Classic J-hop Collective Major Force Gets A Documentary

In 1973, Kool Herc gave birth to hip-hop at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx. By the 1980s, the genre had found its way to Japan, in large part thanks to Major Force. And last week, to commemorate the oft-overlooked collective, Red Bull Japan released a documentary titled “Major Force Be With You.”

Major Force: J-hop Icons

Toshio Nakanishi — aka Tycoon To$h — vaulted onto the music scene in the 1970s with the Plastics. But by the late 1980s, Nakanishi had fled new wave in favor of hip-hop. Alongside Masayuki Kuda, Kan Takagi, Hiroshi Fujiwara and Gota Yashiki, he formed Major Force. Partying may have brought the group together initially, but it went on to have “a huge impact on the design, music and fashion culture of modern-day Japan.”

Major Force Be With You Documentary

Red Bull’s 12-minute documentary pays homage to the group’s counter-culture impact in 1980s Tokyo and 1990s London. The short film features interviews with NIGO, Hiroshi Fujiwara, James Lavelle, Sk8thing and Shinsuke Takizawa.

To mark the occasion, fashion company NEIGHBORHOOD has also released a collaborative t-shirt.