**R.I.P. Jun Seba (瀬場 潤, Seba Jun), (February 19, 1974 – February 26, 2010) **

youtube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKW4EA3wluI&w=480&h=&rel=0&hd=1]

Shing 02, who worked with Nujabes on the popular Japanese anime series “Samurai Champloo” score, expressed deep grief during the month of March and delivered the news publicly on his website.

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. (via Shing02)

So I was looking on YouTube for Japanese Hip-Hop music (don’t sleep on Japan, those cats are NICE out there, ask Pharrell) and I found out that my favorite Japanese producer Jun Seba (known as Nujabes) passed away on the day of the Japanese 7.3 magnitude earthquake in February. :(

Nujabes (born Jun Seba), a Japanese hip-hop producer, was killed in a car accident in Tokyo. Nujabes crashed when leaving the Metropolitan Expressway in Tokyo’s Minato Ward.

Nujabes was 36 years old when he died. The car crash that killed Nujabes took place on February 26, 2010, the same day a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan. Nujabes’ death was only publicly confirmed by Hydeout Productions and by his friend and collaborator, Shing02, today; he was buried by his family in a private ceremony.

Nujabes: Producer and Scenemaker

Nujabes was the founder of Hydeout Productions, as well as the owner of two Tokyo record stores, Guinness Records and T Records. Nujabes (who came by his artistic name by spelling his real name backwards) also contributed music to the anime Samurai Champloo, an anachronistic tale mixing samurai lore and modern hip-hop culture. -(via HydeOutProductions) youtube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OuRajFzMYI&w=320&h=&rel=0&hd=1]

FameONE shared his story as well, and it is identical to mine from start to finish.

Like any other hiphop head that also watches a healthy dose of Japanese Anime, I am a fan of Samurai Champloo. What enticed me about the show, initially, wasn’t Jin’s swordsmanship, or Mugen’s raw Okinawan attitude; it was the music. I needed to know where these incredibly dope beats came from that breathed new life into my world of hiphop. And like any other hiphop head that also watches a healthy dose of Japanese Anime (particularly, Samurai Champloo), I found my way to the original soundtracks. Out of all the artists/producers that contributed to the sounds of a, stylishly portrayed, Feudal Japan, Nujabes is the one that stuck out the most. I feel in love with Aruarian Dance. To this day, it is a track is listen to, at least, several dozen times a week, and that’s far from an exaggeration.

The artist proves that he isn’t just a producer of ill beats in charge of another record studio. He’s a composer; an artist. His music has always accented my emotions, or put all of my worries to rest. Since falling in love with the song, I had been a fan, eagerly anticipating each new release. It feels like yesterday, I was going from record store to record store in Naha City (Okinawa, Japan), looking for Modal Soul on vinyl just to listen to on my pair of Vestax turntables. I didn’t want to scratch, and flex my skills of turntablism with a jazzy sound, I just wanted to listen. And while I knew little about the man behind the alias (Jun Seba), it seemed that everything he needed to say, he said through music.

My praise will never cease of Nujabes or his music. He quietly inked his name in hiphop history by leaving a legacy of peaceful, jazzy and funky music that is nothing short of timeless. In fact, the man was so private, that most of the world knew not of his passing on February 26, 2010 (to include myself). While many will mourn the tragedy of his world’s exit, others will listen to his music and feel comforted that he is in a place where his music plays all day long, painting a new reality of peace and tranquility. My friends, if you’re just now learning of Nujabes, then I urge you to research his music, and enjoy it to the fullest. Today is a sad day in hiphop for me. He will be missed.

When I first heard Nujabes work after watching the anime series “Samurai Champloo” years ago, I dug for the show’s soundtracks years ago. I can honestly say he opened my mind to the power of production. R.I.P. to one of the most talented producers i’ve ever heard of. So humble and so skilled. He inspired me to make some of my best work to date. He was the first one I heard that could turn various emotions into one beat. He did what I felt like making every day in the studio. You can feel his emotions in his music. He will forever be remembered.

#RIPNUJABES

youtube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnhJoyAYsEo&w=480&h=&rel=0&hd=1]