DJ Honda
Encyclopedia
, better known as DJ Honda, is a Japanese
hip hop
DJ, turntablist, music producer, CEO, clothing line designer
, and entrepreneur
.
when he was 17 years old to pursue his dream of playing in an American
influenced rock band
. He started a band called, "The Clique" as the vocalist and guitarist
. However, the band struggled and DJ Honda was forced to seek additional employment. He began DJing at the popular nightclub
s in a small nearby city, Shizuoka
where he was first introduced to hip hop
music
and various turntable
techniques, including scratching
& beat juggling
. Ultimately, DJ Honda landed premiere gigs in Tokyo's largest clubs while perfecting his turntable techniques. By this time, he had created a popular name for himself as a DJ. DJ Honda also appeared on Tokyo radio station
s and remix
ed popular tracks for local record companies.
's New Music Seminar's Battle for World Supremacy in 1992 and placing runner up, DJ Honda made an international splash. After the success of this battle under his belt, DJ Honda decided to move to Los Angeles
to make a buzz for himself in the U.S. It was here where DJ Honda forged notable contacts such as Ice-T
, Eazy-E
, Tha Alkaholiks
, Xzibit
& many other West Coast
talents. Sony Music Japan then approached DJ Honda for a recording contract where he eventually released two album
s: h, DJ Honda & h II. This signing caused DJ Honda to move once again to New York City. He was ahead of his time in Japan
at this stage. After securing this new recording contract with Sony, DJ Honda launched his signature h, DJ Honda collection including the infamous "h" baseball
cap
s, men's clothing, accessories such as sunglasses, neck ties, umbrella
s, shoe line, wallet
s, etc. In New York City, he cultivated many valuable relationships with artists like Melle Mel
, Grandmaster Caz
, Prince Whipper Whip
, Universal Zulu Nation
including Afrika Bambaataa
as well as some of the emcees who would later be featured on his self-titled debut LP album
, h, DJ Honda: Common, Redman, Gang Starr
, Fat Joe
, Biz Markie
, JuJu & Psycho Les of The Beatnuts, Brand Nubian
's Grand Puba
& Sadat X
, and more. With the success of h, DJ Honda album released in U.S. and Japan Versions, DJ Honda makes a quantum leap from his debut album to his sophomore compilation, h II which featured acclaimed emcees such as Mos Def
, KRS-One
, The Beatnuts
, Cuban Link
, Keith Murray
, De La Soul
, Missin' Linx, & more. "Trouble In the Water", the first single
from h II was a masterpiece between emcee and producer
: De La Soul and DJ Honda. The second single from h II was DJ Honda & Mos Def's collaboration, "Travellin' Man" which became a hit single world wide, having its music video
shot in various places around the world from Brazil
to South Africa
. DJ Honda toured the world after h, dj honda and then again after releasing h II.
, "DJ Honda RECORDINGS" simultaneously in New York City and Tokyo with Seoul
, South Korea
branch office opening in 2002. DJ Honda released two albums on Christmas
Day, 1999: h 2000, a compilation album
featuring all production by DJ Honda coupled with New York's prominent emcees and Turntablist Revolution: I.T.F. World DJ Compilation Album Vol. 1, a compilation of scratches & beat juggling tracks by the best turntablists from around the world. The first official U.S. & international single, "El Presidente" with Jeru the Damaja
was distributed by RED
and the music video was in rotation on national TV stations such as B.E.T.
's Rap City, MTV2
, and other local cable shows. With the momentum of releasing this independent debut single, DJ Honda released his junior, compilation album titled, h III in Japan and Korean Versions only. He enlists yet another group of New York's finest lyricists: M.O.P.
, Teflon, The Beatnuts
, Gravediggaz
, Jeru The Damaja, Parish "PMD" Smith of EPMD
, Triple Seis, 8 Off Agallah, Black Attack along with Rob Jackson
, DJ Alladin, and more. For the first time ever, DJ Honda collaborates solo with one emcee on an album titled, "Underground Connection" with Parish "PMD" Smith of the duo group, EPMD and is released in Japan and S.Korea with bonus tracks from Korean hip hop artists, Erick Sermon
and a few other emcees.
DJ Honda opens to the general public his U.S. flagship retail store in SoHo
, New York City in June 2000 which carries music, his clothing
and accessory collection, "h, DJ Honda", as well live DJ sessions, events and sake parties. Following the footsteps of the "h 272" Store in NYC, four satellite "h, dj honda" stores opened their doors in Seoul, South Korea. With the rise of DJ Honda's popularity in South Korea, 2002 World Hip Hop Clan Festival organizers invites DJ Honda to perform live in front of over 10,000 screaming fans. DJ Honda surprises the Korean fans by bringing legendary EPMD with him on this Korean tour. DJ Honda also performs at the subsequent 2003 World Hip Hop Clan Festival as well bringing Parish "PMD" Smith, Strong Island's K-Solo
, & Headcrack, a bubbling NYC underground emcee. American celebrities such as comedian, Robin Williams
, David Bowie
, Susan Sarandon
, Dennis Haysbert
as well as music artist
s such as Mike Shinoda
from Linkin Park
, DJ Qbert, and countless number of hip hop artists.
In April 2004, DJ Honda launched "DHF Films" in New York City & Tokyo where he produces and distributes numerous documentaries, DJ battle DVD
s, Japanese hip hop
dance DVDs, & many more. In June 2004, The Best of DJ Honda double CD with 81 tracks includes all the tracks that DJ Honda has released world wide. This project was so successful that The Best of DJ Honda was licensed by Atoll/Warm Music in Paris
, France
.
In March 2009, DJ Honda & Problemz released All Killa/No Filla album (Japan Version) to pave the way for DJ Honda's, DJ Honda IV. Three singles have been released from this album: "Da Payback", "NY/NY", & "Give It Up". Problemz, a Brooklyn native, has worked with DJ Honda extensively since the debut album h, dj honda. On October 12, 2008, DJ Honda & Problemz performed live at the International Arts Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana
alongside artists such as The Game
, Tamia
, Lloyd
and more.
DJ Honda is notorious for collaborating with commercial and soon to rise-to-fame underground emcees. This is also noticeable on his upcoming, much anticipated new album, DJ honda IV set to release on August 2009. Like tradition the line up of notable emcees on this forthcoming album will satisfy the hunger from his loyal fans such as Mos Def, Fred Durst
, Kool G Rap
, and Rakaa Iriscience from Dilated Peoples
.
DJ Honda has been creating the soundtrack for QD3 Entertainment's documentary film, The MC: Why We Do It, Stuck
: independent film
starring Mena Suvari
& Stephen Rea
, Hip Hop Honey's DVD, Namco Bandai
's videogame, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
, as well as many of the MTV
shows such as Rob & Big
and Run's House
.
about DJ Honda's life & career in English
and Japanese
versions.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
DJ, turntablist, music producer, CEO, clothing line designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
, and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
.
Biography
DJ Honda moved to TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
when he was 17 years old to pursue his dream of playing in an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
influenced rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. He started a band called, "The Clique" as the vocalist and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. However, the band struggled and DJ Honda was forced to seek additional employment. He began DJing at the popular nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s in a small nearby city, Shizuoka
Shizuoka, Shizuoka
is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in terms of both population and area. It became one of Japan's 19 "designated cities" in 2005.-Geography:...
where he was first introduced to hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and various turntable
Turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
techniques, including scratching
Scratching
Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer. While scratching is most commonly associated with hip hop music, since the late 1980s, it has been used...
& beat juggling
Beat juggling
Beat juggling is the act of manipulating two or more samples , in order to create a unique composition, using multiple turntables and one or more mixers. This can involve pauses, scratching, backspins and delays...
. Ultimately, DJ Honda landed premiere gigs in Tokyo's largest clubs while perfecting his turntable techniques. By this time, he had created a popular name for himself as a DJ. DJ Honda also appeared on Tokyo radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s and remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed popular tracks for local record companies.
1990s
After entering New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's New Music Seminar's Battle for World Supremacy in 1992 and placing runner up, DJ Honda made an international splash. After the success of this battle under his belt, DJ Honda decided to move to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to make a buzz for himself in the U.S. It was here where DJ Honda forged notable contacts such as Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
, Eazy-E
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
, Tha Alkaholiks
Tha Alkaholiks
Tha Alkaholiks, also known as Tha Liks, was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. Since the early 1990s they have produced funky, upbeat, hedonism-themed party music with a hardcore hip hop edge, powered by the beats of DJ and producer E-Swift and the lively, comedic rhymes of...
, Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...
& many other West Coast
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
talents. Sony Music Japan then approached DJ Honda for a recording contract where he eventually released two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s: h, DJ Honda & h II. This signing caused DJ Honda to move once again to New York City. He was ahead of his time in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
at this stage. After securing this new recording contract with Sony, DJ Honda launched his signature h, DJ Honda collection including the infamous "h" baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
cap
Cap
A cap is a form of headgear. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head and have no brim or only a visor. They are typically designed for warmth and, when including a visor, blocking sunlight from the eyes...
s, men's clothing, accessories such as sunglasses, neck ties, umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
s, shoe line, wallet
Wallet
A wallet, or billfold, is a small, flat case that is used to carry personal items such as cash, credit cards, identification documents , photographs, business cards and other paper or laminated cards...
s, etc. In New York City, he cultivated many valuable relationships with artists like Melle Mel
Melle Mel
Grandmaster Mele Mel , also known as Melle Mel , is an American hip-hop musician — one of the pioneers of old school hip hop as lead rapper and main songwriter for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.- Biography :...
, Grandmaster Caz
Grandmaster Caz
Curtis Fisher , better known by his stage name Grandmaster Caz or Cassanova Fly is an American "Old Skool" rapper, MC, and DJ...
, Prince Whipper Whip
Prince Whipper Whip
Prince Whipper Whip is the stage name of James Whipper, a Puerto Rican rapper from the Bronx. He was an original member of Grandwizard Theodore & the Fantastic Five...
, Universal Zulu Nation
Universal Zulu Nation
|rightThe Universal Zulu Nation is an international hip hop awareness group formed and headed by hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa. Originally known simply as the Organization, it arose in the 1970s as reformed New York City gang members began to organize cultural events for youths, combining local...
including Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
as well as some of the emcees who would later be featured on his self-titled debut LP album
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, h, DJ Honda: Common, Redman, Gang Starr
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
, Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
, Biz Markie
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name, Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, comedian, singer, reality television personality, and commercial spokesperson. He is best known for his single "Just a Friend", an American Top 10 hit in 1989...
, JuJu & Psycho Les of The Beatnuts, Brand Nubian
Brand Nubian
Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three MC's: Grand Puba , Sadat X and Lord Jamar , and two DJs: DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere...
's Grand Puba
Grand Puba
Maxwell Dixon is an emcee best known as a member of the group Brand Nubian.-Biography:He made his debut with the group Masters of Ceremony. Its album Dynamite was hailed by critics, but probably due to lack of sales, the group soon disbanded, and Puba emerged as the lead emcee of Brand Nubian...
& Sadat X
Sadat X
Sadat X is an American rapper, most famed as a member of Alternative hip hop group Brand Nubian. Originally known as Derek X, Sadat takes his name from former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat....
, and more. With the success of h, DJ Honda album released in U.S. and Japan Versions, DJ Honda makes a quantum leap from his debut album to his sophomore compilation, h II which featured acclaimed emcees such as Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
, KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, The Beatnuts
The Beatnuts
The Beatnuts are a New York-based hip hop group and production duo from Queens, New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu is Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les is a Colombian American from Jackson Heights...
, Cuban Link
Cuban Link
Felix Delgado , better known by his stage name Cuban Link, is a Cuban rapper.-Biography:Delgado was born in Havana, Cuba in 1974. He and his family emigrated to the United States in 1980 and settled in the Morrisania section of the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City...
, Keith Murray
Keith Murray (rapper)
Keith Murray is an American rapper and a member of the rap trio Def Squad, which includes fellow rappers Redman and Erick Sermon.-Music career:...
, De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, Missin' Linx, & more. "Trouble In the Water", the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from h II was a masterpiece between emcee and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
: De La Soul and DJ Honda. The second single from h II was DJ Honda & Mos Def's collaboration, "Travellin' Man" which became a hit single world wide, having its music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
shot in various places around the world from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. DJ Honda toured the world after h, dj honda and then again after releasing h II.
2000s
It was at this time that DJ Honda decided to leave Sony Music Japan behind to embark on opening his own, independent record labelLabel
A label is a piece of paper, polymer, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or article, on which is printed a legend, information concerning the product, addresses, etc. A label may also be printed directly on the container or article....
, "DJ Honda RECORDINGS" simultaneously in New York City and Tokyo with Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
branch office opening in 2002. DJ Honda released two albums on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Day, 1999: h 2000, a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
featuring all production by DJ Honda coupled with New York's prominent emcees and Turntablist Revolution: I.T.F. World DJ Compilation Album Vol. 1, a compilation of scratches & beat juggling tracks by the best turntablists from around the world. The first official U.S. & international single, "El Presidente" with Jeru the Damaja
Jeru the Damaja
Kendrick Jeru Davis, known as Jeru the Damaja is an American rapper and recording artist who has worked extensively with Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr, whom he has known since high school.-Biography:...
was distributed by RED
RED Distribution
RED - An Artist Development Company is a Sony Music Entertainment-owned sales and marketing division that handles releases for over sixty independent record labels....
and the music video was in rotation on national TV stations such as B.E.T.
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's Rap City, MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
, and other local cable shows. With the momentum of releasing this independent debut single, DJ Honda released his junior, compilation album titled, h III in Japan and Korean Versions only. He enlists yet another group of New York's finest lyricists: M.O.P.
M.O.P.
M.O.P., short for Mash Out Posse, is an American hip hop duo. The duo, composed of Billy Danze and Lil' Fame, is known for the aggressive delivery typically employed by both emcees. Although they maintain a strong underground following, they are mainly known for the song "Ante Up," released on...
, Teflon, The Beatnuts
The Beatnuts
The Beatnuts are a New York-based hip hop group and production duo from Queens, New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu is Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les is a Colombian American from Jackson Heights...
, Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz is an American hip hop group from New York City, well known for its dark sense of humor and abrasive, menacing soundscapes. The group was formed in 1994 and was effectively a supergroup, bringing together Prince Paul , Frukwan , Too Poetic and RZA...
, Jeru The Damaja, Parish "PMD" Smith of EPMD
EPMD
EPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
, Triple Seis, 8 Off Agallah, Black Attack along with Rob Jackson
Rob Jackson
Rob Jackson born 4 September 1981 in Salford, Greater Manchester, England is a rugby league player for Whitehaven in National League One.Rob Jackson's position of choice is as a centre and he can also play on the wing....
, DJ Alladin, and more. For the first time ever, DJ Honda collaborates solo with one emcee on an album titled, "Underground Connection" with Parish "PMD" Smith of the duo group, EPMD and is released in Japan and S.Korea with bonus tracks from Korean hip hop artists, Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon , in Bay Shore, New York is an American rapper, musician, and producer.Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.- Career :...
and a few other emcees.
DJ Honda opens to the general public his U.S. flagship retail store in SoHo
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
, New York City in June 2000 which carries music, his clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
and accessory collection, "h, DJ Honda", as well live DJ sessions, events and sake parties. Following the footsteps of the "h 272" Store in NYC, four satellite "h, dj honda" stores opened their doors in Seoul, South Korea. With the rise of DJ Honda's popularity in South Korea, 2002 World Hip Hop Clan Festival organizers invites DJ Honda to perform live in front of over 10,000 screaming fans. DJ Honda surprises the Korean fans by bringing legendary EPMD with him on this Korean tour. DJ Honda also performs at the subsequent 2003 World Hip Hop Clan Festival as well bringing Parish "PMD" Smith, Strong Island's K-Solo
K-Solo
K-Solo is an American rapper from Central Islip, New York who, along with EPMD, Redman, Das EFX, and Keith Murray, was part of the Hit Squad in 1990s.-Late years:...
, & Headcrack, a bubbling NYC underground emcee. American celebrities such as comedian, Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
, Dennis Haysbert
Dennis Haysbert
Dennis Dexter Haysbert is an American film and television actor. He is known for portraying baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the Major League film trilogy, President David Palmer on the American television series 24, and Sergeant Major Jonas Blane on the drama series The Unit, as well as his work...
as well as music artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s such as Mike Shinoda
Mike Shinoda
Michael "Mike" Kenji Shinoda is an American musician, record producer, and artist. He is best known as the rapper, principal songwriter, keyboardist, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Linkin Park, along with his co-frontman and lead singer Chester Bennington, and as a solo rapper in...
from Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, DJ Qbert, and countless number of hip hop artists.
In April 2004, DJ Honda launched "DHF Films" in New York City & Tokyo where he produces and distributes numerous documentaries, DJ battle DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s, Japanese hip hop
Japanese hip hop
Japanese hip hop is said to have begun when Hiroshi Fujiwara returned to Japan and started playing hip hop records in the early 1980s. Japanese hip hop generally tends to be most directly influenced by old school hip hop, taking from the era's catchy beats, dance culture, and overall fun and...
dance DVDs, & many more. In June 2004, The Best of DJ Honda double CD with 81 tracks includes all the tracks that DJ Honda has released world wide. This project was so successful that The Best of DJ Honda was licensed by Atoll/Warm Music in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In March 2009, DJ Honda & Problemz released All Killa/No Filla album (Japan Version) to pave the way for DJ Honda's, DJ Honda IV. Three singles have been released from this album: "Da Payback", "NY/NY", & "Give It Up". Problemz, a Brooklyn native, has worked with DJ Honda extensively since the debut album h, dj honda. On October 12, 2008, DJ Honda & Problemz performed live at the International Arts Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
alongside artists such as The Game
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
, Tamia
Tamia
Tamia Hill , and known professionally as Tamia, is a four-time Grammy-nominated Canadian R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, composer, model, entrepreneur and philanthropist, as well as an occasional actress.She is best known for her 2000 hit "Stranger In My House" and Fabolous' 2003...
, Lloyd
Lloyd (singer)
Lloyd Polite, Jr. , who performs under the mononym Lloyd, is an American R&B recording artist, who experienced as a member of the group N-Toon before embarking on a solo career in 2004....
and more.
DJ Honda is notorious for collaborating with commercial and soon to rise-to-fame underground emcees. This is also noticeable on his upcoming, much anticipated new album, DJ honda IV set to release on August 2009. Like tradition the line up of notable emcees on this forthcoming album will satisfy the hunger from his loyal fans such as Mos Def, Fred Durst
Fred Durst
William Frederick "Fred" Durst is an American musician, director, producer and actor, well known as the frontman of the band Limp Bizkit.-Early life:...
, Kool G Rap
Kool G Rap
Nathaniel Thomas Wilson , better known by his stage names Kool G Rap , Kool G. Rap, and Giancana , is an American rapper, from the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew...
, and Rakaa Iriscience from Dilated Peoples
Dilated Peoples
Dilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. The group achieved notability in the underground hip hop community, although they have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song "This Way," a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West and Xzibit...
.
DJ Honda has been creating the soundtrack for QD3 Entertainment's documentary film, The MC: Why We Do It, Stuck
Stuck (2007 film)
Stuck is a 2007 thriller directed by Stuart Gordon and starring Mena Suvari and Stephen Rea. The film premiered on May 21, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market...
: independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
starring Mena Suvari
Mena Suvari
Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
& Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
, Hip Hop Honey's DVD, Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai
, also known as the Bandai Namco Group, is a Japanese holding company formed from the merger of Namco and Bandai. It has interests in toys, video games and arcades, anime, and amusement parks. The new entity was founded on September 29, 2005...
's videogame, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is a 2006 street racing action film directed by Justin Lin. It is the third installment in the The Fast and the Furious film series and currently the sixth in terms of series chronology...
, as well as many of the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
shows such as Rob & Big
Rob & Big
Rob & Big is an American reality television series that follows the lives of professional skateboarder/actor/producer Rob Dyrdek and his best friend and bodyguard Christopher "Big Black" Boykin...
and Run's House
Run's House
Run's House was an MTV reality series. It showed the family life of rapper and hip-hop music pioneer Joseph Simmons, also known as Rev Run....
.
2010s
DJ Honda is currently working on several projects including h Mental Vol. 1 which is an exclusive collection of DJ Honda beats, All Killa/No Filla (U.S. Version), DJ Honda V, REASON, a biographical documentary filmDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about DJ Honda's life & career in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
versions.
Studio albums
- h (1995: Japan/1996: U.S.)
- Remixes (1995)
- h II (1997: Japan/1998: U.S.)
- Turntablist Revolution: I.T.F. World DJ Championship Album Vol. 1 (1999)
- h 2000 (1999)
- h III (2001: Japan/2002: Korea)
- Underground Connection (2002)
- The Best of DJ Honda, Vol. 1 (2004)
- The Best of DJ Honda, Vol. 2 (2004)
- Samurai Sword (2005)
- DJ Honda Mix, Vol. 1: The Best of DJ Honda (2005) (iTunes exclusive)
- REASON (2005)
- All Killa / No Filla (2009)
- h Mental (2009)
- DJ Honda IV (2009)
Singles
- "Trouble in the Water" (1998)
- "Travellin' Man" (1998)
- "El Presidente" (2000)
- "Real To Me" (2001)
- "REASON Chapter 1" (2005)
- "REASON Chapter 2" (2005)
- "Da Payback" (2009)
- "NY/NY" (2009)
- "Give It Up" (2009)
- "Another Day" (2009)
- "Magnetic Arts" (2009)
External links
- Official website
- Dj Honda @ HearJapan
- DJ Honda @ MySpace
- [ Allmusic.com biography]