The members of RIP SLYME spoke with Billboard Japan for its Monthly Feature series spotlighting currently noteworthy artists and works. Fans rejoiced when the veteran pop-rap group announced that the five-member classic lineup would return for the first time in eight years to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
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Since forming in 1994 and making its major label debut in 2001, RIP SLYME led the Japanese mainstream hip-hop scene in the early aughts with its innovative beats and the mic relay among the characterful MCs, releasing a string of hits including “Rakuen Baby,” “Nettaiya,” “FUNKASTIC,” and “JOINT.” After taking a hiatus in 2018 and later returning as a trio, the group’s classic 4 MC + 1 DJ lineup — rappers RYO-Z, ILMARI, PES, SU, and DJ FUMIYA — reunited in April this year. Back for a limited time until March 22, 2026, these members of the iconic group chatted about their eagerly anticipated comeback and current mindset.
Now that you’re actually back as a group of five, you must be getting all kinds of reactions.
RYO-Z: Needless to say, our stance is, “Sorry to keep you waiting.” We got reactions like, “I’ve been waiting for this” and “Welcome back” on social media, and there were also people who discovered RIP SLYME for the first time. We received messages from various people including friends and acquaintances saying, “All five of you are together again at last. Congrats.” We’ve gradually been doing festivals and live shows and I’ve been thinking, “It’s starting again, this is so fun.”
SU: People have been urging me not to cause any more trouble. Knowing there are people who are glad (that I’m back) makes me want to do my best.
PES: The response has been positive, and we’re glad we did this. I think all the members feel the same way.
FUMIYA: Seeing the way the view counts on our music videos are going up, I think, “They’ve been waiting for us.”
ILMARI: We’ve been preparing for this moment, so it feels like we’ve finally been able to get properly started.
“Do ON” is a vibrant number suitably kicking off your comeback.
FUMIYA: We were working on it alongside “Wacha Wacha,” but after discussing it with our team, we decided to go with “Do ON” as our first release. The idea was to keep it simple, similar to how we used to do things in our early days, arranged over a simple sampling base with not too many sounds added.
PES: I’d always wanted to write lyrics about our reunion and ourselves from an overall meta perspective, so we took an objective approach for the entirety of this song. “Do ON” is a word I personally use to mean “being really into something,” and it’s one of the songs we wrote figuring it would fit well with this RIP SLYME project.
You also referenced a punchline from a Japanese rap hit [Yuki Chiba’s “Team Tomodachi” from last year] that transcends generations: “Team tomodachi, zutto tomodachi, dope na yatsu wa imada ni tomodachi” (“Team friends, forever friends, dope dudes are still my friends”).
ILMARI: It’s a song featuring our classic mic relay that starts with PES and SU, then continues with me and RYO-Z, so I think it’s a return to our roots in that sense as well.
What was the idea behind “Wacha Wacha”?
PES: My friends often say, “I loved how RIP SLYME was so ‘wacha wacha’ (phrase expressing how something is bustling, lively, chaotic).” The group I produce, KOMOREBI, also gets comments like, “You guys are so ‘wacha wacha’!” It occurred to me that “wacha wacha” is a common phrase used to describe a bunch of boys, so we used that and added wordplay. The track had a lot of input from FUMIYA, so it was more time-consuming than “Do ON.” I’m glad it ended up having a festive vibe.
Your new song “Kekkaron” has a sentimental aspect to it that also has a RIP SLYME feel to it.
FUMIYA: After “Do ON” and “Wacha Wacha” were finished, we felt that a mellow song would be a good addition.
PES: “Chill Town” was the one we made after being asked to write a summery number. From there, we came up with the idea to include a song that was a bit more pop and kayokyoku-like [a genre of vintage Japanese pop music]. This song also reflects our current situation in an objective way. I also thought it might be nice to have one that’s like, “We’re still in our prime.” Since “Do ON” and “Wacha Wacha” have rowdy vibes, we thought this one should have a slightly toned-down melody and lyrics. We’re able to say things now that might have felt a bit embarrassing back then, you know?
How would you say the term “kekkaron” (the wisdom of hindsight) reflects who you are today?
PES: Just like the way it means. We went through a lot of crap, but as they say, “all’s well that ends well.” I think other people of my generation have also managed to pull through like that, when viewed in hindsight, so I hope that message gets across to them as well.
Recently, HALCALI’s “Otsukare SUMMER” from 2003 that RYO-Z and FUMIYA produced as O.T.F (Oshare Track Factory), is being listened to a lot overseas, especially in Asia. How do you feel about this resurgence?
RYO-Z: A close staff member told me, “Apparently HALCALI is doing great,” and I thought they just mentioned it because we’ve worked together before, but the news was on Yahoo! JAPAN and I was surprised, like, “Oh, so (the song) is going viral now.” The thing is, though, that song was produced by Tanaka Tomoyuki of FPM (Fantastic Plastic Machine) [O.T.F handled the overall production of the duo], and the fact that it’s his song is important, so I was really embarrassed that the article focused more on us than on him. But when I think about how this might lead to more people listening to the songs we produced as O.T.F, it’s still really exciting. The fact that more people in Asia are listening to us is also interesting because there’s a vibration there that transcends language.
Songs by RIP SLYME are enjoying a resurgence lately, like your song “Nettaiya” from 2007 going viral on TikTok. And those instances of rediscovery are resulting in actual play counts.
ILMARI: Back in the day, a song’s success was judged by its sales one or two months after its release, but now it’s different — it catches on at different times and in different places. This is about another group I’m in but, TERIYAKI BOYZ®️’s “TOKYO DRIFT (FAST & FURIOUS)” from 2006 is still being listened to and charting, which feels really surprising to me. It’s completely different from when we made our debut, so it really feels like times have changed.
Yes, “TOKYO DRIFT” is still loved by many.
ILMARI: During the pandemic, artists like Awich and JP THE WAVY did freestyle versions of “TOKYO DRIFT,” and even (TV personality, rapper) Satomi Shigemori did a version. It’s a culture that didn’t exist when we debuted, so it’s fascinating to see. It’s not just about releasing something and moving on — it can still become a hit years later in unexpected ways. And the fact that you can’t predict when it’ll hit or what’ll come next feels very contemporary.
HALCALI and TERIYAKI BOYZ®️ are good examples, and it’s really interesting how some of the notable global resurgent hits from Japan in the past few years have come from people connected to RIP SLYME.
ILMARI: KOMOREBI’s “Giri Giri,” that PES produced is another example. That kind of internet buzz is really interesting, and it’s so exciting and gratifying to see things like that happening around us.
—This interview by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan