June 30 , 2025 | Tokyo, Japan | Team RJHH
In just a few weeks, rapper NENE (from the group Yurufuwa Gang) disrupted the established order of Japanese rap. Two hard-hitting tracks – “OWARI” and “HAJIMARI” – shook the scene, triggering a direct response from SKY-HI, CEO of the label BMSG, in his freestyle “0623FreeStyle” This clash, rare in Japan’s often more structured hip-hop culture, revealed deep tensions between independent artists and the commercial music industry.
NENE – OWARI: The Beginning of the End
NENE’s first track, “OWARI” (“The End”), directly targets pop-rap star Chanmina. With a provocative and mocking tone, NENE accuses her rival of plagiarism, claiming she did not write her lyrics and instead created music for sales rather than self-expression. With the recurring line “I’m on your mood board, bitch,” NENE claims her style and influence are being used without credit while denouncing an industry that favors copies over originals.
「 I’m on your mood board bitch」 (“I’m on your mood board, bitch”)
She follows up with:
「芸術ってなに？音楽って何？ 汚いお前ら pussy」
(“What is art? What is music? You dirty pussies.”)
With fierce flow, she references exploitation, industry manipulation, and even cosmetic surgery as symptoms of artistic superficiality. “OWARI” is both a direct diss track and a war cry against a system that silences alternative voices.
0623FreeStyle: SKY-HI Grabs the Mic
The response didn’t take long. SKY-HI, CEO of BMSG and the artist himself released a freestyle on June 23. Without naming NENE directly, he addresses her with condescension and sarcasm:
「安くなっちまったねNENEちゃん本当」
(“You’ve become cheap, NENE-chan.”)
He criticizes stylish but shallow diss tracks and defends his role as a hard-working entrepreneur building the next generation.
「縦型音楽でHIPHOPを消耗？」
(“Are you depleting hip-hop with vertical music?”)
「汚ねぇ売名アルバム出るなら買ってやるよこのプロモーション」 (“If your clout-chasing album drops, I’ll buy it—great promotion.”)
He accuses NENE of exploiting rap for TikTok formats, of aiming for flash without substance, and of hiding behind critique instead of creating. He also flips her “dream for the kids” rhetoric by stating he’s the one making those dreams come true. Finally, he calls for sincere respect for hip-hop culture, positioning himself as a builder: “I pay the talent, I build the future”.
HAJIMARI: The Ruthless Counterattack
NENE returns with “HAJIMARI” (“The Beginning”). On this longer, sharper track, she not only continues to target Chanmina but directly calls out SKY-HI, his label BMSG, and the Japanese commercial music system as a whole.
「大丈夫なの？その紹営方針 君の社員がまたどっかで中出し」
(“Everything okay? Is that your management policy? One of your staff creampied someone again somewhere.”)
「冷凍食品 お口にラップ」
(“Frozen food—put plastic wrap over your mouth.”)
She accuses the other side of stealing ideas, manipulating algorithms, hiding behind PR campaigns, and hollowing out hip-hop while wearing its skin.
「お前らの曲って全然 ファンに響いてないじゃん 届いてないじゃん？」
(“Your songs don’t resonate with fans. They don’t reach anyone, do they?”)
With razor-sharp delivery and piercing punchlines, she embraces her outsider status and declares she’d rather stay real than become a “puppet”. She reaffirms her belief in music as a deep, creative expression, not a marketing tool.
A Clash That Reveals Deeper Cracks
This triple confrontation reveals a significant fracture in the Japanese hip-hop scene: between underground authenticity and industry professionalism, between artistic ethics and commercial strategy, between independent female rappers and institutions run by powerful men. NENE stands for a vision of rap as a truthful, rebellious voice. SKY-HI presents himself as a mediator—an architect building bridges between rap and the mainstream. Chanmina, silent in this entire feud, remains a symbolic figure of hybrid pop success that some find threatening. This clash—rare and intense—at least has the merit of reigniting a crucial debate: What is hip-hop in Japan? A voice, a business, or a battle?
