Rap Atlas Editorial Criteria: How Artists Are Selected

HIPHOPCs publishes Rap Atlas to document Japanese rap as a network of regional scenes. Any regional guide raises the same question: who belongs on the page? This page makes the editorial test public.

Selection Criteria

Representative Artists

An artist or group can be included when at least one of the following is supported:

An official streaming release record, together with verifiable mentions, appearances or chart achievements in national media, including specialist media.
A historical role in the regional scene supported by multiple independent sources.

Artists to Watch

An emerging artist needs a release within the latest 24 months, plus at least one verified instance of media coverage, participation in a competition such as an MC battle, or a festival appearance.

How Regional Attribution Works

Birthplace, childhood, crew-formation site, career-start location and current base are different facts. Rap Atlas does not merge them. A regional connection is stated only as narrowly as an artist’s own public account or credible reporting supports it.

A collaboration, guest verse or performance in one city does not by itself make an artist part of that region. The article must explain why a person appears and what kind of connection the evidence establishes.

Evidence and Editorial Boundaries

No rankings. Order follows verified activity dates or alphabetical order and carries no value judgment.
No conjecture. Missing dates or locations remain open rather than being filled from inference.
No rumor as fact. Unverified allegations involving crime, disputes, private life or medical history are excluded.
No pay-to-place decisions. Advertising and sponsored content must be explicitly identified within the article. Payment cannot change inclusion or order.
Claim-level sourcing. Important dates, roles and regional claims link as closely as possible to the official record, first-person account or reliable report that supports them.
Translations preserve evidence limits. An English edition does not strengthen, simplify or internationalize a claim beyond what the source supports.

Corrections and Additions

Rap Atlas is a living record, not a finished canon. Artists, representatives and readers can send omissions or factual corrections through the HIPHOPCs contact page. Useful submissions include official distribution links, artist statements, venue records and reliable reporting.

Editors then (1) verify the facts using primary material and multiple independent sources, (2) assess the submission against the criteria on this page, and (3) apply accepted additions or corrections to the regional database, Japanese edition and English edition together. The changes are recorded with dates in an addendum at the end of the article and in its update history. Contributors are credited by their real names only if they request it; anonymous or uncredited submissions are also accepted. Payment does not affect inclusion or order at any stage of this process.

Apply for Consideration

If an artist appears to meet the criteria but is missing, send the evidence through the contact page. Inclusion remains an editorial decision based on the same published test for every region. Once verified and accepted, additions are reflected in the next update.

Return to the English Rap Atlas hub to browse the currently published regional guides.