Nujabes

Nujabes had a major impact on the hip-hop community in his native Tokyo. A record store owner, label founder, DJ, and producer, Nujabes -- born Seba Jun, or "Nujabes" backward -- released nearly two dozen singles and a handful of albums that displayed his knack for nuanced, sample-laced beats. His debut album, Metaphorical Music, was released in 2003. Other highlights included his soundtrack work for the anime show Samurai Champloo, spread across a pair of 2004 releases, and 2005's Modal Soul, on which he was joined by Terry Callier for an update of "Ordinary Joe." In 2010, at...