I don't want to stop at the Hip Hop I used to love—11 songs I'm listening to in the summer of 2026

If you only listen to the music you used to love, you'll probably feel comfortable forever.

But it feels like a waste to let my own sensibilities stop at the Hip Hop I loved back then.

Summer 2026. I've selected 11 songs, focusing on Japanese Hip Hop/R&B that I've been listening to a lot lately.

I thought about going back as far as Quincy Jones or Kool & The Gang, but this time I've dared to stick only to songs from 'now'.

This isn't so much a selection of classic summer songs as it is a record of what my ears were listening to in the summer of 2026.

Culture Journey Soundtracks #01

Ryuto Kasahara — summer time mood

I learned about Ryuto Kasahara, a singer based in Sapporo, through DJ Muro. I love his mellow, soulful vocals, and they go great with a drink. Sapporo is also a city that holds a lot of meaning for me. 'Yurirara' is also a great summer song, but I'm going with this one this time.

STUTS & ZOT on the WAVE — Shall We feat. Yo-Sea, LEX

When summer comes around, I always want to listen to Yo-Sea. It feels like it doesn't even need an explanation. Like, everyone loves this, right? A song I listened to a ton last year.

Daichi Yamamoto — Salty Dog

Daichi Yamamoto is also one of the artists I've been listening to quite a lot over the past few years. From 'Box Of Summer,' which is themed around summer.

Skaai × KM — Live Like Summer

The title alone says summer. The comfort of KM's track. Skaai's gritty rap. And yet, it's intelligent, with a hint of the underground that makes it addictive.

iri — CUBE

iri also fits summer perfectly. It feels urban, but without trying too hard. A song you'd want to play while driving.

SIRUP — umi tsuki feat. iri

SIRUP and iri. This combination is, needless to say, wonderful.

SKRYU — Water Melon

From the new release. 'Summer Breeze' is good too, but when you think of summer, you think of watermelon. So, I'm going with this one this time.

DJ CHARI, kZm & JP THE WAVY — SMASH HIT

A song I listen to at the gym all the time, not just in summer. I really love kZm.

Sad Kid Yaz — Hiyake feat. kZm

I was happy to find a next-gen rapper whose style I like.
I don't usually watch ABEMA or "Rap Star," but when I have an encounter like this, it makes me want to keep digging for songs I don't know yet.

Manaka — Summer Time feat. DADA

A song I've been playing on repeat quite a bit lately. I was initially drawn in by the visuals, but the song itself is also really great. This might actually be one of the reasons I thought, "Maybe I should make a summer playlist." It has a bit of a Y2K vibe, which I really like.

Number_i — JELLY

"No-Yes" is good too, but for that summer feel, this song is the one. It's a little sweet and a little bittersweet, which is nice. I also like how it feels like getting a head start on the end of summer.

And today is August 15th.
Straight-up Obon.
So, I want to include my favorite, "BON," as well.

A Y2K edition, a Classic edition, songs to listen to at the end of summer, songs you want to hear on an autumn night...
I'll put together soundtracks like those sometime soon, too.

I've also compiled the songs I chose this time into a Spotify playlist. Please feel free to give it a listen when you're in the mood.

There is music for 2026 in 2026, and it's truly fun to be able to find songs from that collection that I can say I love.

That way, both old songs and new songs can just naturally mix together within me.

It's still August. This short summer is just about at its halfway point.

What kind of songs are playing in your "now"?
If you'd like, please tell me one.