Yo! I have no clue how many people still log on to this site and read it. For all the loyal followers thank you for your support. Actually thank Essince for being the man behind the blog…He’s taken over the damn blog…adding menus and all that stuff.. lol

As what the future holds for Beats N’ Miso… I’m still unsure. I love the site, I love the domain, I love the people that helped me put this together… I want to do something meaningful with it..other than just let it sit. Who knows what the future holds…but I think I want to start fresh and clean.

My original idea for the site was to introduce hip hop to the Japanese community, and the reason behind it was that mainstream media takes months to catch up to the US. What I have found out over the past year, is that those few who care about Hip Hop follow overseas blogs along with me. The rest of the country is content playing catch up… because a song is not a good song until everyone is listening to it or it is being played out at clubs. That is the nature of the beast… and it is the same in all countries. In some countries, mainly the United States, the transition from blogs to radio to mainstream is faster. This is because the music leaks, the radio stations and the artists are a close knit group working together.

I don’t want to go into much more detail, because it will just be a rant about my discontent with Japanese culture, politics, and bureaucracy…which basically comes down to… old ass men that are disconnected with the reality of globalization and its culture running the country. EXAMPLE: Where else in the world is BLACK MUSIC an acceptable term for Hip Hop? Where else in the world would a distribution company threaten to sue you for putting a link to a song, that the artist himself released on the internet?

I have come across many people in many different paths of life or professions, and it seems that in Japan things are the way they are because it is “The Japanese Way”. It doesn’t matter how ridiculous the task at hand seems, it must be done because it is the “Japanese Way”.

What Japan needs is a surge of youth into its corporations and its government. It needs a complete restructure in order to move into the 21st century. I feel that Japan is veering to a steep economic downfall, but everyone is ignoring it. Economically, China has surpassed Japan and Korea is not far. The famous Zaibatsu names that propelled the Japanese economy are steadily being replaced by names such as Khia, Samsung, and even Apple. For a company that relies on its exports, this is an alarming trend.

Japan also faces some harsh realities domestically. The pop charts that used to be once dominated by Japanese artists are being taken over by Korean artists. A once blooming domestic tourism economy is now diverging to Korea because of its more affordable rates. The signs of trouble do not end there, as foreign investors are purchasing chunks of real estate and even PUBLIC LAND. How bad is Japan’s economy suffering? That is as pointless a question as “HOW BAD WERE THE REACTORS AFFECTED AT THE FUKUSHIMA PLANT?” – I won’t get into that…but the Japanese Government just magically found out that a meltdown did occur last week!!

The only way for Japan to get back on track is for the Youth to gain control of a dying country. The only obstacle they face is themselves, and the current authorities. The Japanese youth needs to stand up and fight for that they believe in, but the sad reality is that a lot give up and conform because it is “The Japanese Way”. It is a vicious cycle based on a sadistic “I had to endure this bullshit, so now I’m going to make you endure the same bullshit”.

Good Night.

P.S. What other Developed Country and stable political power in the world changes their Head Of State on a yearly basis? The designated term is 4 years FYI.