Rapstar is an online show where up-and-coming rappers compete to win a cash prize. To enter, you submit a short video rapping over one of the instrumental tracks they provide, and they pick out a bunch of those videos and share them on social media before the show starts. For the actual show, they choose a much smaller number of contestants from the videos and a panel of judges decides who advances through each round based on performances, etc.
Rasen is a video series from Redbull Japan that is another big exposure opportunity. The four guys in this all had their videos shared on Rapstar’s social media and got a good response, but only MIKADO was picked to appear on the show, and he was eliminated after the first performance round. So, this was a chance for three of them to show how they would have done if they had the opportunity to perform, and it’s a bit of a do-over for MIKADO.
I only really liked MIKADO and Lisa lil vinci’s parts, so I only translated those two. I was really charmed by how much they all cheered for each other throughout the whole thing though.
MIKADO
Homunculu$’s beats
Like I thought, they suit me*
Last time I came to Tokyo I took the overnight bus, today it was the bullet train
Got stepped on over and over again, feel like jirai-kei
Feeling the waves by the sea side
I get told “You’re like him” but**
Those comments aren’t worth much
Gotta force my way through but I’ll do it, like piercing a hole
They hate me, but I’m weighing on their minds, it’s like they’re in love
Got the munchies so I gulp down food
And make money with my voice
Look mom, even though I’m a drug baby I’m getting bands
I get paid for this too, so it’s good promo, isn’t it?
To get this far with no talent, I don’t have a four leaf clover, it’s got five leaves
Who is the Rapstar? I got a DM that said “MIKADO”
If Homu-san is Metro, I’m Future, it’s like that
Smoking weed with a can of Redbull, it’s like that
From Chikkou to Tokyo, but it’s nothing, that doesn’t amount to much***
Lisa lil vinci
I got shot with an arrow by cupid
You silent sheep are stupid
I get a mic stand like JoJo
I’m still going up, the story is still in its first chapter
I’m not telling negative stories, now,
Chugging a Redbull is the requirement
Everyone noticed,
“Was this kind of guy in Japan??”
I don’t have time to waste paying attention to the number of hearts on my posts
I’m feeling good, so it’s good
You’ll wake up sometime
And see I’m a star like Vegeta
The weak yen might be a chance for us, really
For both haters and fans, inside my head is an amusement park
Everyone says I’m not being acknowledged,
But that’s not it
I’m a ghost member of the scene****
I’m messing around yelling “Sturdy!!”
Emptying the sparkling
I’m good with just my girl and my friends
Only hitting hard when I move
It’s right down the centre, isn’t it, Redbull?
Notes:
*Homunculu$ produced the track for this Rasen video, and MIKADO has worked with him a lot. This is also a reference to his Rapstar audition video. He applied using Homunculu$’s track and started with the line “Homunculu$’s beats suit me the best”
**MIKADO gets compared to Watson a lot.
***Chikkou is his hometown in Wakayama
****Meaning someone who signs up for a club and then doesn’t actually do the activity. His audition video was one of the more popular ones, so he got a lot of promotion out of it even though he wasn’t on the show
MIKADO
HOMUNCULU$ no BIITO
Yappari ore niatteru
Mae tokyo kita toki yakouBASU de kyou shinkansen
Fumimakutteru yan na FEEL LIKE jirai-kei
Nami kanjiteru SEA SIDE de
Daredare-ppoi to iu kedo
Sono iken mo poi
Muriyari demo yaruzo LIKE ana ga aita POI
Iya demo ore no koto ki ni natteru maru de koi
MANCHI yakara taberu PAKURI
Kane o kasegu BOISU
Mitete MAMA DRUG BABY no kuse ni GETOru taba
Kore GYARA mo kureru shi ii PUROMO ya na
Sainou nai no ni koko made kita yotsuba ja naku itsutsuba
Dare ga RAPPU SUTAA DM todoku MIKADO yutta
HOMU-san METRO ore ga FUTURE IT’S LIKE THAT
REDDOBURU no kan de sutteta taima IT’S LIKE THAT
Chikkou kara Tokyo betsu ni taishita koto nai na
Lisa lil vinci
Ore ni ya ga atatta yo KYUUPIDDO
Damare MIIHAA omaera wa STUPID
Ore GET MAIKU no SUTANDO LIKE JOJO
Mada ue ni datte monogatari mo joshou
NEGA na hanashi wa shinai yo ima wa
Ikkinomi sa REDBULL kara jouken
Minna kizuku n da
Konna YATSU nihon ni ita kke?
HAATO no kazu o ki ni suru hodo hima ja nai
Kigaraku de ii
Itsu suru n da yo na kakusei
I’M A STAR LIKE BEJIITA
Enyasu CHANSU daro ore-tachi MAJI
HATER mo kanransha sa atama no naka wa yuuenchi
Hyouka ga nee tte minna ga iu kedo
Sou ja nee n da
Ore ga SHIIN no yuureibuin
Sakebu STURDY!! to ka fuzakete
KARA ni suru SUPAAKURINGU
Kanojo to DACHI de juubun
Buchikamasu dake MOVE
Domannaka jan REDBULL
Kanji:
