High energy, bombastic and in-your-face, are all words that could be used to describe the popular rap duo Chelmico, who rose to prominence in 2020 after their hit single Easy Breezy was used as the theme song to Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!. The duo is composed of Rachael Watashiga and Mamiko Suzuki, the latter of which has boasted a successful solo career in the lo-fi hip-hop scene.

In contrast to her work with the aforementioned duo, her solo projects are much more relaxed, focusing on her singing as well as her rapping, and incorporating relaxed beats with lofi piano and guitar melodies, all composed by Suzuki herself. While it’s most likely that most people's knowledge of Suzuki comes from her work with Chelmico, her individual career shows a unique identity, a change in focus from the dynamic to the domestic, and an unmatched passion for production and style.

A Nostalgia Painted In Deep Green

Mamiko Suzuki made her solo debut in 2017 with her first single Blue that became the opening track for arguably her most well known EP, Deep Green, a short and sweet project coming to about 18 minutes of beautifully warm beats complemented by Suzuki’s mellow flow and nostalgic singing. The opening track Blue perfectly encapsulates the “taking a load off” vibe of the album by combining crisp guitar samples with a quiet synth drone in the background. The second track on the album Lily takes the same structure as the first but ups the pitch of the guitar leading away from the lounge-esque tone of the first track. Lily also incorporates her bandmate Rachel Watashiga’s rap vocals as backing, giving the track more overall depth and consistency.

However the apex of Deep Green comes in its third track, and the track Suzuki is most well known for, Contact. Suzuki’s sampling here gives the track an inimitable identity in comparison to the rest of the album, as the tone has changed to something more sombre. If the first two tracks were the start of a nice evening of relaxing, its clear nighttime has finally come within the album. The track also cements it’s legacy through Suzuki’s harmonious vocals in the chorus, proving that she can also sing, as well as rap. Suzuki’s sound is most often compared to Nujabes, as they have a very similar sampling style and tone to their music, and Contact is where this is most apparent.

The song's lyrics detail a relationship where the love has vanished, with lyrics like “Even chats don’t go well” and “I wanted to keep being happy, I and you”, and the more earnest tone of the track conveys not only the feeling of love lost, but the feeling of moving on. It gives the track a unique perspective, rather than being overly romantic or solemn, focusing completely on the failing of the relationship, the music and lyrics interact to create a sobering track that is laden with hints of hope, as the song says, “Sweet days continue on”.

The final song that is entirely Suzuki’s is 19, and it falls more in line with the tone that comes from Chelmico’s tracks. It incorporates a faster, more forceful flow with the distinctive drum samples present in Chelmico tracks such as Player and デート. The track is more stripped back, putting the emphasis again on Suzuki’s stellar vocals. The last two tracks on the album are remixes of Contact and Blue by Japanese producers TOSHIKI HAYASHI (%C) and Ryo Takehashi respectively.

The EP was a success, with Contact - TOSHIKI HAYASHI (%C) remix reaching over six million streams on spotify, and Lily close behind with well over three million.

A Short But Outstanding Catalogue

Suzuki has released a number of popular singles and EPs, as well as two full length albums since the success of Deep Green. On top of that, she has maintained her work with Chelmico, having their album Fishing reach the top 27 on Japan's top 100 list. Over the course of Suzuki’s music career, she has also had the opportunity to form connections with other prominent Japanese musicians and producers, both in and outside of her scene. On her self titled album ms she collaborated with lofi singer-songwriter iri for one of her tracks with a music video, じゃむ (feat. iri). She has also worked with big production names, such as the aforementioned TOSHIKI HAYASHI (%C) and m-flo.

As Suzuki’s music priorities have shifted into the growing success of her group act, her live performances have decreased over the last few years, however she still performs at iconic underground Japanese music venues like JANUS.

Authenticity And Suzuki’s Brand

I think it's obvious to anyone who has listened to Suzuki’s catalogue that the main draw of her music is its nostalgic feeling and the authenticity of her lyrics. She connects with her listeners with down to earth lyrics and problems, focusing on the smaller, more intimate parts of daily life. That same authenticity that permeates her music is also the main draw of her personal brand. Suzuki’s image lacks the brobdingnagian celebrity pomp that a large degree of others have. For example, at the bottom of her personal homepage, there is a section called “Hello” which contains an aesthetic moodboard with some photos of Suzuki, some musical equipment and a motivational message. The website is also decorated with small sketches, and headed with the tagline “Big T-Shirts are always a win!”. The design of the website and the funny taglines give it a much more personal feeling, contributing to Suzuki’s down to earth image.

Suzuki takes her inspiration from a variety of sources, prominently the hugely popular J-Pop band RIPSLYME. The band’s hip-hop stylings became the primary inspiration behind Suzuki’s flow. She also takes inspiration from the R&B genre, inspiring her unique vocal style and the beautiful sombre choruses to songs like Lily. However the biggest inspiration to her sound was vinyl records, the warmer sound produced through the medium is something Suzuki aims to emulate in her music, especially in her newest album, mukage, moving away from the stripped back, pure hip-hop sounds of songs like 19, and embracing a more R&B style sound.

However just because her image is grounded, doesn’t mean she does not aspire to success. In an interview with TOKION magazine, Suzuki talks about her aspirations in producing music, remarking that she wants to have multiple hits top the charts, as a way to broaden her audience and connect to more fans. She has also expressed interest in breaching outside of the Japanese scene. Whilst right now, she has only worked with Japanese producers in her solo career, Chelmico recently collaborated with Thai duo LUSS, and expressed interest in working with other bands outside of Japan.

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Mamiko Suzuki has established herself as a paragon of Japanese hip-hop, deftly blending hip-hop and lofi J-Pop into a jazzy, downtempo like sound that would rival the likes of Nujabes. Her personal brand, like her music, is inviting, creating a community of listeners that span worldwide, enjoying the glimpses of the everyday set to masterful sampling. Suzuki is a beacon for new artists, perfectly encapsulating the idea that honesty in art and pride in your creations are the key to success.

Text by Riley Miszkurka-Morrison