– blkcory
Carrying on with this Japanese playlist series, the next installment brings us to the city of Osaka. Osaka is known as “Japan’s kitchen” and was a lot more lively than Kyoto. The city would go from futuristic architecture and tall towers, to small shrines in the heart of little neighbourhoods. It had restaurants in small houses or some that were so long they covered most of a block. The real experience was the lines, if there was a line that stretched around the building, you knew the food was always worth the wait.
Food aside though, the most interesting part of Osaka was it’s unwillingness to conform to all the customs and norms of typical Japanese culture. Osaka citizens were a lot more rebellious to me in that sense. An area known as “Amerikameru” was a great example of that. It was an entire area that dedicated to American culture. The youth and younger people in this area were a lot more expressive with their individuality than anywhere else I’d seen in Japan. Whether it be with the music they were listening to or the clothing they were wearing, everyone in this area appeared to have something unique about them. You’d go down one street and all of a sudden 90s hip-hop is blasting. Then on a next street, you’d hear reggae and dancehall music (they even had a reggae festival the weekend I was there but I missed it). They had small vintage t-shirt shops and massive 8 storey malls.
That’s what inspired this playlist. The people I met in this city that showed me that the way things have been molded to be, isn’t what things have to be. The neighbourhoods and districts that played music that you wouldn’t expect. The random transitions from futuristic to historic architecture. You’d turn a corner and would have an entirely new experience. I wanted this playlist to reflect all of that. I found the theme music to various Japanese tv commercials that were composed by Yasuaki Shimizu and thought I’d use them as interludes throughout the playlist. Every time you hear his music in the playlist, you can expect the vibe and the music to change to some degree. Just like in Osaka, it keeps you on your toes from sunup to sundown and refuses to conform to whatever idea you have in your head of what it should sound like. Enjoy Osaka – Exhibit B.
Like always, I’ve got the tracklist and Apple Music links below after the Spotify playlist and it’s another playlist that sounds much better in its original song order (don’t shuffle this one if you want to understand the idea of the playlist). Give it a listen and let me know what you think in our comments on IG at: @day.four.
Osaka – Exhibit B Tracklist (Apple Music song links):
Seiko 3 – Yasuaki Shimizu
Aim High – Childish Major
If You Know You Know – Pusha T
It Ain’t Easy, It Ain’t Easy – Beast Coast (Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies, Nyck Caution, Kirk Knight, CJ Fly & AKTHESAVIOR)
Weak – Floda
Tachikawa – Yasuaki Shimizu
Bring Da Ruckus – Wu-Tang Clan
Tru Master – Pete Rock feat. Inspectah Deck & Kurupt
Gin N Juice – Snoop Dogg feat. Dat Nigga Daz (Daz Dillinger)
Gotta Get Mine – MC Breed
New Wu – Raekwon feat. Method Man & Ghostface Killah
It’s On – Beanie Sigel feat. Jay-Z
Hip 2 Da Game – Lord Finesse
Ricoh 1 – Yasuaki Shimizu
Sanufa – Bas
Chanel (Go Get It) – Young Thug feat. Lil Baby & Gunna
Going Bad – Meek Mill feat. Drake
Praise The Lord (Da Shine) – A$AP Rocky feat. Skepta
Don’t Cross Me – Dave East & Styles P feat. Jazzy Amra
Got Muscle – Goldlink feat. Peewee Longway & WaveIQ
All Night – Jerreau
Honda – Yasuaki Shimizu
Bagga Mouth – Buju Banton
Can’t Kill We – Vybz Kartel & Chronic Law
With The Thing – Alkaline
Bullet Proof – Popcaan
Humongous – Masicka
Bank – Collie Buddz feat. B Young & Russ
Elegance – The Rara
Level Up – Popcaan
Not Another Word – Protoje, Lila Iké feat. Agent Sasco (Assassin)
Boutique Joy – Yasuaki Shimizu
Addicted To The Game – Jim Jones feat. Loring Chia
Diplomatic Immunity – Drake
SLAY – YG feat. Quavo
Got Friends – Goldlink feat. Miguel
Double Up – Nipsey Hussle feat. Dom Kennedy & Belly
What It Used To Be – Es-K
Seiko 1 – Yasuaki Shimizu
Morning Mourning – Styles P
Problemz – Beast Coast (Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies, Nyck Caution, Kirk Knight, CJ Fly, Erick The Architect, The Underachievers, Zombie Juice)
Crime Pays – Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
Molasses – Raekwon feat. Rick Ross & Ghostface Killah
Cristal Occasions – Jim Jones & Heatmakerz
Made – Cousin Stizz
Lebron James – Joey Purp
dayfour.ca 