A Tour of International Hip-Hop - Music Discovery Diary #7

Japan, Scotland, New Zealand, Internet & Emo Rap

Welcome back to My Music Diary, where I listen to a song by an artist I’ve never heard before every day and write at you about it.

I was going to not send this week’s edition via email because I don’t know if anyone really enjoys this segment and I don’t want to clog people’s inboxes. But I’m still committed to this music discovery project, so I’m publishing for documentation. Maybe in the future I’ll just post it on my site and not send the email, but I can’t help but make you open this and remind you that I’m still over here listening to artists I’ve never heard before for some pointless reason.

Without consciously trying to do so, this week I listened to a lot of hip-hop songs from artists based outside of the U.S. I also listened to hip-hop artists who are American but live in the internet (streamers & youtubers), and a supposed “emo rapper” who’s American. I also listened to Horsegirl.

I have a lot of thoughts about non-American hip-hop and most of them are either wrong or too pointless to share. It’s definitely fun to hear what types of music people are making in other countries, and it’s cool that the internet makes it so easy to do that. Here’s the list, followed by a playlist:

2.14.25

Creepy Nuts - “22nd year of junior high school”

I gotta stop listening to songs before 7am because I can’t remember how I found this, but it’s awesome.

When you look up Creepy Nuts, it says they’re a Japanese hip-hop duo. I wouldn’t have necessarily pinned that genre on them, but I can see how it makes sense. I enjoy listening to people rapping in other languages. Even though hip-hop is a Black American Art Form, it has obviously spread to the entire world over the past several decades. It is interesting to hear how people in other countries interpret the music and put their own spin on it.

I really like the melodic approach to the vocals on this song and it has a cool rhythm. I can’t understand what they’re saying but I feel like I can feel it.

2.15.25

MGEE - “Like Me”

A friend shared this song after it came up on his IG reels. Despite what I just said about international hip-hop, I’ve long been heavily biased against UK rap (despite loving Dizzee Rascal). There’s just something weird about the UK adapting American culture and slang, even though now I realize that country has its own issues and culture that lend themselves to this type of music, and their specific sound has its own unique spin. I put on the Central Cee album hoping to hate it but actually loved it. When I listened to this, I danced around the kitchen. MGEE is not MK GEE, I also learned. He’s from Scotland.

2.16.25

Horsegirl - “Where’d You Go?”

This is a detour in the hip-hop globetrotting. Horsegirl is from the United States city of Chicago, Illinois and I don’t think anyone would classify them as rap. They have guitars and drums and sing and are on Matador so I guess they’re like indie rock with a punky edge or something. I don’t care. Genres are irrelevant.

I can’t remember where this recommendation came from either, but I thought it might have been a PR email. From searching my inbox, I now it may have come from

Jeremy Shatan

‘s great “A Song For Friday” substack. Or that’s a coincidence and I found it somewhere else, while doing research on Chicago music. Whatever. That’s also irrelevant.

All I wrote down when I heard this for the first time was: “Super dope.” Which might also be irrelevant, but again, I don’t care anymore. These newsletters are a waste of time for everyone. If you’re still reading, I love you.

2.17.25

Wax Mustang - “Bones”

My brother recommended this New Zealand rapper. He went there recently and another friend is there now. I’m jealous. I’m not a huge fan of this but it is kinda funny/interesting, and I guess it’s cool that New Zealand has a nice little hip-hop scene too. I would go check it out for myself but it seems pretty far away.

2.18.25

MELOWDOWNZ, PANIA - “DIRECTIONS”

More New Zealand rap from my brother. Liked this one more. Drum n bass type beat.

2.19.25

DDG/PlaqueBoyMax - “Pink Dreads”

DDG is a rapper from Pontiac, Michigan and also a Youtuber. PlaqueBoyMax is a streamer. I found all of this out from googling it, because I am an old man.

These kids live in the internet and make a lot of money from it, probably. I actually really like this song and the music video makes it even better. I heard it on satellite radio without knowing it’s a streamer’s song, and I still liked it. Most streamers’ songs are bad. This one isn’t.

2.20.25

BONES - WhiteBoyRick

I started reading Donna-Claire Chesman’s new book Crybaby: The Artists Who Shaped Emo Rap, where I learned about BONES for the first time (not “Bones” by Wax Mustang, which I learned about two days ago). I remember when this sort of soundcloud type sound was popular with people younger than me. I didn’t understand it then and still don’t now. I’ve grown to appreciate it more even though I would never choose to listen to this, because it’s pretty bad. But it’s also kinda alluring.

Because I’m writing a book about “Midwest Emo” (a term I don’t necessarily like), reading Donna’s book has been helpful to see how other people (like the author and the musicians and critics she interviews) define the term “emo,” and another weird subgenre term like “Emo Rap.”

BELOW, CHECK OUT THE PLAYLIST OF ALL THE SONGS IVE LISTENED TO FOR THE FIRST TIME SO FAR THIS YEAR!