Nujabes

Jun Seba (February 7, 1974 - February 26, 2010) was a Japanese hip-hop music producer who recorded under the name Nujabes (new-jah-behz; which is simply his real name 'sebajun' spelled backwards). His music is known for a strong cool jazz influence, frequently using samples from artists like Miles Davis and Yusef Lateef. He was also an owner of "tribe," a record store in Shibuya, Tokyo, and led indie record label Hyde-Out Productions. He released two albums in Japan, Metaphorical Music in 2003 and Modal Soul in 2005. He was also a member of the production duo "Urbanforest", an experimental collaboration with Nao Tokui (appearing on the Lady Brown 12"). In addition to Japanese artists like Shing02 and MINMI, he has collaborated with underground American hip-hop acts Cyne, Apani B-Fly, Five Deez, Substantial, Fat Jon and with British rapper Funky DL. He has also contributed music to the soundtrack of Samurai Champloo, an anime which blends a setting in feudal Japan with modern anachronisms, especially hip-hop music. On March 17, 2010, it was announced on the Hyde-Out Productions website that Jun passed away on February 26, 2010 at the age of 36 after being involved in a serious car accident on the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway. He was promptly transported to the hospital, where attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. An English announcement was made on March 18 by friend and collaborator Shing02 on the Empire22 website: We deeply regret the loss of a unique talent and a close friend. Through his soulful music, Nujabes has touched so many people around the world, even beyond his dreams. He was a mysterious character to most as he avoided the public limelight, rarely conducted interviews, so only a few got to know the man behind the signature production. Yet it continued to amaze me how young listeners of all backgrounds learned of his enigmatic name, and expressed support for his music. Shing02 on March 18, 2010