RAPSTAR 2026 Episode Recaps

RAPSTAR 2026, the new season of ABEMA’s audition for young Japanese rappers, starts on October 10. The first season, in 2017, drew 228 applicants. This year, 12,953 rappers sent in a video. RJHH follows the whole season in English, from the first episode to the final: the background on this page and a recap after every episode.

How RAPSTAR 2026 works

To apply, a rapper picks one of the beats the show puts online, writes a verse to introduce themselves, and films the performance. After the video round, the selected rappers go through several stages. The toughest one, the RAPSTAR CAMP, pits them against each other one-on-one: 24 hours to write, record, and defend a new track. In past seasons, five finalists then took the stage for the final. Until 2023, the show was called Rap Star Tanjō (ラップスタア誕生), meaning “birth of a rap star”. ABEMA shortened the title in 2024.

RAPSTAR 2026 in numbers

• First episode: Saturday, October 10, 10 p.m. Japan time (1 p.m. UTC, 3 p.m. in Paris, 9 a.m. in New York)
• Streaming free on ABEMA
• 12,953 applicants, nearly double the 6,780 of 2025
• ¥10 million for the winner, up from ¥3 million in previous seasons
• Final on December 29, at STARZ 2026

The judges

Seven rappers and producers sit on the panel: SEEDA, R-指定 (R-Shitei), Benjazzy, KM, C.O.S.A., LEX and ¥ellow Bucks. SEEDA already judged the very first season in 2017. R-指定 has sat on every edition since 2021. Benjazzy returns for a second year after joining the panel in 2025. LEX and ¥ellow Bucks come back after judging in 2024. For C.O.S.A. and producer KM, it’s a first.

The producers

Contestants rapped over beats by Chaki Zulu, D3adStock, GRADIS NICE, krynX, Lion Melo, Neetz, and rxl. Chaki Zulu is the only producer back from 2025.

From contestant to judge

Look at this year’s panel, and you’ll find former contestants. ¥ellow Bucks won the third season, launched in late 2018; today he judges the rappers trying to follow him. Ralph won the 2020 edition, then joined the jury in 2023 and 2024. WILYWNKA, a finalist in season 1, judged the 2023 edition. D3adStock reached the final in 2024; two years later, he made the beats contestants had to rap on. KM made the contestants’ beats in 2024 and 2025. This season, he judges them. Former winners also work together. In July 2026, 2024 champion Kohjiya released the remix of “Ma Boyz” with three earlier winners: ¥ellow Bucks, eyden and ShowyVICTOR. Winning isn’t the only way through. Tohji made the 2017 final without taking the title. Kaneee left the 2023 edition in the third round and still made his name there. ¥ellow Bucks, Kaneee, and Kohjiya all appear in our Best Japanese Hip Hop Albums of 2026, Vol. 1.

Every RAPSTAR winner

Official RAPSTAR 2026 channels

RJHH is an independent media company and is not affiliated with ABEMA. Images: (C) AbemaTV, Inc. Browse all our artist profiles / Sources: ABEMA TIMES · KAI-YOU · Real Sound