North West is making waves with a unique guest feature on her father Ye’s new album, Vultures 2. The 11-year-old artist showcases her international flair with a Japanese rap verse on the track “Bomb.”
On this high-energy Jersey club beat, North West introduces herself with “Ohayou gozaimasu” (good morning), “Konnichiwa” (hello), and “Watashi no namae wa North-chan” (My name is North). While the inspiration for her Japanese verse remains unclear, it adds a fresh touch to the track. Her “good morning” greeting may also be a playful nod to a track from her father’s 2007 album, Graduation.
North West’s foray into Japanese lyrics parallels a similar trend in the music industry. Megan Thee Stallion’s recent hit “Mamushi,” featuring Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba, has garnered attention for its use of Japanese lyrics. The song, named after a dangerous Japanese snake, includes a chorus in Japanese: “Okane kasegu / watashi wa star” (“[I] make money / I’m a star”).
Megan Thee Stallion performed “Mamushi” and its viral TikTok dance during her Hot Girl Summer Tour in London last month. She recently teased the music video for “Mamushi,” filmed in Japan, set to release soon.
Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s collaborative album Vultures 2 launched on Saturday, following the successful release of its predecessor in February. Despite some delays and copyright challenges, the first Vultures album and its lead single “Carnival” topped the Billboard charts.
