Homie Kei and Zeebra take on the forefront of social change through "sound and words"
Real voices calling for the eradication of bullying
The “No Bully Festival” held at Chigasaki City Cultural Hall in the summer of 2024 attracted nationwide attention. The performers on stage were Zeebra, Kan a.k.a. GAMI, Hannya, ANARCHY, OZworld, JESSE, D.O, and the man who stood out the most, Homie Kei. They took to the microphone not for entertainment or fame, but for the passion to “reduce bullying to zero,” which drove the entire venue.
The existence of Homie Kei: The weight of words from someone who knows pain
Homie Kei is known as a “real man” who was once a member of a street gang on the West Coast of the United States, and after many brutal experiences, spent many years in prison. The background to his experiences was not a heroic tale, but a starting point for him to deeply reexamine the relationship between himself and society. He says, “Violence, discrimination, and bullying are essentially the same. They all start with excluding people.” After returning to Japan, encouraged by the words of his friends he met in prison, he established the “Homie Children’s Future Development Association” and began giving lectures around the country to give children the choice to live. He has met more than a thousand young people so far, and many of them said they “wanted to die because of bullying.”
Zeebra's Determination: Music can be "educational"
On the other hand, for Zeebra, who has pioneered the hip-hop scene as a pioneer of Japanese rap, the “No Bully Movement” is not just a charity. He is participating in this activity out of a sense of responsibility as a father and a belief in the power of words. “Words can save children. Hip-hop is a weapon that can turn anger and pain into sound,” he says. On stage, he was impressive as he rapped while looking straight into the eyes of the audience, and many junior and senior high school students actually stood up to listen to his words. There were words there that affirmed their existence.
Why "Hip Hop"?
Hip-hop is a culture that was born in the Bronx, New York in the 1970s, and is a means of expression that was created to allow oppressed people to make their voices heard in society through beats and rhymes rather than violence. In Japan, hip-hop has also taken root as the language of outsiders. And now, the language is becoming an “outlet” for children who are isolated in the closed world of school. Hip-hop certainly functions as a way to shout out what cannot be said. A child who was crying in the corner of a classroom where no one can hear him can become a hero in front of a microphone.
"No Bully" - the hope behind the charity song
In 2024, Zeebra and Homie Kei called for the creation of the charity song “No Bully.” Artists such as OZworld, KEIJU, IO, Kan a.k.a. GAMI, ANARCHY, JESSE, D.O, and Hannya participated, and each sang with a history of fighting bullying and discrimination. In this song, messages such as “Speak up,” “The pain is not yours alone,” and “You belong here” were hammered into the hearts of the audience along with the beat. On social media, posts from young people who were encouraged by the lyrics were spread, and many people said that “hip hop saved my life.”
Giving all children the courage to speak up
The No Bully Movement is a new social movement that confronts the invisible violence of bullying with the visible weapon of hip hop. Homie Kei says, “To save someone, you first need the courage to reveal your past,” and Zeebra believes that “music is not powerless.” This movement is not just a temporary event, but the starting point of a new social change that combines music, education, and welfare. To all children who suffer from bullying. Hip hop is there to turn your screams into songs. Now, the microphone is in your hands.