By RJHH Team | October 25, 2026 · Tokyo | 1 min read
All 8 tracks from the SELECTION CYPHER stage of RAPSTAR 2026 have been streaming since midnight on October 25. Groups A through H each recorded a joint track, with the program’s 40 finalists passing the mic between them.
What the SELECTION CYPHER is
The SELECTION CYPHER is the stage where candidates stop performing alone. Split into groups, they share a single track and take turns on the mic in a set order. That format changes the terms: it’s no longer enough to have a strong prepared verse. You have to hold your style when the rapper before you just laid something down, and stay consistent on a production you didn’t choose. It’s one of the competition’s most revealing stages because it shows who can adapt without losing what makes them stand out. The 40 finalists were selected from 12,953 applications, a series record. The jury evaluating these performances is made up of SEEDA, R-指定 (R-Shitei), Benjazzy, KM, C.O.S.A., LEX and ¥ellow Bucks.
RAPSTAR 2026 beyond the competition
RAPSTAR releases music at every stage, and some of it ends up circulating well beyond the program’s audience. The SELECTION CYPHER from this edition is available on all streaming platforms, so you can listen to it independently of the show.
Filix王, one of this edition’s most-watched candidates, released the “GALFY8” clip alongside the competition, with Itaq and ゆるめるモ!, a track built around the Galfy brand and yanki culture, produced by illrain and published on the YouTube channel Pizza or Love. That kind of parallel release illustrates how RAPSTAR functions as much as an editorial launchpad as a competition.
RAPSTAR 2026 : SELECTION CYPHER (Groups A–H)
Available: October 25, 2026 from midnight
Format: digital — all streaming platforms
40 finalists across 8 groups
