Nujabes, RIP.
On February 26th the world lost what I feel was the greatest DJ/Producer in the sampling scene, Nujabes. He was ripped from us in a car accident on the Tokyo expressways. (For those who haven’t seen them, I can assure you that those highways are absolutely insane. Seriously, highways through buildings?) His death was announced nearly a month later via the blog of a long time collaborator and friend, Shing 02
The music of Nujabes holds a very special place in my heart, and always will. I’m writing this so late after his death because I was reminded once again today just how important his music is to me.
Nujabes first rose to prominence in 2003 with the release of his first album, Metaphorical Music. His sound was heavily inspired by the late 80s/early 90s Jazz Rap movement. When the likes of Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and many others began using Jazz samples in their tracks, they opened the door to a whole new world of possibilities in Hip-Hop. Nujabes walked right through it, and found another entrance of his own.
While most artists of the style would use the samples as backing for their rhymes, Nujabes tended to focus more on the melodic side of Jazz, which is apparent through the fact that a great deal of his songs were instrumentals.
When he’d flip a beat, he would often make great songs sound even better. One track in particular, I feel, is the most telling of his talents, as well as the importance melody in music. “Luv Sic (pt 3)”, featuring the aforementioned Shing 02 on vocals, shows what Nujabes can really do with Jazz. Beneath Shing’s lyrics, a piano sample of “Tens (Calmaria)” by Ivan Lins is chopped and looped seamlessly. It was done so beautifully that it tends to give one an intesne feeling of euphoria when losing yourself in the track.
That’s exactly what Nujabes did for me and several others, he allowed us all to just forget everything and lose ourselves in the beauty of sound. I regret that I never got to see a live set of his; but what I regret more than anything is that I never got to thank him for all he did for me through his music.
I miss you, Nujabes. Where ever you are, I can only hope our paths cross in the next life.
