Zeebra

I've got real respect for Zeebra, because he's one of those guys who helped prove Japanese could actually slap on the mic back when plenty of people doubted it. A Roppongi kid born in '71 building a foundation for Japanese hip-hop, then refusing to coast on legend status the way he easily could have. What gets me is the weight in his voice; he raps like every line costs him something, and that gravity is exactly why he keeps getting pulled into singing, songwriting, even hosting gigs. The name alone is unforgettable, but he never let it outshine the work. Honestly, the fact that rapping in Japanese feels totally normal now is partly because elders like him bothered to pave the road. I find that quietly admirable.

Zeebra is a Japanese rapper, singer, and songwriter born on April 2, 1971, in Roppongi, Tokyo. He is widely recognized as one of the pioneering figures of Japanese-language hip-hop and has been active as a performer, lyricist, composer, and television/radio host. His work helped lay the foundation for Japanese rap as a mainstream genre, and he has continued to release music and appear as a host throughout his career.

Name (English)

Zeebra

Name (Japanese)

Zeebra

Born

April 2, 1971 (age 55)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Aries / Pig (Inoshishi)

Origin

Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan

Occupation

Rapper / Singer / Songwriter / Composer / Host / MC

Motto

Private

• Official sitehttp://www.zeebra.jp/
• Xhttps://x.com/zeebrathedaddy
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeebra

Tags

• From Tokyo
• Host
• Singer
• Composer

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.