The Rapper Everybody’s Talking About: Jeter
More now than ever is youth a superpower.
Cyclical changes rotate rapidly - like trends, following complicated rhythms - and art chases after freshness and innovation like a game of cat-and-mouse. Tokyo is a gargantuan city, perhaps not in size, but in impact. This puzzle of subcultures truly creates a perfect ecosystem for upcoming artists of all niches. Music is growing like weeds in this Nippon capital: it’s a beacon for the rest of the country, and newer genres like hyperpop and hip-hop are the stars of the show. Meet Jeter, one of the fastest-moving Tokyo-based rappers, representative of this new wave in the underground music scene.
The giants of the industry didn’t take too long to notice Jeter, and that’s thanks to his uniqueness. Never will you catch him lacking any creativity; his amalgamation of genres and influences earns him a lot of respect, spicing up the scene by simply being.
Western music is a standard of success for the Japanese music industry, but keeping it authentic and exporting novelty is much more important. Jeter ties these together, and references from drainer culture, bedroom pop’s DIY video style, kitsch-cool graphics, and a touch of the Y2K craze are visibly VIP in his creative process.
With Y ohtrixpointnever, they form a duo called Peterparker69. If you haven’t caught on, humor is a main theme in their creations, and that’s where the real gold is: from the outside looking in, it seems like inside jokes are spread out, and their carelessness for outside opinions completely changes the interface of the music. There’s a sense of indulgence and a disregard for the strict industry that makes it so important.
It’s catchy, it’s brand-new and symbolic of the transition we’re making in music globally. Jeter is an artist to keep a keen eye on because it’s so clear that he’s only a few moves away from reaching legendary status.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
