~In the past 5-10 years, we've seen Thai hip hop grow remarkably, It’s made us wonder, is this the peak? Can Thai hip hop go further? No one can say for sure, but there are still many artists pushing boundaries, striving to make Thai hip hop more exciting than ever, like the independent rapper, ‘Réjizz.’
~Réjizz is one of those forces behind what he calls ‘The New Era’ of Thai hip hop. With a fresh approach to making music, unique thinking, and a distinctive sound, his latest track ‘Superstar’ has us saying, “I didn’t know Thai hip hop could sound like this!”
~We sat down and had a talk with Réjizz about his life, identity, music-making process, and the creative vision behind ‘The New Era’ that’s bringing something new to the Thai hip hop scene.
Becoming Réjizz
Did you start with hip hop as a kid? What drew you to it?
~I didn’t start with hip hop, but as a kid, my parents played music at home, and I found myself drawn to the hip hop tracks the most. There was just something about the groove, the rhythm, and the storytelling. When I hit my teenage years, I felt like I couldn’t talk to anyone about personal stuff, so music became my friend. Listening to those tracks felt like the artist was talking directly to me. Hip hop has so much information packed into it, and I learned a lot from the lyrics. That’s why I connected it.
Did you play any instruments before becoming Réjizz?
~Not at all. I didn’t know how to play anything. My mom had me take classical piano lessons as a kid, but I hated it. It didn’t feel right. I didn’t even pick up the guitar until I was in 10th grade, and even then, I just learned basic chords like C, G, E, D. I didn’t really sing much either. When I did, my voice would crack, especially on high notes, and I didn’t think I sounded good. That’s why I got into rapping, it felt more monotone, and I could relax my voice a bit more.
Do you listen to other genres besides hip hop?
~Yeah, I listen to a lot of different genres. I always say that hip hop is my base, but i’m into other stuff too, jazz, blues, and even some pop tracks. I’m into all of it, but everything eventually leads back to hip hop. It’s all connected. Even when the tempo or BPM varies, jazz’s swing is like hip hop’s trap, it all ties together.
What are you listening to these days?
~There’s this band called Avantdale Bowling Club. They have 10 members, kind of like a community within a church. They play some crazy music, but they don’t have a huge following, only in the thousands or hundreds of thousands. But they’re total pros. It’s not just rap; their music is something new, something amazing.
How does not focusing on music theory but relying on feelings influence your work?
~It gives me a fresh perspective. In my work, I’ve met really talented people, like my friends in Dojo or the bands I play with. They’re experts in their fields, they’ve studied jazz or other forms of music, and they know the technical side inside out. But I don’t understand the technical stuff, so I rely on my feelings. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong, but if it feels right, I want to try it. When I first explained this to my bandmates, no one believed me. I had to show them. They see it, they hear it, and then they will believe it.
What is hip hop to you?
~Hip hop is groove. It’s the funk of drums and bass. Hip hop rap is about rapping with the drums, while hip hop R&B is about singing with the drums. To me, hip hop is groove, it’s about making the listener feel something, it’s a lifestyle. Hip hop actually stems from funk and soul because, in the 80s, drum machines started getting used, and people sampled beats from the 70s to create hip hop tracks. That’s why you hear so much of the 70s sound in those beats.
What is Réjizz’s hip hop?
~It depends on the era. Like with my EP Origin, which has 8 tracks, it was like my first album where I tested out different styles. It’s got everything from rap to trap. I’ve tried to create viral songs like WHUDDEE KAB and tracks like Man Behind Barz, where it’s all about rap. There’s What’s Your Name, featuring D GERRARD, which is R&B, Jarn Rhyme, which is old school, Nobody Like Me Freestyle, which is chill hop, and Self Made, which is alternative rock and hip hop. That was the experimental phase. Then COVID hit, and I spent time in my room learning how things were being done. It was the time I did everything myself in GarageBand, singing, recording, producing.
~For my next album, I challenged myself to make music that’s catchy but still true to who I am. It’s still rap, but I want to incorporate love as a concept, leading to a sound that’s jazzy, lo-fi, soulful, and plays with a 6/8 rhythm. I’m focusing on skill and the beauty of the project. But right now, it’s all about this new era...
~I’ve got tracks like The Weight, which is funk, and Superstar, which is Morlam. I’d call it hybrid rap. I’m also working on some 70s funk and a rap-for-life kind of vibe. So yeah, I’d say this is the ‘new era’ of hip hop.
~I don’t want to be boxed into just one style because I do hip hop. I want to try different things. I know what it’s going to sound like, but I haven’t found the right words to define it yet.
What’s your take on the Thai hip hop scene?
~It’s been the same for years. Thai hip hop is part of the entertainment industry, and the focus is on what goes viral. Most of the songs are about selling humor. And the sound of the beats and melodies hasn’t changed since 2015. I’m tired of it, and I wonder why no one else is. When are we going to change? That’s why I’m bringing in the new era, to show people that hip hop can be so much more. There’s a lot we can do with it. I want people to see the different directions we can take, and I think each scene has its own culture. Like the Dojo scene focuses on performance and putting on shows.
What do you think about the stereotype that hip hop has to be all about ‘getting lit’ ?
~I think that message makes people believe that rappers have to be all about money, women, and drugs, like, "Hey, you wanna be a rapper? You need to have money and b**ches." That’s not it. I like working out, taking care of myself, and eating good food. So I want to talk about healthier messages, something that promotes positivity.
Where do you want to see Thai hip hop go from here?
~I don’t want people to think they have to follow a certain path to call themselves a rapper. I want them to explore where rap can take them, beyond just trap or autotune. Right now, when people think of a rapper, they think of autotune and "yo! what’s up, gang." That’s the image of Thai hip hop today.
Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics?
~My first two albums had the typical rap themes, like, "Yo, I’m a rapper, and I rap better than you." That was the vibe. But my album MOSCATO was all about rapping for love, trying to find love through rap, and making songs that both women and men can enjoy. In this new era, it’s everything I’ve experienced across all three albums. It’s like growing up with friends.
Do you think rapping in two languages has an impact?
~Yeah, it does. I’ve been learning English since I was a kid, so I tried rapping in English. But I’m living in Thailand, so Thai songs are going to win out. I switched to Thai, and people liked it. But sometimes I felt like it wasn’t me. So I thought, f*ck all that, just be myself. I write in whatever language I feel like—Thai, English, whatever. The views on my Thai and English songs aren’t that different, so I figured, just gotta be myself.
Entering The New Era with ‘Superstar’
What’s the concept behind the song ‘Superstar’?
~From the EMERGE concert until now, my life has changed. Like I said, EMERGE was a show that opened doors for me to play in different places. It opened my eyes to what my music could do. When I performed at EMERGE, people didn’t know me, right? It might have been the first time they saw me. They heard the groove, saw my performance, and there was this interaction with the crowd. People were smiling, dancing, and I thought, "Wait, can we really do this?" So I started figuring out how to make music that gets that reaction. I felt like the more I did it, the more powerful I became, the more responsibility I had. That’s when I felt like, "I’m a superstar."
~And as we all know, the music industry isn’t exactly rich. Everywhere I go, they always say, "the budget’s tight." This song is about me, but I think a lot of people can relate. It’s about everyone hustling, fighting just to get by. That’s why in the music video, I wanted to highlight our everyday heroes, like motorbike taxi drivers, street vendors, and people like that.
Why do you see motorbike taxi drivers and street vendors as heroes?
~Man, they’re the best. I’ve been riding motorbike taxis more than cabs since I was a kid. I even wore the motorbike taxi vest to represent. I get it. There was a time when I worked in marketing around Thonglor, and I had to take a motorbike taxi to work every day because of the traffic, just like today. It would take an hour and a half, so I’d hop on a motorbike instead. It’s a tough life, so I relate to them. I wanted to give them some recognition, to shine a light on them. Even though I’ve had my share of accidents, like slippery roads and all that, at the end of the day, Thailand runs on motorbikes.
What was the process of making this song?
~The process was pretty interesting. When we started, I was with Michael SELBY MG and SUBNET. We found a sample of a khaen (traditional Thai reed mouth organ) and I told them, "Let’s try making a song quickly, like within an hour. Let’s see how far we can get." Because if we take 3-4 hours, it’s like, "Nah, try again." But if we limit it to an hour, we can just go for it. So we did it, and while working, I watched the drum sample closely, exported it, and gave it to them to add their beats. My brother did his signature style on the drums. It’s like two sides showing that it’s Thai but it’s hip hop, it connects with the tempo and BPM.
Why are you more into Thai culture now?
~There was this one show that straight-up changed my life. I saw The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band at Cat Expo. There were so many people, and it was like they were possessed or something. It was raining that day too, and people were rolling in the mud, going wild, like they were breaking down all the social barriers. I felt like that was the key to unlocking the Thai spirit. Everyone is born with this connection, even if they don’t realize it. But when you hear that sound, you feel it. The rhythm they played was modern Morlam, with drums and bass that could blend perfectly with hip hop. I was like, "This is it." And if we can merge hip hop with sounds that represent Thai identity, it could unlock something entirely new. And I’d still be rapping. Everything connects.
~After that, I became obsessed with this idea and started studying it more. And when it comes to fashion, New York has durags, chains, and all the hip hop culture stuff. Thai people saw Westerners and copied them. But then I thought, we have things here that fit our style too. A pha khao ma (traditional Thai multi-purpose cloth) is like a durag. It’s similar. The reason I’m leaning more into Thai culture now is that I feel like we’ve borrowed so much from other places, and there’s so much here that fits us.
Looking back at your journey from making ‘City Boy’ to ‘Superstar,’ how much do you think you’ve grown?
~Honestly, I could talk about this all day.
You can’t talk all day, though! (laughs)
~I feel like my journey has been like a movie, like it could be a Netflix film (laughs). Let’s just say I’ve been through a lot, but I’m still here, still making music. I think I’m doing all right. I’m still going. The songs say it all, I’m a Superstar, but there’s no money in it (laughs).
Any advice for people on the path to becoming a music ‘Superstar’?
~If you’re making music, do it for yourself first. Make something that your future self, 10 years from now, will still vibe with. Try to make a classic for you. The listeners come second, real talk. The first one you gotta impress is you, the biggest fan should always be yourself.
Step into ‘The New Era’ of hip hop with Réjizz, and listen to ‘Superstar’ now on all streaming platforms.
Follow the latest updates on Facebook: Réjizz and Instagram: @rayjayrangsit
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