MEGA-G: JUSWANNA, Solo Records and the Craft of Live Rap
MEGA-G is a rapper from Ota Ward, Tokyo. After recording as part of JUSWANNA, he built a solo catalogue around his own BOOT BANG ENTERTAINMENT label. Black Box, Re:BOOT and Return of the Boom Bap lead into a joint project with Greedy on ILLBLOCK and producer H.A.D.E.S on ILLBLOCK: a catalogue shaped by rhyme, breath and the demands of performing live.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
MEGA-G at a glance
| Artist | MEGA-G |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ota Ward, Tokyo, Japan |
| Role | Rapper; BOOT BANG ENTERTAINMENT |
| Group work | JUSWANNA, with Messiah the Fly and DJ MUTA |
| Selected records | Black Box (JUSWANNA); Re:BOOT; Return of the Boom Bap; The Most Undarated Peoples (joint project) |
The group history is documented by its label. The account of his creative process comes from his HIPHOPCs interview; release dates and credits are checked against official catalogue pages.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Skateboarding, early demos and JUSWANNA
MEGA-G told HIPHOPCs that he found hip-hop among the music played by his skateboarding friends in junior high school. THE BLUE HEARTS had also been important to him since childhood: he described their simple words as gaining force as he grew older.[1]
Recalling his first demos, he described covering a Biggie song by following the sound of English he did not yet understand, and using headphones as a microphone. His connection with Messiah the Fly also came through the local skateboarding scene. These are personal recollections, rather than independently dated milestones.[1]
JUSWANNA became known as MEGA-G, Messiah the Fly and DJ MUTA. The group released Black Box on March 18, 2009, including “Pierrot Style” and “Tokyo Zuno Senso.” P-VINE’s official biography records its announcement of a hiatus at the tour final on May 3, 2010.[2][3]
What going solo changed
MEGA-G dates the start of his solo work and self-run label to around 2010. The change was physical as well as organisational: with two MCs, one voice could support the other, whereas a solo verse had to be performed by one person all the way through. He said this changed his word placement and breathing.[1]
His relationship with the group’s songs changed too. He recalled avoiding JUSWANNA material early in his solo career because he wanted audiences to hear who he was then. More recently, he said, he had returned to those songs in live sets in response to listeners who still wanted them.[1]
Re:BOOT and Return of the Boom Bap
The 14-track Re:BOOT was released on November 3, 2019, with appearances including DOGMA, T2K and YOU THE ROCK. The ten-track Return of the Boom Bap followed on March 9, 2025. Its composers include BOMB WALKER, DJ PATRA and DJ SCRATCH NICE; I-DeA is credited with recording, mixing and mastering throughout.[4][5][6]
MEGA-G’s explanation of improvement is practical. In the interview, he spoke about collecting rhymes on paper, studying rhythm and investigating where words fit. He also stressed rehearsal and the relationship with a regular live DJ. Those comments provide a way to listen beyond rhyme endings, to pauses, breath and timing.[1]
A three-way collaboration with Greedy and H.A.D.E.S
The Most Undarated Peoples is credited to MEGA-G, Greedy on ILLBLOCK and H.A.D.E.S on ILLBLOCK. TuneCore lists the digital edition as an August 1, 2026 release with 11 tracks, including an intro and outro. “Undarated” is the album’s official catalogue spelling; the track “The Most Underrated” uses a different spelling.[7]
In the interview, MEGA-G and Greedy traced their connection through T2K and several earlier collaborations. Greedy described sending MEGA-G a track made over a H.A.D.E.S beat: it became “Walk on Fire” and helped set the album in motion. H.A.D.E.S said he had approached the record with a 2000s sound in mind.[1]
The writing moved in both directions. Greedy described being pushed by MEGA-G’s verses, while MEGA-G said he sometimes rewrote his own after hearing Greedy. Darb Sugiura appears on “Voice of the Heroes”; the talk-box contribution discussed in the interview is another way into the record’s arrangement, beyond the exchange between the two MCs.[1][7]
Selected timeline
| March 18, 2009 | JUSWANNA releases Black Box.[3] |
|---|---|
| May 3, 2010 | JUSWANNA announces a hiatus.[2] |
| Around 2010 | MEGA-G dates his solo work and self-run label to this period.[1] |
| November 3, 2019 | Re:BOOT is released.[5] |
| March 9, 2025 | Return of the Boom Bap is released.[6] |
| August 1, 2026 | The digital release date listed for The Most Undarated Peoples.[7] |
| September 3, 2026 | HIPHOPCs publishes the three-person production interview.[1] |
Where to start listening
- Return of the Boom Bap — an entry into his solo delivery.
- The Most Undarated Peoples — start with “Walk on Fire” and the interplay between the two MCs.
- JUSWANNA: Black Box — return to the group catalogue.
HIPHOPCs interviews
Official information
Explore the regions and interviews
Sources and review date
Last checked: . Personal recollections, opinions and future plans are attributed to the interview; release details are checked against catalogue listings.
- HIPHOPCs: MEGA-G, Greedy on ILLBLOCK and H.A.D.E.S interview, published September 3, 2026
- P-VINE: JUSWANNA biography
- P-VINE: JUSWANNA, Black Box
- BOOT BANG ENTERTAINMENT: MEGA-G official website
- TuneCore Japan: Re:BOOT
- TuneCore Japan: Return of the Boom Bap
- TuneCore Japan: The Most Undarated Peoples
Image source: MEGA-G interview — HIPHOPCs. MEGA-G. Photo supplied by the interview participants.
