JP THE WAVY: How Dance Became a Method for Rap, Film and Art
JP THE WAVY’s music rarely stops at the ear. A hook becomes a gesture; the gesture becomes a camera image; a collaboration changes how several voices move through the same frame. His work for the Fast & Furious franchise entered the rhythm of a film, while MNNK Bro.—his unit with Takashi Murakami—carried music into an exhibition, a record, collectible cards and moving images.
The through-line is dance. JP THE WAVY has explained that, while working as a dancer, he began rapping because he thought he could make tracks that were easier to dance to. That idea became more than a preference for energetic beats. It became a method for deciding where words land, what viewers remember and how a collaborator occupies space. This profile follows that method from “Cho Wavy De Gomenne” to WAVY TAPE 3 and MNNK Bro.’s “SHUTOKO TOKYO.”
JP THE WAVY at a glance
| Field | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Artist name | JP THE WAVY |
| Origin | Shonan, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Role | Rapper with a background in dance |
| Breakthrough | “Cho Wavy De Gomenne” and its SALU remix in 2017 |
| Key projects | LIFE IS WAVY, WAVY TAPE 2, Hit Different and WAVY TAPE 3 |
| Frequent creative partners | JIGG, Spikey John, LEX, Awich, OZworld, LANA and MNNK Bro. |
| Film connections | “BUSHIDO” on the F9 soundtrack; “F&F” as the Japanese image song for Fast X |
| Contemporary-art connection | MNNK Bro. with Takashi Murakami; “Mononoke Kyoto” and “SHUTOKO TOKYO” |
| Latest verified solo-led project | WAVY TAPE 3, released July 1, 2025 |
| Latest verified joint-unit release | MNNK Bro.’s “SHUTOKO TOKYO,” released May 22, 2026. This is not classified here as a solo JP THE WAVY release. |
The argument: dance became a publishing method
Calling JP THE WAVY’s rap “danceable” is accurate but incomplete. In his strongest work, movement is a distribution system. A short phrase tells a body what to do; clothing and color make that movement identifiable; the video fixes it in memory; a guest adds a new center of gravity. Music, choreography and image are not separate departments that meet after a song is finished.
That method survives every change of scale. LIFE IS WAVY placed voices from different scenes and countries inside one album. The film tracks answered the speed and audience of a franchise. MNNK Bro. translated sound into the memory of walking through an exhibition. “International” is therefore too vague to explain his reach. The more specific achievement is that he can enter another format without losing the physical logic at the center of his rap.
From dancer to rapper: understanding the track through the body
In a 2023 J-WAVE interview, JP THE WAVY said he had danced since around middle school. He also described wanting to be in the center and thinking that, if he rapped himself, he could make music that was easier to dance to. In the same interview, he connected “WAVY” to the slang of the period, his hair and the waves of Shonan; “JP” identifies Japan.
This history is not merely a former occupation in a biography. It helps explain why his flows are built around points of physical recognition: where the shoulder moves, where the mouth can catch up and which compact phrase can function as a cue. His videos spread with the music because the music already contains a visual instruction.
“Cho Wavy De Gomenne”: song, gesture, clothes and camera arrive together
JP THE WAVY uploaded the official video for “Cho Wavy De Gomenne” on May 17, 2017. The official remix video featuring SALU followed in June. Spikey John directed both visual worlds. A view count can measure reach, but it does not explain why the format traveled.
The hook is compact, the motions can be copied, and the styling and framing are recognizable at a glance. Viewers do not first learn the song and only then learn the movement; both pieces arrive at once. In GQ Japan’s profile of Spikey John, the video is recalled as an important turning point for both artist and director. The breakthrough was therefore not a solo design. It was a young rapper–filmmaker collaboration whose sound and image found an audience together.
LIFE IS WAVY: stretching one song’s movement across an album
JP THE WAVY released his first full album, LIFE IS WAVY, on April 8, 2020. Apple Music lists 18 tracks across 49 minutes. The credits and track list bring together collaborators including VERBAL, AKLO, OZworld, JIGG, Jay Park and Nasty C.
The important expansion is not a tally of countries represented. The album keeps changing its physical center: “BLIND” moves differently from the bounce of “CHOTANOSHI” or the harder outline of “OK, COOL.” The title proposes “wavy” as a way of moving through life, but the record does not simply repeat one successful cadence 18 times. Its weight shifts with the beat and the person sharing the track.
Visual identity is part of that system, not packaging around it. In a block.fm interview, JP THE WAVY described communicating an image to VERDY and asking for a character design. Voice, clothes, character and screen became several entrances to the same world.
WAVY TAPE 2 and LEX: a feature changes the body of the song
WAVY TAPE 2 arrived on March 31, 2021. “WAVEBODY” pairs JP THE WAVY with OZworld and LEX; the deluxe edition later added ¥ellow Bucks to its remix. These voices do not merge into one neutral performance. Their syllable placement, pitch and forward motion differ, allowing the body of the track to change as each artist enters.
A GQ Japan conversation between JP THE WAVY and LEX treats music and fashion as parts of the same exchange. Read beside HIPHOPCs’ English LEX profile, the contrast becomes useful: LEX keeps changing the shape of his own voice, while JP THE WAVY often stages several distinct voices inside one visual and rhythmic space.
Entering film: “BUSHIDO” and “F&F” had different jobs
In 2021, Good Gas & JP THE WAVY’s “BUSHIDO” appeared on the original soundtrack for F9: The Fast Saga. The franchise’s official Japanese announcement lists the track and identifies JP THE WAVY as the soundtrack’s only participating artist from Asia.
“F&F (Family & Friends) feat. Awich” served a different function in 2023. It was the Japanese image song for Fast X, produced by JIGG and featuring Awich; the official film announcement says it was used over the end credits of the Japanese-dubbed version. It should not be described as the film’s global theme or confused with “BUSHIDO” being included on an original soundtrack.
What connects the two assignments is the way JP THE WAVY places his flow and creative relationships inside a film world built around cars, velocity and loyalty. HIPHOPCs’ English Awich profile opens a second route through the “F&F” collaboration: her story is organized around Okinawa, the United States, family and return rather than JP THE WAVY’s dance-derived method.
Hit Different: six tracks under one shared billing
JP THE WAVY and JIGG released the six-track EP Hit Different on May 24, 2023. TuneCore’s official track credits include JIGG among the composers on all six tracks. The shared billing matters: one continuous production relationship creates a surface on which guest voices can register as differences rather than interruptions.
“What’s Poppin feat. LANA” is a concise example. LANA’s higher register sits beside JP THE WAVY’s voice, letting lightness and force alternate inside the hook. The feature is not only an added name. It changes the EP’s vocal architecture while the production remains coherent.
MNNK Bro.: turning a song into time spent inside an exhibition
On July 10, 2024, MNNK Bro.—the unit formed by Takashi Murakami and JP THE WAVY—released “Mononoke Kyoto.” According to Kaikai Kiki’s official account, the project grew from JP THE WAVY’s work on the theme song for Murakami’s Kyoto exhibition. Murakami participated in lyric writing and recording. Spikey John shot the video in the exhibition and around Kyoto. The same official notice says the physical record includes “Spoken Lyrics” by Niina.
This was more than a rapper promoting an art show or an artist supplying a cover. The recording, exhibition route, video, vinyl and cards gave audiences several ways to enter the same collaboration. Movement no longer meant only a dance step; it also meant the route through a gallery and the circulation of objects after leaving it.
The next verified point in that joint-unit line is “SHUTOKO TOKYO,” released May 22, 2026. The official TuneCore page credits MNNK Bro., Takashi Murakami and JP THE WAVY and lists a two-track, 33-minute release. This profile classifies it as the latest verified MNNK Bro. joint-unit release as of August 19, 2026—not as JP THE WAVY’s latest solo project.
WAVY TAPE 3: the latest verified solo-led project
JP THE WAVY released WAVY TAPE 3 on July 1, 2025. TuneCore lists ten tracks and guests including Awich, LEX, Sik-K, Benjazzy and Kaneee. As of the August 19, 2026 fact check for this page, it remains his latest verified solo-led full project. Later guest appearances are not counted as solo releases, and the later MNNK Bro. work belongs to a jointly billed unit.
The distinction also clarifies the record’s role. Working with Murakami did not represent an exit from rap. WAVY TAPE 3 returns to the collaborative field JP THE WAVY has built over years and rearranges it around his current voice. Expansion into other formats and return to a rap community are not opposites; moving between them is the practice implied by the name “WAVY.”
A map of how the method changed
| Work | What moved | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| “Cho Wavy De Gomenne” | Song and choreography | Hook, gesture and camera frame become one memory |
| LIFE IS WAVY | Physical logic across an album | The center of gravity changes across 18 tracks |
| “WAVEBODY” | Several vocal bodies | OZworld, LEX and ¥ellow Bucks move at different speeds |
| “BUSHIDO” | The velocity of a film | A Japanese rapper occupies a role on an international soundtrack |
| Hit Different | Joint-project continuity | The shared billing makes vocal differences audible |
| “F&F” | A film’s Japanese audience | JP THE WAVY and Awich turn “family” into a two-voice theme |
| “Mononoke Kyoto” | The memory of an exhibition | Sound, video, place, record and cards share one world |
| WAVY TAPE 3 | A present-day rap network | Who forms the home base after the work has expanded outward |
| “SHUTOKO TOKYO” | Urban movement and duration | MNNK Bro. moves from dance and gallery space toward the city itself |
Collaborator map: not how many names, but what changed together
| Person or unit | Connection | Function in the work |
|---|---|---|
| Spikey John | Visual director | Made movement and screen image arrive together from the breakthrough videos onward |
| JIGG | Producer / co-billed artist | Co-billed on Hit Different; produced “F&F” |
| LEX | Recurring collaborator | Introduced a different generation and a voice that refuses one fixed shape |
| OZworld | Collaborator on “WAVEBODY” and other work | Connected JP THE WAVY’s Kanagawa base to another regional and vocal imagination |
| Awich | Featured artist on “F&F” and other work | Turned a franchise assignment into an exchange between two distinct histories |
| LANA | Featured artist on “What’s Poppin” | Brought a different register and generation into the EP |
| Takashi Murakami | Co-member of MNNK Bro. | Moved the collaboration between music, exhibition space and collectible media |
Where to start: nine works in the order the idea expands
- “Cho Wavy De Gomenne” and the SALU remix: hear and see how one compact idea grows through a guest and a video.
- LIFE IS WAVY: follow the change in physical weight across a full 18-track album.
- “WAVEBODY”: compare how several distinct voices share one movement.
- “BUSHIDO”: listen for the role the track plays within a film soundtrack.
- Hit Different: hear the balance of continuity and contrast across the six-track project.
- “F&F feat. Awich”: compare the Japanese image-song assignment with the earlier soundtrack placement.
- “Mononoke Kyoto”: see how a song extends into an exhibition, video and physical object.
- WAVY TAPE 3: hear JP THE WAVY’s latest verified solo-led full project.
- “SHUTOKO TOKYO”: then move into the latest verified MNNK Bro. joint-unit release.
Timeline
| Date | Verified event | Why it matters here |
|---|---|---|
| May–June 2017 | Official videos for “Cho Wavy De Gomenne” and the SALU remix appear | Sound, gesture, styling and framing reach an audience together |
| April 8, 2020 | LIFE IS WAVY is released | The method expands across an 18-track album |
| 2021 | WAVY TAPE 2, “BUSHIDO” and GQ Japan’s Best Rap Artist honor | Collaborations, film and public recognition widen the field |
| May 24, 2023 | JP THE WAVY & JIGG release Hit Different | Shared billing and recurring composer credit give six tracks one continuous surface |
| June 23, 2023 | “F&F feat. Awich” is released | The music addresses the Japanese audience for a film through a separate role |
| July 10, 2024 | MNNK Bro. release “Mononoke Kyoto” | Music and contemporary art build one record of the exhibition |
| July 1, 2025 | WAVY TAPE 3 is released | The latest verified solo-led full project reorganizes his rap network |
| May 22, 2026 | MNNK Bro. release “SHUTOKO TOKYO” | The later work belongs to the joint unit, not the solo discography |
What this profile does—and does not—claim
- Origin: it uses the consistently documented description “from Shonan, Kanagawa” and does not infer a more precise hometown or birth date.
- Early career: it centers JP THE WAVY’s own account of moving from dance into rap rather than fixing minor early-name and affiliation dates from secondary profiles.
- Scale of the breakthrough: changing view counts are not the evidence for the argument; official upload dates, roles and creative relationships are.
- Film credits: “BUSHIDO” is an original-soundtrack inclusion for F9; “F&F” is the Japanese image song for Fast X. They are not interchangeable claims.
- International reach: the profile records verified collaborators and film credits without turning them into a vague claim that one artist “conquered the world.”
- Release status: WAVY TAPE 3 is the latest verified solo-led full project; “SHUTOKO TOKYO” is the later, jointly billed MNNK Bro. release. Guest appearances are treated separately.
- Image: the featured card is an original HIPHOPCs typography design containing no third-party photograph, cover art or logo.
Frequently asked questions
Who is JP THE WAVY?
JP THE WAVY is a rapper from Shonan in Kanagawa Prefecture. His background in dance became the basis for work that connects rap, choreography, music video, collaborations, film and contemporary art.
What song made JP THE WAVY known?
“Cho Wavy De Gomenne” and its 2017 remix featuring SALU are the clearest starting point. To understand the larger method, continue with LIFE IS WAVY, “WAVEBODY,” “F&F” and “Mononoke Kyoto.”
Why is dance important to his music?
JP THE WAVY has said that he began rapping with the idea that he could make tracks that were easier to dance to. The result is visible not only in his flow, but in the way hooks, gestures, clothes and camera movement work together.
Is “BUSHIDO” the theme song for F9?
No. It is included on the film’s original soundtrack. “F&F,” connected to the next film, Fast X, is the Japanese image song and appears in the Japanese-dubbed version’s end credits.
What is MNNK Bro.?
MNNK Bro. is the joint unit of Takashi Murakami and JP THE WAVY. “Mononoke Kyoto” grew from the theme song for Murakami’s Kyoto exhibition, with both members involved in the work.
What is JP THE WAVY’s latest solo project?
As of August 19, 2026, the latest verified solo-led full project is WAVY TAPE 3, released July 1, 2025. “SHUTOKO TOKYO,” released later on May 22, 2026, belongs to the jointly billed MNNK Bro. project.
Continue through HIPHOPCs
- Kawasaki & Yokohama Rap Atlas — read Kanagawa as several local histories rather than one sound, and locate Shonan outside a single metropolitan center.
- LEX profile — follow the collaborator from “WAVEBODY” into a method built around an unfixed voice.
- Awich profile — move from “F&F” into a separate history of Okinawa, the United States, family and return.
- FORCE Festival 2026 guide — place JP THE WAVY beside Awich, LEX, Kaneee and other collaborators in a current festival context.
- Nyture and Kazuki Ito interview — compare another first-hand account of a rapper and image-maker building a shared language from a local scene.
- English Artist Profiles — browse HIPHOPCs’ sourced guides to artists in Japan and beyond.
Sources and editorial method
- Last fact check: August 19, 2026.
- Biography: JP THE WAVY’s official site and the J-WAVE interview take priority over unsourced biographical summaries.
- Music and dates: official YouTube uploads, Apple Music and TuneCore release pages establish dates, billing and track counts.
- Film roles: the franchise’s official Japanese site establishes the distinction between soundtrack inclusion and Japanese image song.
- MNNK Bro.: Kaikai Kiki’s official production account and TuneCore’s release page establish the unit, credits and release dates.
- Editorial interpretation: “dance became a publishing method” is HIPHOPCs’ reading across the verified works and collaborations, not a quotation attributed to JP THE WAVY.
Primary and official references
- JP THE WAVY official website
- J-WAVE: JP THE WAVY on dance, his artist name and the breakthrough
- Official video: “Cho Wavy De Gomenne”
- Official video: “Cho Wavy De Gomenne Remix feat. SALU”
- Apple Music: LIFE IS WAVY
- Apple Music: WAVY TAPE 2
- Apple Music: WAVY TAPE 2 (Deluxe)
- Official Fast & Furious site: “BUSHIDO” soundtrack credit
- Official Fast & Furious site: “F&F” Japanese image-song credit
- Apple Music: Hit Different
- TuneCore: Hit Different track credits
- Kaikai Kiki: MNNK Bro. and “Mononoke Kyoto”
- GQ Japan: 2021 Best Rap Artist honor
- TuneCore: WAVY TAPE 3
- TuneCore: MNNK Bro.’s “SHUTOKO TOKYO”
How should JP THE WAVY be evaluated?
JP THE WAVY’s strength is not that he imposes an identical style everywhere he goes. Dance gives him cues for the body; Spikey John turns those cues into screen memory; JIGG provides a continuous floor for contrasting voices; film gives the rap a story’s velocity; MNNK Bro. turns an exhibition into recorded and collectible memory. Each new format changes how he moves.
The center remains visible because he never treats rap as sound alone. The method that reached the body in “Cho Wavy De Gomenne” still operates when the setting becomes a cinema, a museum or an image of the city. What JP THE WAVY expanded was not simply the number of fields in which a rapper could work. He expanded the places in which danceable rap could exist.
Featured image: original 1200 × 630 HIPHOPCs English typography card. No external visual assets were used.
