Newest Million DJ March International Figure: DJ Honda

Hip Hop is global. Evidence of this phenomenon is Japan's full embrace of hip hop's every facet: breakdancing, graffiti, DJing, and even rhyming. It was only a matter of time before the Japanese hip hop scene produced an artist keen enough in understanding the culture to achieve similar international appeal: dj honda. dj honda was born in Hokkaido, Japan and moved to Tokyo at age 17 to pursue his dream of playing in an American influenced rock band. He started a band called, "Clique" as the vocalist & guitarist. However, the band struggled and honda was forced to seek additional employment. He began DJing in a small nearby city, Shizuoka where he was first introduced to hip hop music and various turntable techniques, including scratching. For honda, the turntables offered a new creative outlet. While toiling at perfecting his scratching technique, he created a popular name for himself as a DJ, leading to premiere gigs in Tokyo's largest clubs. He also appeared on Tokyo radio stations and remixed popular tracks for local record companies. Tokyo was also important because it was the place where dj honda would cultivate many valuable relationships with people like Afrika Bambaata and the Universal Zulu Nation, as well as some of the emcees who would later appear on his self-titled debut LP.

(Adapted from www.DJHonda.com)