If you've seen Stormzy's latest video (which has impressively clocked up nearly a million views in a week), you'll be aware the South London rapper is currently touring in Japan. On a stereotypical glance, the fact a grime artist is in Japan feels a little out of the ordinary. The country is famed for vibing on wild and audacious strands of pop and electronic music, but it still never felt like grime - a specific form of street expression from the heart of London - would immediately translate so smoothly and gloriously to the underground clubs of Tokyo.A couple months back we introduced you to Yomeiriland, the Japanese MCs who reinterpret grime songs by the likes of Novelist into mad punk songs. Artists like Pakin have collaborated with UK MCs, spitting entirely in their home-tongue, and a few years back their was a country-wide dub competition, with over 97 grime and dubstep producers getting involved. Yet with Stormzy over in Japan, we've perhaps moved one step closer to clinical proof that the Japan goes in on grime, perhaps harder than some people who've been bumping Elf Kid from the tinny speakers in their student flat this January. Just take a look at these videos, shared on Stormzy's Twitter.DO NOT PISS HIM OFF this is the bruddah bro @JCLARKE_GHETTS pic.twitter.com/lzi3d76W9K— #MERKY (@Stormzy1)January 27, 2016My headline show in Tokyo last night…can only thank God tbh thank you to everyone that came down… #MERKY pic.twitter.com/S5eZesPctK— #MERKY (@Stormzy1)January 27, 2016Jheez, indeed.
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