By combining hip-hop rhythms with jazz instrumentation, Nujabes helped
popularize the atmospheric sub-genres of chillhop and lo-fil hip-hop. He was
born as Jun Seba on February 7, 1974, in the Minato ward of Tokyo, Japan. By the
1990s, he was the owner of two record stores in Shibuya, as well as the founder
of the independent hip-hop label Hydeout Productions. His first mixtape, Sweet
Sticky Thing, was released in 1998, followed in 1999 by the debut single "Ain't
No Mystery." Both were released under his alias, Nujabes. A collaborative
artist, he partnered with the American rappe...