{"id":4239,"date":"2025-08-04T22:50:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T22:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/rip-slyme-25th-anniversary-reunion-japan-feature-interview-1236036720\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T22:50:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T22:50:13","slug":"rip-slyme-25th-anniversary-reunion-japan-feature-interview-1236036720","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/rip-slyme-25th-anniversary-reunion-japan-feature-interview-1236036720\/","title":{"rendered":"RIP SLYME on 25th-Anniversary Reunion & Creative Process of New Releases: Billboard Japan Monthly Feature\u00a0Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tThe members of RIP SLYME<\/a> spoke with Billboard Japan for its Monthly Feature series spotlighting currently noteworthy artists and works. Fans rejoiced when the veteran pop-rap group announced that the five-member classic lineup would return for the first time in eight years to celebrate its 25th anniversary.<\/p>\n

\n\tSince forming in 1994 and making its major label debut in 2001, RIP SLYME led the Japanese mainstream hip-hop scene in the early aughts with its innovative beats and the mic relay among the characterful MCs, releasing a string of hits including \u201cRakuen Baby,\u201d \u201cNettaiya,\u201d \u201cFUNKASTIC,\u201d and \u201cJOINT.\u201d After taking a hiatus in 2018 and later returning as a trio, the group\u2019s classic 4 MC + 1 DJ lineup \u2014 rappers RYO-Z, ILMARI, PES, SU, and DJ FUMIYA \u2014 reunited in April this year. Back for a limited time until March 22, 2026, these members of the iconic group chatted about their eagerly anticipated comeback and current mindset.<\/p>\n

\n\tNow that you\u2019re actually back as a group of five, you must be getting all kinds of reactions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tRYO-Z: Needless to say, our stance is, \u201cSorry to keep you waiting.\u201d We got reactions like, \u201cI\u2019ve been waiting for this\u201d and \u201cWelcome back\u201d on social media, and there were also people who discovered RIP SLYME for the first time. We received messages from various people including friends and acquaintances saying, \u201cAll five of you are together again at last. Congrats.\u201d We\u2019ve gradually been doing festivals and live shows and I\u2019ve been thinking, \u201cIt\u2019s starting again, this is so fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSU: People have been urging me not to cause any more trouble. Knowing there are people who are glad (that I\u2019m back) makes me want to do my best.<\/p>\n

\n\tPES: The response has been positive, and we\u2019re glad we did this. I think all the members feel the same way.<\/p>\n

\n\tFUMIYA: Seeing the way the view counts on our music videos are going up, I think, \u201cThey\u2019ve been waiting for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tILMARI: We\u2019ve been preparing for this moment, so it feels like we\u2019ve finally been able to get properly started.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cDo ON\u201d is a vibrant number suitably kicking off your comeback.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tFUMIYA: We were working on it alongside \u201cWacha Wacha,\u201d but after discussing it with our team, we decided to go with \u201cDo ON\u201d as our first release. The idea was to keep it simple, similar to how we used to do things in our early days, arranged over a simple sampling base with not too many sounds added.<\/p>\n

\n\tPES: I\u2019d always wanted to write lyrics about our reunion and ourselves from an overall meta perspective, so we took an objective approach for the entirety of this song. \u201cDo ON\u201d is a word I personally use to mean \u201cbeing really into something,\u201d and it\u2019s one of the songs we wrote figuring it would fit well with this RIP SLYME project.<\/p>\n

\n\tYou also referenced a punchline from a Japanese rap hit [Yuki Chiba\u2019s \u201cTeam Tomodachi\u201d from last year] that transcends generations: \u201cTeam tomodachi, zutto tomodachi, dope na yatsu wa imada ni tomodachi\u201d (\u201cTeam friends, forever friends, dope dudes are still my friends\u201d).<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tILMARI: It\u2019s a song featuring our classic mic relay that starts with PES and SU, then continues with me and RYO-Z, so I think it\u2019s a return to our roots in that sense as well.<\/p>\n

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