Kanagawa Rap Atlas: 17 Core Acts and the Records Connecting Four Areas

Kanagawa hip-hop is best read through the different histories of Yokohama, Kawasaki, Sagamihara and Shonan—and the records that connect them.

The four currents used here are reading guides, not sealed regional boundaries. This edition covers 17 core acts and one artist to watch, 27AM, across a timeline from 1989 to 2026.

DS455 and SCARS: Two Entry Points into Yokohama and Kawasaki

Kanagawa’s rap history is difficult to tell from a single city. DS455 in Yokohama and SCARS in Kawasaki serve here as two entry points into different periods and records.

On the Yokohama side, the starting point is DS455, formed in 1989. “DS” stands for Dabstar; “455” comes from the phone number of MC Kayzabro’s home turf, Tsurumi — Yokohama’s 045 area code, minus its leading zero, plus the leading “5” of Tsurumi’s local exchange.

With DJ PMX behind the boards, the unit brought a West Coast, bayside aesthetic — shaped by the port and U.S. military culture — into Japanese rap.

MACCHO and DJ TOMO formed OZROSAURUS in 1996. The label biography records the 2001 debut ROLLIN’045 and DJ PMX’s production of “Area Area.” The 045 written into names and records offers a way to hear Yokohama’s sense of place.

SCARS offers another entry into Kawasaki’s rap in the 2000s.

The biography accompanying an interview with A-THUG (Japanese) dates SCARS’s formation to around 2003. A-THUG, SEEDA, BES, STICKY and their collaborators form an important part of Kawasaki’s rap history.

The crew’s 2006 release THE ALBUM offers an entry into this period through the music itself.

Same prefecture, adjacent cities — yet the sound, the language, and the reference points all differ. Trying to resolve that difference by asking “which one is the mainstream?” is the fastest way to misread Kanagawa.

045, 044 and Neighborhood Names: More Than One Way to Represent Home

DS455 and OZROSAURUS placed Yokohama’s 045 code in names and records. A first-person DS455 interview (Japanese) explains the connection between 045 and the “5” in Tsurumi telephone numbers.

Kawasaki is not represented through neighborhood names alone. YZERR’s 2019 Rich or Die includes “044 (feat. Bark)”. An area code and a neighborhood name such as Ikegami-cho can coexist as ways of identifying home.

Rather than divide the cities into number-based and neighborhood-based identities, this guide follows the names used by particular artists in particular records.

SCARS and BAD HOP: Kawasaki’s Crews and Tokyo Dome

BAD HOP’s recordings and concerts trace a different history from SCARS, including a striking change in the scale of live performance.

In 2012, Kawasaki’s T-Pablow won the first Koukousei Rap Senshuken (High School Rap Championship) under the name K-九. He won the fourth edition as T-Pablow in 2013. His official event biography records both victories.

BAD HOP released BAD HOP ERA in 2014. T-Pablow’s official event biography records the group’s formation and the record in that year.

The concerts that followed show how BAD HOP expanded the scale of its live performances.

November 13, 2018: a one-man show — Japanese industry shorthand for a solo headline concert — at Nippon Budokan, BreatH of South — roughly 8,000 people on a Tuesday night.

March 1, 2020: BAD HOP WORLD 2020 at Yokohama Arena, pushed through as a no-audience show at the onset of the pandemic — a decision reported to have left them deeply in debt.

And on February 19, 2024, they disbanded with BAD HOP THE FINAL at Tokyo Dome.

It was the first solo Tokyo Dome concert by a Japanese hip-hop act. Tickets were 9,900 yen; the January 31, 2024 report confirmed they had sold out, about three weeks before the show.

Attendance was roughly 50,000 (live report by the Japanese music-news site Natalie). All of it without ever belonging to a major label.

SCARS’s activity in the 2000s and BAD HOP’s final Tokyo Dome concert in 2024 belong to Kawasaki’s wider history, without establishing a direct organizational succession between the two crews.

Timeline: Japanese Rap in Kanagawa, 1989–2026

The Defining Artists — Seventeen Acts, From DS455 to LANA

These seventeen core acts offer a route from early Yokohama activity through regional crews to recent solo careers. The order guides the reading; it does not rank popularity or merit.

Links to published artist profiles provide further detail on careers and records. Japanese-language destinations are identified where relevant.

DS455 (Tsurumi Ward, Yokohama / formed in 1989)

Kayzabro and DJ PMX built the duo through their work in Yokohama. In an interview about their debut album DabStarClique, they describe re-recording earlier songs and combining them with new material. DJ PMX, who is from Miyazaki, built his career in Yokohama; Kayzabro’s Tsurumi connection is a different part of that history.

Basis for inclusion: Criterion 2 (historical role confirmed across multiple sources) / Criterion 1 (major-distribution releases and national coverage)

OZROSAURUS (Yokohama / 1996–)

“Area Area,” on the 2001 debut ROLLIN’045, was produced by DJ PMX. For the DJ side of this history, our interview with DJ SN-Z connects his Yokohama club experience with what New York taught him about DJing beyond scratch technique.

Basis: Criterion 1 (label-documented records and production; first-person interview) / Criterion 2

SD JUNKSTA (Sagamihara / c. 1999–)

SD JUNKSTA formed in Sagamihara around 1999. NORIKIYO’s artist-supplied release profile describes his initial role as the trackmaker K-NERO and reports that his solo debut EXIT (2007) placed third in THE SOURCE’s “BEST OF JAPANESE RAP 2007.” The crew’s own records include Go Across Tha Gami River and OVER DOSE NIPPON, both listed in the release profile of its DJ/MC, DJ DEFLO. Those group records offer a route into Sagamihara’s history beyond one member’s solo career.

Basis: Criterion 2 (historical role in the Sagamihara scene; multiple independent sources incl. the Japanese hip-hop site Amebreak’s crew interview) / Criterion 1 (NORIKIYO’s official releases and specialist-media record)

DINARY DELTA FORCE / DLiP RECORDS (Fujisawa / 2001–)

DINARY DELTA FORCE is the Fujisawa crew associated with independent label DLiP RECORDS. The official page for the 2010 debut SOUNDTRACK TO THE BEDTOWN supplies track-by-track credits, with beats principally by NAGMATIC and contributions from MASTA PIPPEN. The crew’s formation and the label’s catalog launch are separate milestones.

Basis: Criterion 2 (sustained Fujisawa-based role; Spincoaster, Qetic, CDJournal, Tower Records features) / Criterion 1 (catalog on official streaming services)

OMSB (Kanagawa; activity with SIMI LAB dated from 2010 in his official biography)

Alongside SIMI LAB, OMSB released his first solo album Mr. “All Bad” Jordan in 2012 and ThinkGood in 2015. His SUMMIT biography also records the ODDTAXI score with PUNPEE and VaVa and 2024’s “Bro feat. JJJ”: a route through group work, solo records and collaboration.

Basis: Criterion 1 (official streaming releases; sustained specialist-media coverage) / Criterion 2

JJJ (Kawasaki; worked through Fla$hBackS and solo recordings; died in 2025)

A rapper and producer associated with Fla$hBackS. The official release announcement for his solo album MAKTUB (2023) lists “Cyberpunk” with Benjazzy and “Kokoro” with OMSB. Alongside his self-produced tracks, the album features production by STUTS, KM and Febb among others, with mixing by D.O.I., The Anticipation Illicit Tsuboi and JJJ. On BAD HOP’s “KAWASAKI SONG”, he appears alongside BIM, A-Thug and others. An official statement announced that he died on April 13, 2025.

Basis: Criterion 1

BIM (officially described as from between Tokyo and Kanagawa; documented connections to Kawasaki)

Alongside his work with THE OTOGIBANASHI’S and CreativeDrugStore, BIM released his first solo album The Beam in 2018. His official biography records production and a guest appearance on Kaela Kimura’s “ZIG ZAG” in 2020, followed by a STUTS-produced TV theme in 2021. It describes his origin as between Tokyo and Kanagawa; a first-person interview provides a Kawasaki connection without establishing a Kawasaki birthplace.

Basis: Criterion 1 (official releases, national media appearances, chart results incl. TV-drama themes)

T-Pablow (Kawasaki / 2012–)

After his 2012 and 2013 High School Rap Championship victories, T-Pablow worked through BAD HOP and 2WIN. His official event biography also records the 2017 solo Super Saiyan1 The EP: entry points through battles, group work and solo releases.

Basis: Criterion 2 / Criterion 1

YZERR (Kawasaki Ward / 2014–)

YZERR has expanded from BAD HOP into solo records and event organizing. His 2019 Rich or Die includes “044” featuring Bark. He is organizing FORCE FESTIVAL, scheduled for October 25, 2026.

Basis: Criterion 1 (official releases; national coverage incl. Forbes JAPAN) / Criterion 2

Tiji Jojo (worked in Kawasaki with BAD HOP / 2014–)

His post-BAD HOP solo album LONG LIVE LOUD arrived on May 29, 2026, with fifteen tracks and guests including Tete, Candee and MIKADO. Our March 27 report (Japanese) covered BAD HOP’s March 25 announcement of his Nippon Budokan headline show. A later official ZEROTOKYO artist introduction confirms that the show took place on June 19.

Basis: Criterion 1

Benjazzy (Kawasaki / 2014–)

Benjazzy is among the artists on “KAWASAKI SONG”. The report on STUTS’s 2025 Odyssey records his performance of STUTS on the WAVE’s “Ame” with iri. His solo catalog also includes UNTITLED (2024) and UNTIL (2025), as recorded in the program’s official artist introduction (Japanese).

Basis: Criterion 1

SANTAWORLDVIEW (Honmoku, Yokohama)

A rapper and producer who identifies Honmoku as home in a first-person interview. Discussing his third album NICE TO KNEE YOU (2024), he explains making the initial beats for “I Wish For U” and “Don’t Worry,” which AWSM. arranged. The account describes a move from selecting prepared beats toward building tracks together from scratch.

Basis: Criterion 1

JP THE WAVY (Shonan, Kanagawa)

The four-track WAVY TAPE, released August 25, 2017, includes “Cho Wavy De Gomenne Remix” with SALU. In a J-WAVE interview, he connects dancing before rap with a name drawn from Shonan’s waves.

Basis: Criterion 1 (official releases and the J-WAVE interview)

Tohji (born in London; grew up in Tokyo and Yokohama)

A first-person interview records his London birth and upbringing in Tokyo and Yokohama. His February 2025 Pia Arena MM show became Tohji Pia Arena: The Movie, released June 20 that year. The film’s official site puts the audience at about 10,000. The concert film adds a large-scale performance record to his recorded music.

Basis: Criterion 1 (releases, national coverage, arena show)

LEX (from Shonan; previously based in Zushi)

In a 2023 interview, he described living in Zushi; in a 2025 interview, he said he had moved his base to Tokyo. Original is a twelve-track album released November 26, 2025. In a first-person interview, LEX describes three sections: rap, ballads, and songs addressing loneliness and related feelings. HIPHOPCs examines his changing expression in its review of the album Original (Japanese); the LEX artist profile follows his career, records and production.

Basis: Criterion 1 (releases, festival headline slots, national coverage)

ralph (Yokohama)

“Selfish,” released February 19, 2020, was produced by Double Clapperz. The five-track BLACK BANDANA EP followed on June 10, including “FACE” featuring Zo Zhit (荘子it). Together, these releases connect Double Clapperz’s production with a guest appearance by Zo Zhit.

Basis: Criterion 1 (releases; coverage incl. overseas media such as Dazed)

LANA (Shonan, Kanagawa)

The April 1, 2025 20 at BUDOKAN headline show is documented in an original concert report. She released the EP Like a Flower on September 24 and headlined Yokohama Arena on October 5; her official report the next day records the completed show and the release.

Basis: Criterion 1 (official releases, independent concert reporting, Budokan and Yokohama Arena shows)

Some artists and crews appear elsewhere in this guide or in another regional atlas.

Vingo’s individual history is covered in the Tokyo atlas; his connection to Kawasaki also forms part of BAD HOP’s history here. An origin elsewhere does not erase a crew member’s documented regional work.

SCARS is covered in the timeline and crew history. The 17 cards are a selected set, not a census, and a group’s formation site is not treated as every member’s birthplace.

Four Reading Guides—and Their Intersections on Record

DS455 and OZROSAURUS in Yokohama; SCARS and BAD HOP in Kawasaki; SD JUNKSTA and SIMI LAB in Sagamihara; DINARY DELTA FORCE/DLiP RECORDS, LEX and LANA in Shonan. These are four ways to organize regional and creative histories, not a claim that everyone from one place shares a sound or career route.

BAD HOP’s “KAWASAKI SONG” makes an intersection audible through its lineup: T-Pablow and Benjazzy appear alongside JJJ, BIM, A-Thug and others. Different careers can remain distinct while their artists collaborate on a record centered on Kawasaki.

At STUTS’s Odyssey on September 23, 2025, T-Pablow performed live. JJJ, who had already died, was represented by live recordings on “Kokoro” and “Voyage” and video on “Changes,” according to the concert report. This was not a live onstage appearance by JJJ.

Venues and Labels — From CLUB CITTA’ to K-Arena Yokohama

A scene does not move on people alone. Kanagawa has venues at every scale.

• CLUB CITTA’ (Kawasaki) — A venue to consult alongside individual event records when following Kawasaki’s live history.
• KT Zepp Yokohama — A venue for headline shows by nationally rising acts
• Yokohama Arena — Site of BAD HOP’s no-audience show in March 2020; LANA’s solo show on October 5, 2025
• Pia Arena MM — Tohji’s February 2025 show became a theatrical film; the film’s official site reports about 10,000 attendees
• K-Arena Yokohama — Opened 2023. Awich’s first arena show Queendom -THE UNION- that November 5; STUTS’s Odyssey on September 23, 2025

Crews and labels include SCARS, SIMI LAB, SD JUNKSTA, DINARY DELTA FORCE and DLiP RECORDS, Fla$hBackS, BAD HOP and DBL MUSIC. A crew’s formation year and an associated label’s launch date are different milestones.

2026: K-Arena Yokohama in August, Open-Air Kawasaki in October

Two roles emerge from these 2026 events: former BAD HOP members appearing as performers and organizing a festival.

BATTLE SUMMIT III, a two-on-two MC battle, took place at K-Arena Yokohama on August 11, 2026. HIPHOPCs’ on-site report (Japanese) records the teams and the competition.

T-Pablow competed with Zeebra, while Benjazzy teamed with Bonbero. The two former BAD HOP members entered the same event in separate pairings.

FORCE FESTIVAL, organized by YZERR, is scheduled for October 25, 2026 at Higashi-Ogishima East Park in Kawasaki. The ticket listing provides event information.

August in a Yokohama arena, October in open-air Kawasaki: two and a half years after the breakup, former BAD HOP members are involved in major events at both of the prefecture’s poles, in different roles.

The road since the breakup has not been smooth, though.

According to our July 3 report (Japanese), T-Pablow announced an album delay on June 29, 2026, and YZERR announced the cancellation of three tour dates on July 3, in the same week.

Beyond recordings, NUBIAN announced a temporary store on June 1 for BREATH, the apparel brand YZERR is involved in. Our June 20 report (Japanese) records its June 6 opening in Shibuya’s Miyashita Park.

On the Shonan side, LANA remains at the center of the question “Is she a rapper?” (Japanese).

One to Watch: 27AM (Kawasaki)

This edition’s watchlist contains one act, 27AM. That number describes the selection, not the extent of emerging talent in Kanagawa.

27AM gained exposure through RAPSTAR 2025 and released the three-track Frozen Car in April 2026. Its official release page credits Traze with producing “PASSO” and records a No. 2 peak on Spotify’s Daily Viral Songs Japan chart on April 20, 2026.

T-Pablow’s 2012 High School Rap Championship victory and 27AM’s program exposure are different examples of young Kawasaki rappers reaching listeners through a show. The comparison does not make 27AM a competition winner. Program results and subsequent recordings should be followed separately.

Inclusion Criteria for This Page, and How to Apply

Rap Atlas uses the following published criteria to decide which artists to include:

Defining artists are listed when either of the following holds:

• ① A release record on official streaming services, plus confirmed national media coverage, appearances, or chart results (specialist media included)
• ② A historical role in the regional scene confirmed by multiple independent sources

Ones to watch are listed with a release within the last 24 months plus at least one of: media coverage, competition appearances, or festival appearances.

Our operating principles are public as well:

• No rankings (the order follows the article’s route through histories and records, not popularity or merit)
• Regional attribution relies only on the artist’s own statements or credible reporting — we do not tie people to places by conjecture
• No unverified claims regarding criminal conduct or underworld ties
• Inclusion and order are never for sale (advertising and paid partnerships are handled entirely separately)

To apply for inclusion: if you are an artist or affiliate who meets these criteria but is not listed, contact us through the HIPHOPCs contact page with verifiable information (streaming links, records of media coverage). We will reflect it in the next update once confirmed.

A Rap Atlas page is not written once and abandoned. Kanagawa above all is a prefecture where four currents move at four speeds — this page is a record that keeps updating with them.

Addendum, July 28, 2026: following a reader’s submission through our inclusion-request channel, and after verification against our criteria, SD JUNKSTA (Sagamihara) and DINARY DELTA FORCE / DLiP RECORDS (Fujisawa) have been added, mirroring the Japanese edition of this page (published July 27, 2026). This is the first instance of this page working as what it promises to be — a record that keeps updating. We thank the reader.

Continue Exploring Kanagawa Rap

• YZERR: the BAD HOP architect who built a way out of Kawasaki
• T-Pablow: battle rap, BAD HOP and Kawasaki
• LEX: from SoundCloud to an arena plan
• JP THE WAVY: dance, rap, film and art from Shonan
• Tohji: Mall Boyz, u-ha and Tokyo Dome
• DJ SN-Z on OZROSAURUS, Harlem and Los Angeles
• Nakamura Minami: Tsujido, Fujisawa and the music behind Forza Horizon 6 — Her interview connects a Shonan upbringing with her work as a rapper.

References (Japanese)

• https://natalie.mu/music/news/561755 — Natalie live report, BAD HOP at Tokyo Dome
• https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2314818/full/ — ORICON NEWS on the Tokyo Dome show
• https://norikiyo.biz/profile/ — NORIKIYO official profile
• https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/DS455
• https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_PMX
• https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/OZROSAURUS
• https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCARS_(%E3%82%B0%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BC%E3%83%97)
• https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIMI_LAB
• https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAD_HOP
• https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Pablow
• https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/YZERR
• https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/NORIKIYO
• https://www.dliprecords.info/

Featured image: Steel works at night, Ogishima, Keihin industrial zone (Kawasaki) — Photo by Kaz Ish / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped, tone-adjusted)