Liner notes for C.r.e.a.m. Team Records first single "Memento

Liner notes for C.r.e.a.m. Team Records first single "Memento

C.r.e.a.m. Team Records' first single "Memento" (DJ MITSU THE BEATS feat. Shing02) will be released on June 15, 2022. Prior to the release, we commissioned liner notes for the song from Kakimu Omae, who started his career as a writer in 1996, writing mainly for hip-hop magazine "blast" and other publications.

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The single "Memento" is the first release from C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label dedicated to 90s hip-hop. DJ MITSU THE BEATS, who took over as executive producer of C.r.e.a.m. Team Records this April (2022), created the track, which features Shing02 as a featured guest, It is also the first single from the album produced by DJ MITSU THE BEATS himself, which will be released on C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, and is very important for the future of this project.

C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.

DJ MITSU THE BEATS IS A MEMBER OF SENDAI-BASED HIP-HOP GROUP GAGLE, AND HAS ESTABLISHED A FIRM POSITION IN THE JAPANESE HIP-HOP SCENE, WORKING AS A PRODUCER ON VARIOUS ARTISTS' WORKS AND WINNING ACCLAIM FROM MUSIC FANS IN JAPAN AND ABROAD.

■"GAGLE" OFFICIAL WEBSITE

https://gagle-official.com/

Shing02 has been active in the Northern California Bay Area hip-hop scene since the 1990s as a pioneer of bilingual rappers, both in English and Japanese, and has released a total of more than 10 albums both solo and in collaboration with various producers. Shing02 is currently based in Hawaii and active worldwide.

■"Shing02" official website

https://www.e22.com/shing02/

Although they have taken completely different paths as artists, they have much in common in terms of their pursuit of hip-hop as Japanese people. Incidentally, the most well-known collaboration between DJ MITSU THE BEATS and Shing02 to date is "CA LA MODE" from GAGLE's fifth album "VG+" released in 2014, and "Flow" from the album "Vanta Black There is also a remixed version of the song "Flow" from the album "Vanta Black," which was released after "VG+," in which Shing02 participated. This song was never officially released and was only included on a CD that was not for sale, making it a rare song that GAGLE fans coveted.

In writing this article, I spoke directly with DJ MITSU THE BEATS and Shing02, and their words convey that they have been fans of each other long before they actually performed together.

I first heard Shingo-san (Shing02) on a song ("A Day Like Any Other Remix (A Day Like No Other)") on the Mary Joy compilation "Tags Of The Times" (released in 1998). He was rapping in a bilingual style, and I thought, "This guy is really cool. After that, "Luv(sic.)" also left a deep impression on me.
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.
DJ MITSU THE BEATS
I FIRST HEARD GAGLE'S MUSIC IN THE EARLY 2000S. I THOUGHT IT WAS ORTHODOX, BUT VERY SOPHISTICATED. MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF MITSU (DJ MITSU THE BEATS) WAS THAT HE WAS COOL AND MADE BEAUTIFUL BEATS. SO I ALWAYS HAD A ONE-SIDED FEELING THAT I WANTED TO MEET HIM.
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.
Shing02

It was not until much later that the two actually met in person, such as when Shing02 visited Sendai for a show, and their relationship gradually deepened, leading to their participation in the aforementioned "VG+" album. The two artists gradually deepened their relationship, leading to their participation in the aforementioned "VG+" album, and the single "Memento" is an extension of that relationship.

When the C.r.e.a.m. Team talked about creating a work with a 90's hip-hop theme, Shingo's name immediately came up as a candidate for a rapper I wanted to work with. Not only is he a legendary rapper, but he is highly original, and there is no one else who can do it in that style. This time, I also wanted to appeal to overseas audiences, so I asked him to do it in English.
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.
DJ MITSU THE BEATS

The track "Memento" consists of a seemingly simple but exquisitely pleasant beat intertwined with a piano tone that rings out in deep depth, and DJ MITSU THE BEATS says he created this track with the image of Shing02 rapping in mind.

The theme is 90's hip-hop, but I didn't try to recreate 90's hip-hop as it was in the 90's. I respected 90's hip-hop, but incorporated today's technology. I wanted to respect the 90's hip-hop, but at the same time incorporate today's technology. I knew that Shingo-san would come up with a proper theme, so I was conscious of creating a track that would support that theme.
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.
DJ MITSU THE BEATS
Mitsu-kun sent me the beat, and I said "I'll do it. It was like looking at a picture and deciding on a title, and when I heard the beat, the words "Memento Mori" came to mind. The image of "death" from the sound and the fact that we were in the middle of Corona also came to mind. So I crossed those ideas with the "Memento Mori" and played with words a little bit.
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.
Shing02

The somewhat sad piano melody is reminiscent of a requiem, which leads to the title "Memento" (Memento Mori = Don't forget your death). And while the theme of "death" is at the core of the song, the lyrics develop in a flowing manner, overflowing with the richness of expression and fun that only Shing02 can bring to the table.

I happened to be in recording mode at the time, so I recorded it on the spur of the moment when I heard the beat and returned it. There are times when I spend months writing lyrics in great detail, but this time I think I was able to do it in a good freestyle kind of way. Also, my recent style of English rap music is not to try to make the most difficult rhymes, but to use simple rhymes and say something profound with the descriptions between the rhymes. In English, it is called "between the lines," but in my case, it is "between rhymes.
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.
Shing02

For example, in the first verse, the name of former basketball player Robert Ollie appears in the lyric, which will make fans grin if they know that Shing02 is a basketball fan, and right after that, the name of Walter White, the main character in the drama "Breaking Bad" The name also appears. While those two names are framed firmly in the rhyming flow, those who know the story of "Breaking Bad" will easily understand that it is also strongly linked to the theme of this song. The hook, which combines the three words "Memento," "Lamento," and "My mental," has a simple structure, but it also describes the flow of emotions behind it and resonates deeply.

... "Robert Ollie" Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AD%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88%E3%83%BB%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC

Breaking Bad Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%96%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AD%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0%E3%83%BB%E3%83%90%E3%83%83%E3%83%89

FOR ME, THE PRODUCER (DJ MITSU THE BEATS) IS A PART OF THE SONG, SO AS A RAPPER, I WANT TO GIVE THE SONG AS MUCH DEPTH AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT DESTROYING THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE SONG.
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.
Shing02
When I make a beat, I have a certain image of "this is the kind of rap I'm thinking you'll do." I have a certain image of what I think the rap will be like. But this time, I was surprised by the theme. I was also surprised that the theme was deeper than I would have thought of on my own, so I am glad I asked Shingo to do it.
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.
DJ MITSU THE BEATS

DJ MITSU THE BEATS says that "Memento" has become the "core song" of his own produced album to be released on C.r.e.a.m. Team Records. This time around, DJ MITSU THE BEATS has been working on a new album, "90's Hip-Hop Underground," which will be released on the upcoming "90's Hip-Hop Records" label. This time, especially with the participation of Shing02, who was in the midst of the US underground hip-hop scene in the 90s, the song is sure to be a truly special one.

I think that not only is it about 90's hip-hop, but I think that behind the 90's hip-hop theme, you can see the current music that is made by people who went through 90's hip-hop. I know there are people who will listen to this song and say, "It's not 90s hip-hop," but I'm glad that I was able to create something that was exactly what I was aiming for.
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.
DJ MITSU THE BEATS

Finally, after their third collaboration in total, Shing02 once again spoke about the appeal of DJ MITSU THE BEATS from his point of view.

FOR ME, THAT'S THE HIGHEST COMPLIMENT, BUT HE IS THE MOST RELIABLE PRODUCER I CAN LISTEN TO. EVERY SINGLE NOTE OF MITSU'S BEATS IS WELL EQ'D AND BALANCED, AND YOU CAN TELL THAT HE HAS TRIED AND TESTED EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING IS LEAN, AND HE HAS REACHED THE LEVEL OF A CRAFTSMAN. AND SINCE YOU ACHIEVED THAT A LONG TIME AGO, IT'S AMAZING.
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.
Shing02
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in hip-hop from the 90s, created by everyone.

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Text: Itaru Omae

A music writer, he started his career as a writer in 1996, writing mainly for hip-hop magazines such as "blast" and others, In 2015, he returned to Japan and continues to write for various magazines and web media, focusing on hip-hop.

 
C.r.e.a.m. Team Records

Come on, let's get to the stage. Cream Team Records is a label dedicated to 90's Hip-Hop where anyone can participate in the creative process as an artist or owner. to participate in the creative process as an artist or owner.