July 17 , 2025 | Tokyo, Japan | Team RJHH
This news will delight authentic hip-hop enthusiasts: dj honda, an iconic figure in the international hip-hop scene, is about to make his grand comeback with “hⅤ“, his first studio album in 16 years, scheduled for release in May 2025. After a notable musical absence, dj honda returns to his roots while offering a significant evolution of his style. “hⅤ” promises a perfect fusion between the classic hip-hop textures that made him famous and a resolutely modern sound approach adapted to current sensibilities.
What distinguishes this project is its purist approach: the entire album has been produced by dj honda himself, without any guest artists. Each track exclusively reflects his artistic vision, sonic universe, and personal compositions, thus offering listeners a total immersion in his musical world. Impatient fans can already dive into the album’s instrumental universe thanks to “hⅤ instrumental“, a vocal-free version using the beats from the album, available since April 12 on major streaming platforms.
dj honda
In 1992, he traveled alone to New York. He participated in the DJ Battle For World Supremacy that same year and placed second. From this historic moment when a Japanese DJ was first recognized for his skills in the Hip-Hop scene, dj honda’s career as an artist began. In 1995, he released his first album “dj honda” featuring prominent artists such as The Beatnuts, Redman, Guru, DJ Premier, Fat Joe, Common, and Erick Sermon. His second album, “h II” also featured top artists from the scene, including De La Soul, Keith Murray, KRS-One, and Mos Def. Both albums became groundbreaking DJ albums that created a significant buzz worldwide. The second single, “Travellin’ Man”, featuring Mos Def, remained on the Billboard chart for over 16 weeks, an unprecedented achievement for an Asian artist. He subsequently established his record label, dj honda RECORDINGS, in New York, Tokyo, and Seoul, consecutively placing singles released on the Billboard charts. In 2009, he simultaneously released worldwide his long-awaited album “dj honda IV“, featuring renowned artists such as Mos Def, Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Kool G Rap, EPMD, Rakaa (Dilated Peoples), and others.
In 2011, he produced all the beats for “Aftershock“, an album by Terumasa Hino, one of Japan’s most representative jazz musicians. He participated in the “Tokyo Jazz Festival 2011“, one of Japan’s most prominent jazz festivals, and a nationwide tour. In 2013, following his previous work, he produced all the beats for Terumasa Hino’s new album “Unity -h factor-“. He has since collaborated with numerous domestic and international artists, teaming up with B.I.G.JOE, BENIZAKURA, ill-bosstino, and SIMON JAP to release albums entirely produced by dj honda. He continues collaborating with and producing for many artists regardless of country or genre, constantly evolving as an artist. He is also famous for being one of the first to start the fusion of music and fashion, which has now become one of the activities of hip-hop artists. His original brand, “h“, featuring his logo, has gained recognition from a wide range of people worldwide.
dj honda | hV (Instrumental) | Release date: 2025-04-12 | dj honda RECORDINGS JAPAN | Distribution link
