and will not find our way
no matter what the signs say
Some of us are lost and unable to find our way, despite the signs indicating the proper path
Some of us do not see the signs because
we are too busy shopping.
Some of us are too occupied with shopping to recognize the signs
Some of us do not see the signs because
we can't help but stop and look at the accidents and stare
We are in a daze
We are amazed by the world's displays
Some of us are distracted by accidents and impressed by the world's offerings, causing us to overlook the signs
Some of us do not see the signs because
we are giving spare change to the homeless
we are getting gas
we are volunteering for duty
and we are watching television
Some of us are performing everyday activities, such as giving change to the homeless, pumping gas, volunteering, and watching television, which causes us to miss the signs
We are driving around in circles on spinners
and we are working eight to six
We are driving aimlessly with rims and working long hours without any direction
We are on our way to the club
we are high, we are drunk, and we are sober
and we do not see the signs
We are headed to a nightclub in various inebriated states and are not perceiving the signs
We are listening to a moron babble
we are listening to tongues that lie
we give them an ear
we give them a hand
we give them both eyes
so we cannot see the signs
We are listening to foolish people talk and making their lies our own, which causes us to overlook the signs
There are children playing in the streets
and they cannot read the signs
They are only children
Children are playing in the streets, but they are unable to understand the signs due to their young age
Stop.
Stop!
Halt. Halt immediately.
I fear there is no U-turn
and that this road dead-ends
because we cannot read the signs
The absence of a U-turn and the road ending in a dead end may occur due to the unobservant nature of people towards the signs
Do you not see the signs?
We must read the signs
and we must turn around
we must turn around
we gotta turn this shit around
and we gotta read the signs
You must observe the signs. We must acknowledge the signs and make a sudden change, which helps us to overcome our present situation
we must read the signs...
we must read the signs...
we must read the signs...
we gotta read the signs...
we gotta turn this shit around...
we must turn this shit around...
It is essential to read the signs, read the signs, and read the signs again in order to make a significant change for the betterment of the current situation.
Contributed by Nathaniel W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bocajonamas1474
You wanna watch it all fall apart?
Every time I walk I watch
I look, I notice, I observe
I read the signs
And the signs are pointing in the wrong direction
The signs are not naming the streets
Or leading you to the highways
The signs are naming names
Tombstones to mark the death of children not even born
And I don't mean abortion I mean what is to come
The signs are telling me to turn back around
The signs are telling me to research my past
The signs are telling me to learn from my mistakes
The signs are asking me questions
Do you wanna watch it all fall apart?
Do you have any control?
Is there anything that you can do?
Time is not a nice person
I know because the sign said it
Time can be generous but ultimately time is indifferent
Time does not give two damns or a fuck
So what will you do?
What will we do?
So I'm in the middle of the street talkin' to the signs
And people are lookin' at me pointing and laughing
Like, "This mothafucker's crazy!"
But do they not see the signs?
Do you not see the signs?
If there is one thing in this world
That you can depend on
That you can bet your last dollar on
It's the ignorance of the American people
But still I have faith
But still I read the signs
They are indeed there
Some of us are lost
And will not find our way
No matter what the signs say
Some of us do not see the signs because
We are too busy shopping
Some of us do not see the signs because
We can't help but stop and look at the accidents and stare
We are in a daze
We are amazed by the world's displays
Some of us do not see the signs because
We are giving spare change to the homeless
We are getting gas
We are volunteering for duty
And we are watching television
We are driving around in circles on spinners
And we are working eight to six
We are on our way to the club
We are high, we are drunk, and we are sober
And we do not see the signs
We are listening to a moron babble
We are listening to tongues that lie
We give them an ear
We give them a hand
We give them both eyes
So we cannot see the signs
There are children playing in the streets
And they cannot read the signs
They are only children
Stop
Stop!
I fear there is no U-turn
And that this road dead-ends
Because we cannot read the signs
Do you not see the signs?
We must read the signs
And we must turn around
We must turn around
We gotta turn this shit around
And we gotta read the signs
We must read the signs...
We must read the signs...
We must read the signs...
We gotta read the signs...
We gotta turn this shit around...
We must turn this shit around...
@ilovecereza1246
Everytime I walk I watch, I look, I notice, I observe, I read the signs.
@user-bn7rc9uv1m
But i mostly do it when i drive
@anniethdesign
@@user-bn7rc9uv1m lmao
@Uriel.982
Rest in peace legend, the emotions you transmitted through ur music will live on forever in our hearts
@kuressentokei8904
This song resonate with me as I grow older.
@moonsets-on_you
when people say rap is poetry this song is the perfect example. paints a vivid picture and has that call to action english literature teachers won't shut up abt lol.
@tja9212
i would say "hip hop is peotry" instead of "rap" and i would count this style more to spoken word, what is somewhat the spiritual predecessor to rap. but yes, totally agree to your point.
@moonsets-on_you
listening to this album for the first time rn: and fuck i love the lyrics. so raw and down to earth. And Nujabes' beats complements the elegancy of teaching someone life lessons without putting them down.
@silencemonkk
it is swinging so hard 🔥hiphop surely shares the same spirirt of jazz
@OLDMANWAFFLES
I’ve been listening to this track since 2009, and I had to come back to this album and this song in particular. What a wonderful, raw, poetic piece of music. Who would’ve thought that by me watching adult swim at 2am on school nights would’ve led me to such great music for the rest of my life?