Billboard Japan chatted with rap duo chelmico for the most recent installment of its Girls in Music interview sequence, which options feminine gamers within the Japanese leisure business, inviting them to share their views on the present panorama. The WIM initiative in Japan started in 2022 in the identical spirit as Billboard’s Girls in Music that launched in 2007, honoring artists, producers and executives who’ve made important contributions to the music business and empowered ladies by their work.
Rachel and Mamiko had been associates earlier than they began rapping collectively as chelmico, they usually have since checked off many objects on their listing of profession targets together with a serious label debut, music competition appearances and collaborations with artists they give the impression of being as much as. 2023 marks seven years for the reason that duo’s formation and 10 years since they first turned associates. Right here, the pair appears again on their profession and shares their ideas on obstacles they had been capable of overcome as a result of they confronted them collectively.
The 2 of you’ve spent a decade collectively since your late teenagers, which is an impressionable age for anybody. Might you share the way you began working as a duo?
Mamiko: That’s for certain! It was our youth.
Rachel: Yeah, youth! We began rapping collectively once I had to do that five-minute efficiency at an occasion and I requested my buddy Mamiko to rap with me.
Mamiko: I used to be a senior in highschool and finding out for faculty entrance exams on the time. Rachel despatched me a chat message asking me to do it and I declined at first. However I modified my thoughts, pondering I’d do it simply as soon as as one thing to look again on sometime. We each appreciated (J-pop rap group) RIP SLYME, and even talked about which member’s verse we appreciated finest and promised to exit for karaoke, so after we began to rap collectively as form of an extension of that vibe it turned out to be lots of enjoyable.
There weren’t too many feminine rappers on the time in Japan in comparison with right this moment. Had been there any setbacks when the 2 of you bought began?
Mamiko: There have been even fewer duos, so I form of figured we’d make it. However we tended to be underestimated. Folks thought we didn’t provide you with the lyrics ourselves and would ask who did the writing and stuff like that.
Rachel: A part of the rationale for that might have been as a result of I’d do issues like take photographs with an prompt digicam onstage. I didn’t thoughts being known as an “idol,” however did really feel we had been clearly being categorized in one other style. We’d sense sarcasm being tossed our approach day by day, and other people kind of appeared down on us. However we wrote our personal lyrics and had been assured that we had been doing one thing cool, so I wished individuals to essentially take heed to our songs and see us carry out stay.
Mamiko: I might need stated stuff extra aggressively throughout our exhibits than I do now. However I don’t bear in mind too many issues from these days. I’d by no means been in a college membership earlier than we began chelmico and had by no means labored in shut collaboration with anybody earlier than that, so after we began rapping, it was a lot enjoyable and I actually bought into it. If one thing pissed me off, I’d vent about it throughout our exhibits. For instance, if I believed one thing like, “Why do individuals name us ‘feminine’ rappers?” I might say that to the viewers.
In order that’s the way you resolved such issues. Did you two ever discuss that discomfort you felt at the moment?
Rachel: We talked about it rather a lot. If we felt we had been being appeared down upon, we’d hype one another up, saying, “Let’s finest them onstage!” We had been capable of press ahead as a result of we had been a group.
Mamiko: I believe individuals who work alone are robust as a result of they’ve to talk their thoughts on their very own. Alternatively, although, typically Rachel and I might simply hold issues contained between the 2 of us, so looking back, I believe we should always have provide you with methods to resolve these points correctly. Like telling individuals who say insulting issues that they’re being insulting.
Rachel: Yeah, as a result of these individuals received’t perceive that the issues they’re saying make others really feel unhealthy except they’re advised so. The explanation I believe this manner now could be as a result of we’ve reached this level by carrying on as a group, however… I’m too pleasant now. [Laughs]
Mamiko: We’re pleasant, aren’t we? [Laughs] If we appeared intimidating to start with, it may not shock individuals (if we spoke up) but when we began appearing irritated now, it will freak everybody out! As a result of we’ve been so shiny and pop all this time, we’ve made it tougher to talk up about sure issues. It’s good that individuals suppose we’re pleasant, but when one thing must be stated, it ought to be stated.
I’m certain there are methods to speak what you need to say that matches who you’re, since you probably did point out going by a interval of claiming what you wished throughout your exhibits. Would you wish to take this chance to say one thing?
Mamiko: Nicely, I suppose I’d wish to say that it’s not okay to check artists to different artists. It’s disrespectful to each the particular person you stated it to and the particular person you’re evaluating them to. I believe it’d be extra enjoyable in the event you tried to be extra conscientious in regards to the stuff you’re listening to, as an alternative of categorizing music like that. That approach you’ll uncover what sort of music you want and begin seeing issues extra clearly by branching out from there.
“Simple Breezy” turned a serious hit in 2020. Rachel, you turned a mother the next 12 months. Motherhood is an enormous life occasion. Did chelmico change in any approach afterwards?
Mamiko: Not likely. When Rachel advised me about it, I used to be simply so completely happy for her! I knew she actually cherished doing chelmico stuff and that she wouldn’t need it to cease. I additionally knew that she loves me rather a lot, too, and figured she’d suppose she was inconveniencing me, so I simply stayed the identical and stored issues regular.
Rachel: I used to be so glad she stored issues regular. It was across the time after we couldn’t do any in-person exhibits due to the pandemic, however we stored doing on-line live shows and did the most effective we might.
Rachel, has motherhood modified your individual mindset in any approach?
Rachel: I’ve all the time based mostly my actions on being the form of particular person I’d wish to see, and since turning into a mother, I’ve additionally began to suppose a bit extra about my place in society. The fundamentals haven’t modified, however I’ve additionally began to think about what sort of music could be good to see being common in my child’s future. After which I wrote a track known as “300 Million Yen” as a result of I believed, “I would like cash!” You get a one-off childbirth allowance if you give delivery, but it surely’s not sufficient in any respect! [Laughs] Has something modified for you?
Mamiko: I believe I fear much less about what different individuals consider me. As I get older, I discover it simpler to be trustworthy. After I first began writing lyrics, I felt a bit embarrassed, however discovered that individuals appreciated it once I put myself on the market and it additionally made me really feel higher. That’s one thing I’ve realized by maintaining at it. It’s form of scary how I don’t care what individuals suppose anymore. I shock myself typically once I discover I’m really singing so loudly in entrance of such an enormous crowd. [Laughs]
Rachel: You communicate your thoughts now with out worrying in regards to the reactions from others round you. I’m grateful I can depend on you.
Mamiko: You’ve turn out to be gentler. You had been all the time type, however you used to say issues a bit flamboyantly and there have been moments when your efficiency was edgy, however you’ve mellowed out.
Rachel: I believe I do know what you imply. However I form of really feel pissed off as nicely, as a result of I believe it’d be simpler to simply say issues and make choices with out eager about others like I used to. I suppose that’s how the 2 of us are steadily assembly one another midway.
From what you’ve stated, it sounds such as you’ve been capable of discover the adjustments in one another since you’ve been collectively, and people adjustments additionally enable you to get alongside. After experiencing such adjustments, what recommendation would you give your youthful selves?
Rachel: I’d say, “You must write extra songs.”
Mamiko: Yeah, that! [Laughs]
Rachel: “Don’t hassle masking different individuals’s songs and write extra authentic stuff otherwise you’ll have a tough time at exhibits!” I didn’t care in any respect on the time and didn’t fret about it, both.
Mamiko: The opposite could be, “Don’t examine your self to others.” I used to emphasize myself out evaluating myself to individuals in each good methods and unhealthy, but it surely’s higher to consider in your self than to try this.
In the course of the seven years you’ve been making music, the 2 of you’ve fulfilled numerous desires. Do you’ve any future targets?
Mamiko: Make extra songs that a lot of individuals take heed to. I’d like to be advised, “Your track’s been at No. 1 for x variety of weeks straight!”
Rachel: I merely need us to be extra common. However I don’t actually know what the definition of “being common” is precisely, so I’d wish to work with Mamiko and our group to determine it out. We’d additionally like to tour abroad.
The Billboard Japan charts have been dominated by male artists for years. What do you suppose ought to be carried out to make it simpler for feminine artists to thrive in Japan’s music business?
Rachel: Plenty of music festivals and occasions nonetheless don’t have many feminine acts on their rosters. I’m grateful to have the ability to carry out beneath such circumstances, but it surely’s necessary to lift visibility for girls if we need to enhance their participation within the business. Having the ability to suppose, “Possibly I might try this, too” opens up extra alternatives.
Mamiko: We’d most likely be extra aware of the gender steadiness if we had been to host occasions ourselves.
Rachel: I’d love to try this! There are such a lot of attention-grabbing artists on the market.
This text by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan.
