DJ KRUSH and ILL-BOSSTINO (THA BLUE HERB) Reveal the Full Tracklist for XO, Out August 5

DJ KRUSH and ILL-BOSSTINO, the MC of THA BLUE HERB, reveal the full contents of XO, their joint album due August 5 on THA BLUE HERB RECORDINGS.

Fifteen tracks. Beats and cuts by DJ KRUSH, lyrics by ILL-BOSSTINO, mixed and mastered by BACHLOGIC. Three guest vocalists: J-REXXX, JERRY “KOJI” CHESTNUTS, and independent musician Keiichi Sokabe (曽我部恵一), whose presence steps outside the usual Japanese rap frame and says something about the scope of the project. A teaser video is already online. The album comes in two CD formats. The standard edition (1CD, digipak, lyrics included, ¥3,850) and a limited edition (2CD, with a separate instrumental disc, ¥5,500). Both have been available for pre-order since July 3 via the THA BLUE HERB RECORDINGS online shop, alongside T-shirts on order at the same time. Stock is limited.

The DJ KRUSH and ILL-BOSSTINO connection isn’t new on paper, but XO is their first full album together. DJ KRUSH has built an international career since the 1990s with a dense instrumental sound that sits at the intersection of hip-hop, jazz, and electronic music. ILL-BOSSTINO is one half of THA BLUE HERB alongside DJ DYE, active since 1997 out of Sapporo, with a discography built outside commercial channels and a writing style that doesn’t adjust for the room. Two different approaches, but a shared foundation in Japanese rap from its earliest years.

The 15-track listing runs from “BUT EXTRA RAW” to “WE ALL KNOW“, with a progression that holds together as both a rap project and a full musical statement. Two skits (“GUARDIAN,” “MONOLOGUE”) break up the sequencing without interrupting the pace. Two release shows follow in September: the 22nd in Osaka, the 26th in Tokyo. Venues and tickets will be confirmed at a later date.

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