I've always been a fan of Shing02. A majority of his songs touch upon politics and societal issues. This may come off as an outdated topic to rap about, but Shing02 makes it work, especially when Marcus D is providing some phat beats to flow over. Born in Tokyo, Shing02 grew up in England, and eventually settled down around San Francisco. There, he was exposed to the massive hip-hop movement, as well as Asian-American activists. Inevitably, his musical path led to the fusion of hip-hop and activist topics.
What makes Shing02 unique is he can rap in both Japanese and English fluently. He is most notable for his collaborative efforts with Nujabes, along with his solo work. "One People" is Shing02 lasted collaborative track with producer Marcus D. Though Shing02's style may differ than a lot of hip-hop artists and rappers nowadays, he nails upon one the foundations and the driving force of any hip/hop and rap song: the flow. Coupled with Marcus D's beat and rhythm mastery, they make for a dynamic force to be reckon worth. I can only hope they continue to collaborate more in the future.
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It's not very often you hear Shing02 brought up on a more mainstream music blog/website. I'm a huge fan myself and always though he needed more exposure. Hopefully this isn't the last S02 related post here on earmilk, and he can find a new audience.