Photo: Nesnad / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Rankin' Taxi is one of those artists who quietly became a cornerstone of Japanese reggae without ever chasing a spotlight — and honestly, that's exactly why he's worth knowing. Born in 1953 in Yokohama, he came up in a port city that had a natural openness to outside sounds, and he took that Jamaican rhythm and made it say something real in Japanese. What sticks out to me is that he never softened the politics out of it; reggae was always protest music at heart, and he seemed to understand that the genre only works if you're actually saying something. Decades in, he's still at it — you can find him on social media, still vocal, still himself. That kind of consistency from someone in their seventies is genuinely rare. No reinvention gimmicks, no genre pivots. Just the same gravel-voiced conviction he started with.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
Overview
Rankin' Taxi is a Japanese reggae singer born on February 9, 1953, in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Known for performing in Japanese while addressing social themes through the reggae format, he has maintained a consistent presence in Japan's reggae scene for decades. He is active on the social platform X (formerly Twitter) under the handle @rankintaxi.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Rankin' Taxi
- Name (Japanese)
- ランキンタクシー
- Reading
- らんきんたくしー
- Born
- February 9, 1953 (age 73)
- Origin
- Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- Singer
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Snake
2. Works & records
Works summary
- Appearances
- 24 (1989–2008)
- By year
- 1989: 1, 1991: 4, 1992: 1, 1994: 1, 1995: 2, 1996: 2, 1998: 1, 2002: 2, 2005: 3, 2006: 2, 2008: 1
- Debut work
- 火事だぁ
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Album | 死ぬまで生きる | 2008 |
| Album | 百人組手part.2 RANKIN TAXI version | 2006 |
| Album | Let's Go Rockers | 2006 |
| Single | マリファナ音頭 | 2005 |
| Album | Oyajinal Best | 2005 |
| Album | アミシャツ魂 | 2005 |
| Single | タワワ・ギャル・ソカ～お宝ガールズ～ | 2002 |
| Album | エイ ヨウ ヤロオ | 2002 |
| Album | スーパー・ランキン・タクシー | 1998 |
| Single | 今夜はB-13 | 1996 |
| Album | WA TA TING | 1996 |
| Single | ハリケーン・ラブ | 1995 |
| Album | Ruff Biz Today | 1995 |
| Album | ランキン・タクシー全発言記録 | 1994 |
| Album | アワワ | 1992 |
| Single | 見た目が大事 | 1991 |
| Single | 言い出せなかった秘密 | 1991 |
| Album | ワイルドで行くぞ | 1991 |
| Album | さっすがぁスティーブン～ワイルド・ダブ・アルバム | 1991 |
| Album | 火事だぁ | 1989 |
| Other | 戦争やだな feat.RANKIN TAXI | |
| Other | Daydream Believer feat.Ryoji & Rankin’Taxi | |
| Other | ZUGU ZUGU ZUUM feat.RANKIN TAXI | |
| Other | 恋のダブル・ブッキング(:_;)feat.RANKIN TAXI & Leyona |
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Works and profile fields sourced from Wikipedia reflect content as of 2026-08-26. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Rankin' Taxi born?
Born February 9, 1953 (age 73).
Where is Rankin' Taxi from?
Rankin' Taxi is from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
What does Rankin' Taxi do?
Rankin' Taxi works as Singer.
What is Rankin' Taxi known for?
Notable works include 死ぬまで生きる, 百人組手part.2 RANKIN TAXI version, Let's Go Rockers.