dj honda Interview Part 1: From Hokkaido to Mos Def and New York
Translation and verification note: This English edition was translated and edited from HIPHOPCs’ Japanese interview. Repetition and an extended lyric excerpt were omitted; dj honda’s answers and first-person meaning were preserved. Career dates were checked against dj honda’s official English biography, official website and TuneCore Japan on August 19, 2026.
Before he became the producer behind landmark records with New York MCs, dj honda was a rock-obsessed child in Hokkaido. A move to Tokyo, a live-in job at a disco and the shock of turntablism redirected his life. In this first half of HIPHOPCs’ interview, he traces that path through the Battle for World Supremacy, h, h II, “Travellin’ Man” with Mos Def—now known as Yasiin Bey—and “Trouble in the Water” with De La Soul.
A rock kid from Hokkaido
Sei: What were you like as a child?
dj honda: I picked up a guitar when I was nine and began playing seriously at twelve. I formed a band in middle school and performed live. At that point, I was completely committed to rock. Music was everything.
Sei: Is there an episode from childhood or your move to Tokyo that remains especially important?
dj honda: I developed a problem with my left ear at eleven. I underwent thirteen operations and had the eardrum removed. When I moved to Tokyo at seventeen, I had no money and no connections. I was starting from zero.
Editorial note: The medical history above is dj honda’s first-person account. HIPHOPCs has not independently reviewed medical records.
How a disco job led to the turntables
Sei: How did a rock musician become a hip-hop DJ?
dj honda: I went to Tokyo to make music, but after about six months I hit a wall and found a live-in job. That job happened to be at a disco. I intended to earn money so I could continue playing guitar, but meeting the DJ there became the turning point.
Sei: How do you view generational divisions—mumble rap, trap, old school and new school?
dj honda: Music is only music. Mumble, trap, old or new—it does not matter. In the end, it is either good or it is not.
Sei: What advice would you give people in their teens and early twenties?
dj honda: Whether it is play or work, try doing it seriously. Nothing remains from something you only do halfway. When you are young, do not search for reasons not to act. Everything you experience becomes a weapon. Dreams do not come easily, but if you keep pursuing them without giving up, they take shape. Your challenges and failures become strength and build the future.
The 1990 attempt and the 1992 breakthrough
Sei: I heard that you lived on the West Coast around the 1992 Battle for World Supremacy.
dj honda: My first attempt was in 1990. I lost in the first round and returned to Japan. I began living in the United States in earnest after the 1992 battle. I went to Los Angeles and moved my base from there.
dj honda’s official biography summarizes the milestone this way: he moved to New York in 1992, placed second in the Battle for World Supremacy and then expanded his career in the United States. The interview adds a useful distinction—the unsuccessful 1990 attempt came first, while sustained residence followed the 1992 battle.
h and h II: making a Japanese producer audible in New York
dj honda’s official profile dates his major-label debut h to 1995. The album brought his production together with artists including The Beatnuts, Redman, Guru, DJ Premier, Fat Joe, Common and Erick Sermon. The follow-up h II arrived in 1997 with De La Soul, Keith Murray, KRS-One and Mos Def among its contributors.
TuneCore Japan’s official profile reports that h reached No. 90 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while h II reached No. 57 and No. 16 on Heatseekers. “Travellin’ Man” reached No. 17 on Hot Rap Songs and remained on the chart for sixteen weeks.
“Travellin’ Man” with Mos Def, now Yasiin Bey
Sei: What do you remember about making “Travellin’ Man” with Mos Def and “Trouble in the Water” with De La Soul?
dj honda: Mos Def came to my house, selected a beat and finished the song with me in the studio. During recording, we learned that John Denver—the artist connected to the sample source—had died in an accident. If clearance did not come through, the album might have been delayed or not released. We made another version, and in the end both versions could be released. That is why two versions of “Travellin’ Man” exist.
I first met De La Soul when they performed in Japan in 1990. After we recorded “Trouble in the Water,” they continued to visit the studio. I was doing XM Radio at the time, and they appeared there too. Sadly, Dove later died, but that song will remain a treasure for my entire life.
Context: Mos Def later adopted the name Yasiin Bey. “Dove” refers to De La Soul member David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur. The studio and clearance details above are dj honda’s recollection; HIPHOPCs has not independently reviewed contracts or clearance files.
Jeru the Damaja and “El Presidente”
Sei: What was the story behind Jeru the Damaja’s “El Presidente”?
dj honda: I recorded it for h III, my first independent album after leaving the major-label system. We made a rough recording and established the idea in my studio, then completed the final recording at Chung King Studios. It became one of my representative tracks, and the record led to tours and live performances.
The h logo began as music promotion
Sei: Why did you expand into apparel?
dj honda: To promote the music. I made T-shirts and caps as part of the promotion. I did not begin with the intention of building a fashion brand.
Sei: How important is it for a DJ to listen beyond genre?
dj honda: Genre is irrelevant. When you listen to many kinds of sound, your ears naturally open. Good sound is good sound. That is all.
Continue to Part Two
The second half moves forward rather than repeating the New York origin story: dj honda discusses independent work across Asia, returning his experience to Japan, Benizakura, fan questions and the meaning of hV.
- Part Two: hV, Benizakura and the fifth answer
- dj honda official English biography
- dj honda on TuneCore Japan
- More HIPHOPCs exclusive interviews in English
Interview: Sei / HIPHOPCs
Japanese-edition materials: supplied by dj honda production
English edition artwork: original HIPHOPCs editorial design
