The rapper is Japanese. The lyrics are in Japanese.
But the beats, the mixing, the music video shoots — nearly everything was handled by the American side.
In the history of Japanese rap, there are still almost no albums by Japanese rappers where “Japan had so little involvement in production.”
On April 25, 2026, Yuki Chiba and BABYWOODROSE released the album ‘Documentary’ under the name “Yuki Chiba & BABYWOODROSE” without prior announcement. Of the seven tracks, five are handled by ChaseTheMoney, the American producer known for work with Offset, J. Cole, and Juice WRLD. The remaining two tracks are handled by JayUncut and Ambezza. Furthermore, on April 29 at 8 PM, the music video for the included track “George Washington” will premiere. This is a continuous-deployment project design, with a second wave waiting five days after release.
This article analyzes how far this work pushed Japanese rap’s “American production system” through four axes: arrangement, producer lineup, timing, and connections. And finally, we’ll make a definitive statement about what this work leaves for Japanese rap.
April 25: Seven Tracks Dropped as a Surprise
‘Documentary’ is a seven-track album released by YC Sounds. The credit is not “Yuki Chiba ×” but officially listed as “Yuki Chiba & BABYWOODROSE”. Rather than a guest appearance work, it’s positioned as a collaboration between both artists.
- Track 1 “曲（Kyoku）” — Producer: ChaseTheMoney
- Track 2 “生活習慣（Seikatsu Syuukan）” — Producer: JayUncut
- Track 3 “ジョージ・ワシントン（George Washington）” — Producer: ChaseTheMoney
- Track 4 “ボブ・マーリー（Bob Marley）” — Producer: ChaseTheMoney
- Track 5 “墓行け（Haka Ike）” — Producer: ChaseTheMoney
- Track 6 “スパスタ（Spa Sta）” — Producer: ChaseTheMoney
- Track 7 “ビバリーヒルズ（Beverly Hills）” — Producer: Ambezza
Mix & Mastering by Chris Bhikoo, Executive Producer & Creative Director is Ryo Takahashi. The MV for “曲（Kyoku）” was shot in LA, directed by Eillyhustlehard. Both production and filming proceeded with a team that wasn’t confined to Japan.
The “Structure” of ChaseTheMoney’s 5 Tracks — Monopolizing the Mid-Album with 4 Consecutive Beats
The album’s greatest characteristic lies in its producer arrangement.
ChaseTheMoney handles Track 1 “曲（Kyoku）” and then Tracks 3-6 (“George Washington,” “Bob Marley,” “墓行け,” “Spa Sta”) in a consecutive four-track run. By monopolizing the opener and four consecutive mid-album tracks, he handles 5 out of 7 total tracks. This means ChaseTheMoney controls all the time periods that form the album’s backbone.
ChaseTheMoney is known for producing JID & J. Cole’s collaborative signature track “Off Deez” (2018), and possesses an artistic range that spans from emo trap to lyricist-focused work, from Members Only releases under XXXTENTACION to Juice WRLD instrumentals.
What remains is JayUncut’s Track 2 “生活習慣” and the final Track 7 “Beverly Hills” by Ambezza. Ambezza is widely known for producing Future & Drake’s “Life Is Good.”
This arrangement isn’t a showcase-style lineup of overseas producers. It’s essentially close to a joint tape with ChaseTheMoney, with JayUncut and Ambezza bookending it on both ends.
The Three Come From Separate Spheres
The three producers each come from different spheres.
JayUncut is Atlanta-based with thick credits in the R&B/melodic trap sphere with artists like SZA, Muni Long, Rubi Rose, and Yung Bleu. Ambezza is known for Future & Drake’s “Life Is Good” and handles mainstream trap. Against this, ChaseTheMoney spans from emo trap to lyricist-focused work.
The selection of these three producers is designed to bring together three streams of the American scene — Southern melodic trap, R&B-routed melodic, and mainstream chart language — into one work. The depth that couldn’t be created through guest features or one-off beat placements was realized through the collaborative album format.
Koshy as Catalyst — Three Paths Crossing at POP YOURS 2026 DAY 1
Essential to understanding this work’s timing is the POP YOURS 2026 event that took place exactly three weeks before the release.
POP YOURS 2026 was held April 3-5, 2026 (Fri-Sun) over three days at Chiba’s Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Halls 1-6, the largest 3DAYS format ever. Yuki Chiba served as the headliner for DAY 2 on April 4 (Saturday). As discussed in HIPHOPCs’ complete pre-event guide, this was his official promotion following his 2024 secret appearance in “Team Tomodachi Shot Live.”
And during these three days, an important intersection connecting Yuki Chiba and BABYWOODROSE was observed.
On DAY 1 (April 3), BABYWOODROSE appeared as a secret guest on Koshy’s stage. Koshy’s set was accompanied by Watson and Sonsi, with BABYWOODROSE taking the stage outside the official lineup (detailed in our editorial team’s complete POP YOURS 2026 report).
Koshy is the producer behind Yuki Chiba’s “Team Tomodachi” (February 2024, #1 on Spotify Viral Chart Japan). He also produced the beat for Megan Thee Stallion’s “Mamushi feat. Yuki Chiba.” Furthermore, he produced all tracks on Watson’s three albums, and given that BABYWOODROSE released “Koshy Freestyle” with Watson, Yuki Chiba and BABYWOODROSE shared the same producer in Koshy.
In other words, Koshy’s stage at POP YOURS 2026 DAY 1 featured a structure where BABYWOODROSE, the future collaborator, secretly appeared on the set of the producer who made Yuki Chiba’s “Team Tomodachi.” The following DAY 2 featured Yuki Chiba himself as headliner. The entire festival functioned as a network map foreshadowing ‘Documentary’ three weeks later.
‘Documentary’ doesn’t directly credit Koshy. But as the catalyst connecting Yuki Chiba and BABYWOODROSE, Koshy’s presence is included in this work’s prerequisite conditions.
Why BABYWOODROSE? — The Essence of This Work Lies Here
From here, we dive into this work’s essence.
Why didn’t Yuki Chiba release ‘Documentary’ under his solo name? Why did he choose the collaborative format of “Yuki Chiba & BABYWOODROSE”?
The answer is simple. To make Japanese rap work with American materials, another Japanese voice that wouldn’t be absorbed by America was necessary.
Since beginning full-scale music distribution in October 2025, BABYWOODROSE has dropped works at an unprecedented pace — releasing albums in November, December, and January 2026 for three consecutive months. Through collaborations centered on exclusive producer YS KENNY, including “ALIEN MODE:JAP,” “Trapadelic,” and “Fuck Da Industry,” he’s been an emerging force presenting unique interpretations of Black music. Here’s what’s important: BABYWOODROSE has been updating Japanese rap in ways that, while influenced by America, are not mere imitations of America.
Meanwhile, Yuki Chiba has been accelerating his overseas connections since the hit “Team Tomodachi.” Megan Thee Stallion’s “Mamushi,” the VMAs, his first US headliner show at LA’s The Roxy, the Will Smith remix, and his shift to LA-based operations. His career has been following a trajectory of being absorbed into the American side.
In this context, for Chiba Yuki to single-handedly sustain a Japanese-language album with a US production framework centered on ChaseTheMoney would have been too heavy a burden. Against American material, there needed to be Japanese counterweight that wouldn’t be consumed by America. BABYWOODROSE’s “Japanese voice that isn’t American imitation” functions precisely as that counterweight.
To be honest: the reason this work exists isn’t ChaseTheMoney, Ambezza, or JayUncut. It’s BABYWOODROSE.
Chiba Yuki didn’t shoulder alone the role of accepting American material as Japanese rap. He shouldered it together with BABYWOODROSE. This is the core of this work’s structure. The reason the title isn’t Chiba Yuki’s solo name but “千葉雄喜 & BABYWOODROSE” also comes back to this.
Chiba Yuki’s US Connection History—From Frank Ocean to ‘Documentary’
Reading ‘Documentary’ as “the moment a Japanese rapper first deeply connected with the US scene” isn’t accurate. For Chiba Yuki, connecting with the American scene has been a continuous endeavor spanning over 10 years.
Looking back at the KOHH era: he gained global attention through featuring on Keith Ape’s “It G Ma” in 2015, participated in Frank Ocean’s “Nikes” from ‘Blonde’ and Utada Hikaru’s “Boukyaku” from ‘Fantôme’ in 2016, and guest appeared on Mariah Carey’s “Runway” remix in 2018. This is a rare career where a Japanese rapper continuously secured guest spots on major US albums.
After retiring KOHH at the end of 2021 and reviving under the Chiba Yuki name with “Team Tomodachi” in February 2024, his international connections accelerated further. “Mamushi feat. Yuki Chiba” from Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Megan’ in June became a global hit. In September, he took the stage with Megan Thee Stallion at the “2024 MTV Video Music Awards.” On September 18th, he sold out his first US headliner solo show at LA’s legendary venue The Roxy. In November, Will Smith’s “Team Tomodachi (Will Smith Remix)” was released.
Then April 4th, 2026: the headliner stage at POP YOURS 2026 DAY 2. Chiba Yuki, with saxophonist Gosekki (Yoshihiro Goseki) in a live band setup, deliberately omitted his KOHH-era signature “Eien” from the setlist (detailed in our editorial live report). From “Shinzou” to “Team Tomodachi,” he constructed the set with only “songs I’m writing now.” ‘Documentary,’ dropped three weeks after this stage that thrust the present—not the past—at the floor, exists as an extension of this “now” orientation.
In other words, ‘Documentary’ is the first work in the flow of international connections since KOHH to “surrender the core of an entire album to the US side.” The American scene that had connected as points through guest features and individual tracks finally flowed into the center of his own work.
April 29th—”George Washington” MV Serves as the Second Ignition Point
‘Documentary’ isn’t complete at the point of release.
At 8 PM on April 29th, the MV for the included track “George Washington” will premiere. This second installment, expanding through the same Eillyhustlehard Films network as the MV “Kyoku,” is positioned as an additional ignition point five days after release.
One album updating its ignition points every few days through streaming → MV → next MV. The weight of the title being ‘Documentary’ will also be decoded within this progression.
‘Documentary’ Becomes the Starting Point That Turns Dots into Lines
Readers who’ve made it this far should already see the conclusion. But I’ll deliberately write this much at the end.
“US production frameworks” in Japanese rap have existed as points until now. Guest features, track-level connections, overseas recording, beat orders from overseas producers. However, surrendering the core of an entire album with ChaseTheMoney’s five-track contribution, positioned as the current location of Chiba Yuki—someone who has continued international connections for over 10 years—is a case that hasn’t existed before.
The line drawn by ‘Documentary’ calls for followers.
For major Japanese rap acts, the option of partnering with US production entities at the album level hasn’t been a realistic choice until now. Connections through guest features and single provisions have only been revered as individual achievements, with almost no precedent for opening album-level structural design to America. That door was opened by Chiba Yuki.
From here on, Japanese rap’s production models will polarize. The path of partnering with US production entities for album cores, and the path of completing projects with domestic lineups. The contrast between these two will be visualized in earnest starting this year. “Japanese rappers based in LA” and “acts with constant reciprocal relationships with US producers” already exist beyond just Chiba Yuki. It’s only a matter of time before followers take the same option.
The MV premiere on April 29th, Chiba Yuki’s appearance at the Japanese music festival ‘Zipangu’ co-hosted by Goldenvoice and Cloud Nine at “Brookside at The Rose Bowl” near LA on May 16th, and chart movements beyond. The scope to observe stretches from late April through May and into summer.
However, these are no longer verification of “whether this work will succeed.”
‘Documentary’ already drew a line in Japanese rap’s structure the moment it was released. What remains is simply watching over the coming years how many people will stand on that line.
On April 25th, Japanese rap ceased to be “something made by Japanese people alone.”
No way back has been prepared.