"ele-king presents HIP HOP 2025-26" Supervised and Edited by Shin Futatsugi
ISBN:978-4-911484-04-3
The second issue of Japan's only print magazine dedicated to hip-hop, "THE CROWD," has arrived.
Everything you need to know about what is happening in US hip-hop right now!
Pink Siifu, first-ever Japanese interview
Special Feature: The Past and Present of the Underground—An in-depth dissection of a scene brimming with unique creativity
And of course, we’re doing it again!
Announcing the 50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2025
billy woods, Cardi B, The Alchemist, Rico Nasty, Che, Little Simz, WHATMORE, Skrilla, Clipse, Bad Bunny, Bktherula, and more...
Book Design = Takumi Ota
Cover Photo = Yuki Kawashima
Kiku-ban size 218x152 / 176 pages
［Editor/Supervisor Profile］
Shin Futatsugi
Born in 1981. Writer. Co-editor of "Shirouto no Ran" (with Hajime Matsumoto), author of "Shikujiru na yo, Rudy," planner/composer for "Hip Hop Dream" by Kan a.k.a. GAMI, and editorial collaborator on "ele-king vol. 27: Special Feature: Report on the Current State of Japanese Rap," "Bungei Bessatsu: Kendrick Lamar," and others.
contents
［Special Feature］
The Past and Present of the Underground
［Foreword］
Welcome to the Underground (Shin Futatsugi)
［Interview］
Pink Siifu, first-ever Japanese interview—Living in Black America Today (Interviewer: Shin Futatsugi, Interpreter: Tomomi Hasegawa)
Pink Siifu, Selected Disc Guide
［Column］
What makes MF DOOM's rapping so incredible?—Explained by ShotGunDandy
The History of Underground Hip-Hop (Abokado)
Hip-Hop's Maturity and Fashion Brands (Takayuki Ohashi)
A Place for Creativity Uncontrolled by Anyone (Masashi Yoshida)
The Questions Posed by Queer Rap (Tsuyoshi Kizu)
Sensibilities of the Chicago Underground (Itaru Mita)
［Guide］
Essential Listening: 30-Album Disc Guide (Shin Futatsugi, Abokado, Masaaki Kobayashi, Nekogata, Masashi Yoshida, ShotGunDandy)
Key Label Guide
［Second Feature］
2025 Best Albums 50
(Shin Futatsugi, Daiki Takaku, Tsuya-chan, Abokado, Masashi Yoshida, Shiho Watanabe, Minako Ikeshiro, Tatsuki Ichikawa, Masaaki Kobayashi, Nao Shimaoka, Machizo Hasegawa, Daniel Takeda, Ruuya Iwata, Sho Okuda)
2025: The year people clamored that rap disappeared from the charts—what is the reality? (Minako Ikeshiro × Shiho Watanabe)
Trends in US Hip-Hop (Keisuke Ninomiya)
The Female Rap Scene (Nao Shimaoka)
Beyond Crossover and Post-Genre (Tsuya-chan)
Hip-Hop "Resistance" and Another America—On Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, and billy woods (Shin Futatsugi)
2025 Best 10 Selected by Record Stores
(disk union, EBBTIDE RECORDS / HMV record shop Shibuya / JET SET KYOTO / Manhattan Records / VINYL DEALER)
