I said it once. I’ll say it again.
Nujabes is my favorite musical artist. My favorite song being “Aruarian Dance.”
I talk about “Aruarian Dance” a lot.
But let’s talk about his other works.
Specifically, my favorite Nujabes album, which surprisingly doesn’t contain “Aruarian Dance.”
Let’s talk about the Luv(Sic) Hexalogy.
Luv(Sic) is a collaboration album between Nujabes and fellow Japanese hip hop artist and rapper Shing02.
Nujabes provided the jazz/latin/soul/hiphop beats and music. Shing02 provided the rhymes and lyrics.
The album contains six beautiful songs, hence the hexalogy.
The songs didn’t start as an album, but more of a song series later made into an album. The first two songs, “Luv(Sic)” and “Luv(Sic) part 2,” were released in Nujabes’ first compilation album with Hydeout Productions, Hydeout Productions 1st Collection (2003). The third song, “Luv(Sic) part 3,” was released in Nujabes’ second studio album, Modal Soul (2005).
Fans quickly fell in love with the Luv(Sic) series.
On the surface, the three songs were about love, both parting and uniting. The first song is simple and fun. It’s a love letter. Shing02 is infatuated with this unnamed person. This person helps him through tough times, comforts him, makes him feel calm. He loves this person.
This person isn’t a person. They are a metaphor for music.
“Cause your beat plus your melody / Makes me speak of L.O.V.E eloquently so evidently.”
“Luv(Sic)” By Nujabes featuring Shing02
The song is Shing02’s bittersweet love letter to music.
The second song is a sequel love letter. Part 2 sounds very similar to part 1 but is more somber. It’s a love letter to someone Shing02 has lost touch with. He states that, despite the pain and heartbreak, the pair can find peace.
“C’est la vie, as they say L-O-V-E eloquently, see every dream has a part two.”
“Luv(Sic) part 2” by Nujabes featuring Shing02
The pair can move on from this suffering.
Again, this person isn’t a real person. It’s a metaphor. Shing02 has lost touch with his music. The song was written during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. To Shing02, music has lost its joy because of the sadness of this tragedy. Despite this, he still believes that he can find peace; that we all can find peace in music.
The rhymes will heal cause I believe in music
In times of need I won’t be leaving you sick
The beat plus the melody’s the recipe
All good souls lost may they rest in peace
“Luv(Sic) part 2” by Nujabes featuring Shing02
Part 3 strays away from the love letter metaphor and simply explains the power of music with a catchy chorus.
It’s funny how the music put times in perspective
Add a soundtrack to your life and perfect it
Whenever you are feeling blue keep walking and we can get far
Wherever you are
“LUV(SIC) PART 3” BY NUJABES FEATURING SHING02
These three songs became very popular among Nujabes fans.
Three more songs were planned to be released. Parts 4 and 5 were already in production. The songs were delayed, however, and fans were concerned if the hexalogy would ever be completed.
On February 26th, 2010, Nujabes died in a car accident.
He was 36.
His real name was Jun Seba. Nujabes was an anagram of his real name
Jun Seba’s music was lost to the world. He never saw the completion of his many unfinished works, including the Luv(Sic) Hexalogy.
I don’t usually get upset over celebrity deaths. Not to say I’m heartless. It’s always sad when a celebrity dies, especially when they’re young. But I don’t know celebrities personally. It’s easier to disconnect.
It also feels inauthentic. Most of the time, people don’t really care about the person. They’re just sad because they won’t get more music or movies or books from their favorite entertainer.
You didn’t know Michael Jackson.
You didn’t know Robin Williams.
You didn’t know Mac Miller.
You just liked the stuff they made. And then you go on twitter and say, “I’m so sad. I loved him so much. Gone but not forgotten.” How can you love somebody you never met? You didn’t even know him. You didn’t love him. You loved his stuff. That’s not a healthy relationship. It’s not a relationship at all. You’re just a leech, feeding off a person’s struggle to live and using it as a form of entertainment. In fact, most celebrities are depressed because of you parasites. How does it feel to know you’re partly to blame for your favorite celebrity’s suicide? And then you fake mourn on twitter, further adding to the irony.
It’s disgusting when you think about it.
So, no. I don’t get upset over celebrities dying. Of course, it’s sad and heartbreaking. But I’m never sad or heartbroken. Sympathy vs. empathy.
But I’m a hypocrite.
I discovered Nujabes in 2015, 5 years after his death.
I fell in love with his music. I listened to his entire discography on repeat for almost a year before finally deciding to do some research. I wanted to know why he wasn’t making music anymore.
I was heartbroken.
I guess I’m also a selfish parasite.
As for his hexalogy, Shing02 found the instrumentals for parts 4 and 5 on Jun Seba’s computer. He rapped over them and released the songs shortly after Jun’s death.
Three years later, Shing02 conveniently found an instrumental on Jun’s phone. The song was titled “Luv(Sic) Grand Finale.” Shing02 released part 6 the same year, completing the Nujabes hexalogy posthumously.
The last three songs are good. Really good. Especially the Grand Finale.
They’re even more bittersweet and they tribute Jun’s death beautifully.
But they give me a bad taste in my mouth. Posthumous works never feel good to me.
It’s almost as if Jun Seba’s death made him more popular and Shing02 used the last three songs to profit off this.
But the songs are beautiful, nonetheless.
I have a weird relationship with this album. I love it but I hate it.
The name of the album perfectly summarizes the feeling I have for it.
A metaphor?
I’m an English major so I gotta…
The name Luv(Sic) is a play on words combining the word love, misspelled as “luv,” and sic, a Latin adverb used to show that a quote is intentionally misspelled.
This is to say that love is never spelled correctly; that it’s often messy and confusing, which makes us “lovesick.”
I love this album.
The posthumous release to profit off a celebrity death makes me sick.