Japanese Hip-Hop Four Piece Jabba Da Football Club

In a more hip-hop-heavy lineup at Fujirock than ever, big names like Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone and N.E.R.D are sure to draw more fans of the genre to Naeba than in years past. Not to let overseas rap acts hog all the spotlight, a few Japanese hip-hop acts also have their sights set on expanding the presence of the genre at the festival. One of those acts, Jabba Da Football Club will take to Naeba Shokudo late Saturday to do just that.

Combining their penchants for lighthearted hip-hop, football, and Star Wars (the name is a play on villian Jabba the Hutt), Jabba Da Football Club’s party rap draws comparisons to predecessors like Rip Slyme and Kick the Can Crew.

Formed in 2014, the group has been steadily gaining traction on the Japanese hip-hop scene, even playing large festivals like Baycamp and Summersonic. This year marks their first outing at Fujirock.

Members ROVIN, BAOBAB MC, ASHTRAY, and NOLOV don football referee uniforms and tag-team one-another flowing over feel-good beats. They’ll be part of Saturday’s roster, playing 0:10 – 0:50  (actually very early Sunday) on the Naeba Shokudo stage in support of their recent EP, “FUCKING GOOD MILKSHAKE”.

If you’re into Japanese hip-hop with a soccer hooligan twist, check out their TWITTER or their OFFICIAL WEBSITE for more.

While perhaps best known for their uptempo jaunty rap, if your interest is piqued, the best place to dive in might be their recent laid-back chill out track “CANDY IN THE POWDER”. Sample the accompanying music video from youtube below: