I talked to Yurufuwa Gang in The Japan Times today, about their forthcoming album Mars Ice House, one of the better Japanese rap albums I’ve heard in recent years. “Escape To The Paradise” isn’t their most Technicolor cut, though it still manages to highlight most of the sonic elements that makes them such a breath of fresh air in the often too-serious world of Japanese rap: ample use of Auto-tune, a playful repetition, focus on simple but relateable themes. The real star on “Escape To The Paradise,” though, is Sophiee, who adds an energy to her verse that gives the song a sudden burst in the middle. Listen above.
