Anarchy, an underground Japanese rapper who’s spent the past few years rising into global hip hop visibility, has proven the versatility of the gangster rapper trope. The battling MC grew up in Kyoto, a city better known for its UNESCO-protected shinto shrines than its ghettos. But as a listen to Anarchy’s music proves, a kid can grow up hard anywhere, and hip hop can mean a kind of salvation for a struggling teen in any language.What separates Anarchy from the wannabes around the globe who are just wearing Death Row Halloween costumes is the emotional vulnerability he’s willing to share beyond the gangster lean. Anarchy’s songs, stripped of their Donny Hathaway samples, boom-bap beats, and Anarchy’s machine-gun delivery, reveal his own human frailty — most notably his childhood abandonment issues.

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Anarchy in Kyoto

Anarchy Reps for Kyoto’s Lost Kids

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Artist of the Week: Kyoto’s Premier Street MC, Anarchy

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“Playing In The Ghetto”

Photo provided by R-Rated Records