The relationship between anime and hip-hop is nothing new. The fashion, animation styles, stage designs, and even lyrical references can be seen throughout the genre. Dating back to the ‘90s, rap pioneers like RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan have cited anime as a major source of inspiration.
But it’s no coincidence that you may share the same anime titles as your favorite rapper under your “watch again” list, and the reason why is a lot simpler than most realize.
In the ‘90s, anime saw a boom in global circulation, and American distributors like Cartoon Network broadcasted anime into homes via channels like Cartoon Network’s Toonami. Right around the same time, some of the biggest names in hip-hop were growing up eating cereal in front of their TV (think Ye, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert).
Seeing the success of anime programs, bigger productions like Studio Ghibli began releasing projects like Kiki’s Delivery Service. The invention of YouTube in the 2000s shortened the time between the Japanese broadcast and English-subbed versions.
But rappers weren’t just developing a likeness for anime because it was in front of them. During a time when racial relations weren’t as progressive as today, they connected to anime’s themes of braveness in the face of injustice and embracing your inner power, even if it’s the very thing that makes you an outcast.
Back to the present, rappers like Ye, Lil Uzi Vert, Cochise, and Travis Scott are expressing their love for the animation style in the creative ways they promote or write their music. Find all the rap references you may have missed below.
Cochise
An interview with Crunchyroll dived into Cochise’ love for anime, which “ has just always been a part of my life. After Cartoon Network would end, I would stay up and watch Dragon Ball Z and other anime when Toonami switched over. In high school, I caught back into the rhythm with Naruto and Hunter x Hunter.”
Anime-inspired visuals
His knowledge goes beyond just these three shows. The music video for “Hatchback” references the anime Tokyo Ghoul with the chosen backgrounds from the show, subtitle inclusion, costumes, and editing choices.Cochise also dressed as characters from the anime One Piece.
He has Pokémon balls floating across the screen in his music video for “Protein/Creatine.” He also uses the animation and editing styles seen in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure in his “Redhead” music video.
Anime in Lyrics
The rapper calls out the animation style in his lyrics as well.
- In the 2020 song “Knicks,” he states that he is “feelin’ like I’m Guts, tell that boy, “What’s up,” a character from the manga Berserk.
- His 2021 song “Sanji” is named after one of the characters from One Piece.
- On his song “Hollow,” he raps that he has “that blade all on my back, they call me Ichigo,”talking about the main character from the anime Bleach.
Ye
Ye expressed in 2018 that one of his biggest creative inspirations is the movie Akira by director Katsuhiro Ôtomo. The film, according to Genius is “widely considered one of the best anime and sci-fi films of all time, and is often credited with pioneering the popularization of Japanese anime in the West.”
Along with the film There Will Be Blood, Ye has said that Akira is his GOAT. The film is about a secret military project in Neo-Tokyo that turns a biker gang member into a psychopathic psychic. A teenager, his biker friends, and a group of psychics come together to stop him before it’s too late.
Anime-inspired visuals
“Every stage show I’ve ever worked on, every video not just “Stronger,” every product even when I was in the hospital, I would think… oh s**t this is like Akira,” Ye said in his since-deleted tweets from 2018.
The “Stronger” music video features numerous replications of scenes from the movie. For example, Ye cast himself as the main antagonist, Tetsuo. The 3D machine from the film is nearly identical to the one that is used in the video. While the motorcycles differ, the light trails that follow the vehicles are the same. Similarities can also be seen in the riot and hospital bed scenes.
Originally, West and video director Hype Williams planned to incorporate actual scenes from the film into the music video. However, West eventually decided to go with a more abstract final version despite some fan disapproval.
According to visual effects supervisor Vico Sharabani, who worked on the video, Ye “wanted to put different elements together and according to how they relate to each other, he would then take the next step.”
As with all things Ye, the plan quickly changed, “Originally, there were supposed to be just four machine shots, but when we showed them the style frame we created for the machine, [Ye] decided to re-edit the video around the machine, adding a dozen more shots,” said Sharabani.
Anime-inspired Fashion
During his 2022 DONDA listening event, fans noted that his outfit resembled that of the movie’s main character, Shotaro Kaneda. They’ve also drawn similarities between numerous outfits Ye’s worn in the past and Akira.
Travis Scott
While Travis Scott might not have as many anime references in his work compared to other rappers, his love for the art form can be seen on his socials and how he expresses himself. In 2020, Scott shared his love for One Piece on his Instagram. Saying that “he was rewatching one of the best episodes of One Piece. Favorite show ever,” he later revealed the episode he was watching was when Monkey D. Luffy, the main character, gets separated from his crew.
Anime-inspired Home and Fashion
Anime influences can be seen even in how he lives. In a 2023 interview with Pin-Up, Scott shared that he was “finishing the landscape at my house and studio and it’s going to be better than a botanical garden — very vibrant with lots of different flowers. I worked with a local company. It’s inspired by amusement parks and Disney’s vibrant landscaping, but we combined that with Japanese anime elements.”
When it comes to jewelry, his “No Bystanders” chain is allegedly inspired by Dragon Ball Z, with the stick figure having a “Super Saiyan” hairstyle.
Meeting an Anime Legend
He also met the creator of Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo, at the first ever HYPEFEST by Hypebeast in 2018 (ironically the 30th anniversary of the film). In his Instagram post about the linkup, Scott said that he got to “meet one of my idols. Real anime legend. !!!! Ps. Framing this picture !!!!”
Lil Uzi Vert
In the past, Uzi has said that he is a fan of Attack on Titan and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. He even got his cars retouched to have Cowboy Bebop and other anime-inspired designs.
Anime-inspired visuals
In his 2017 video for the song “Ps & Qs,” Lil Uzi Vert created his own high school anime drama. From the animation at the start of the video to the special effects throughout, they took inspiration from the anime world.
Uzi’s trailer for Pink Tape mimics typography from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Naruto, Akira, and Death Note. His motorcycle pays homage to the motorcycle in Akira, giving it a pink-toned update.
Anime-inspired lyrics
His love for anime can be also seen in past lyrics like “throw up gang signs, Naruto, put metal in my nose like Pain…” in his 2018 song “New Patek,” referencing two characters on Naruto. His song “Super Saiyan” references Dragon Ball Z.
In the 2016 song “Canadian Goose,” he raps “I just caught me a Mewtwo, Japanese girl stuck to me just like some glue,” describing the iconic Pokémon.
Whether you want to watch a big adventure like Hunter x Hunter or a classic like Naruto, take some recommendations from these rap superstars.
