Have you been jamming rap/hip-hop track, only to be caught off-guard when a random Dragon Ball reference gets dropped into the lyrics? If you enjoy that genre of music, it’s been happening to you with increasing frequency.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The connection between anime and hip-hop music has undoubtedly gotten stronger over the last few years, as a new generation – raised on anime being a mainstream media – has grown into the next crop of rap stars. The new video above from Genius, breaks down the cultural crossover between anime and hip-hop, and it’s a pretty interesting breakdown.
Hosted by Jacques Morel, the video explains that Dragon Ball is particularly appealing to rappers because it’s essentially an “empowerment fantasy” that appeals particularly to young minorities, for whom notions of empowerment can be hard to come by.
The video gets even more interesting when discussing what types references to the series and characters tend to make. Lyrics range from using Goku’s strength, power-up transformations, and mystical accessories (flying nimbus) as metaphors, to the many references about Vegeta’s badass attitude and aggressive fight style as an anti-hero icon.
Rappers tend to show their geeky side when it gets to the bench of supporting characters. There are references to Piccolo being the color of money; to being an evil powerhouse like Freeza; or even to how characters like Krillin are weak and obsolete in the context of so many powerups. That last one is some true geekery at work.
If anything, this is all just further indication of how anime is a much bigger cultural influence than it gets credit for. But if you’ve been reading Comicbook.com/anime page for awhile, you’re already in the know about that fact!
Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturday evenings at 7:15 p.m. CST. Adult Swimairs the English dub during its Toonami block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m, and is now available to stream on FunimationNOW and Amazon Video.
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