A roundup of commercials featuring rap. Spotlight on the rhymes of rappers and actors.
Starting with the boom in freestyle battles, hip-hop has been drawing renewed attention in the music scene in recent years.
The influence of hip-hop has spread into all sorts of arenas, and lately more and more companies have been incorporating rap into their commercials.
In these rap-infused ads, some feature actors doing the vocals, while others actually have real rappers performing—something hip-hop fans in particular are probably keeping an eye on.
In this article, we’ll introduce a bunch of commercials that incorporate rap all at once!
Which one is the dopest and coolest? Be sure to judge for yourself.
Compilation of commercials featuring rap: spotlight on rhymes by rappers and actors (1–10)
Fukushima Computer Systems “The future we create evolves beyond imagination”NEW!U-zhaan, xiangyu, Sakutto Anna
This commercial expresses Fukushima Computer System’s message, “The future we create will evolve beyond imagination,” through light, buoyant music and vocals.
It features a structure where U-zhaan’s tabla overlaps with xiangyu’s rap, creating a unique world while maintaining a sense of lightness.
The tabla resonates as if it is singing rather than merely accompanying, which seems to enhance the rap layered on top.
Portraying the company’s spirit of taking on challenges—let’s try it, let’s make it—the piece conveys a strong will to move toward the future.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Calorie Mate “To us, whose world has been like this since we entered school.”NEW!
This piece portrays how a generation for whom wearing masks since enrollment was the norm spent their student lives.
While depicting worries unique to this generation, it also conveys the pride of having built a student life that only they could create.
It doesn’t just show hardship; it also clearly captures smiles, so the refreshing feeling of a youth well spent comes through strongly.
The words of the rapper Jinmon, who voiced the thoughts of students from this generation, are also striking, giving a sense of a powerful stride toward the future.
Snickers ‘HIPHOP Snickers ¥ellow Bucks’ Version¥ellow bucks
¥ellow Bucks is a highly skilled rapper who will carry the future of the hip-hop scene.
If you’re a true head, you already know how incredible his talent is.
But for those who aren’t familiar with hip-hop, it might be hard to grasp exactly how great he is.
For people like that, I recommend this commercial: “SNICKERS ‘HIPHOP SNICKERS ¥ellow Bucks.’” The first point to focus on is his superb vocal delivery.
His voice quality stands up to comparison with overseas rappers, and on top of that, his flow and his lines—every element—is put together perfectly.
Donbei East-West Rap BattleKEN THE 390, DOTAMA, ERONE, KOPERU, Matsumoto Club, Tsukitei Taiyu
Did you know that the flavor of Nissin’s Donbei noodles sold by Nissin Foods differs between the Kanto and Kansai regions? In 2016, they launched a campaign to sell both versions nationwide.
To commemorate the campaign, they released a commercial featuring a battle between the Kanto team and the Kansai team.
On the Kansai side were ERONE, DOTAMA, and Taiyu Tsukitei.
Representing the Kanto side were KEN THE 390, KOPERU, and Matsumoto Club.
The rapid-fire rap exchanges packed into about three minutes are a must-listen—even if you’re not a hip-hop fan!
Mitsubishi Estate Gymnastics NipponKid Fresino
Rapper KID FRESINO, known as a member of the hip-hop unit FlashBackS, is also active as a trackmaker and has earned high acclaim in the scene as a solo artist.
His commercial here is Mitsubishi Estate: Team Japan Gymnastics.
The rap, arranged with a serious tone, boasts an overwhelming level of completion despite being an original song made for the ad.
Since it’s an original piece, details aren’t clear, but he likely handled the trackmaking himself as well.
Celeb Rent-A-Car × KOHH × Harumi Sato Collaboration CMKOHH
Recently, the rapper KOHH has been getting more media exposure and becoming known to listeners beyond his core heads.
He’s also been actively appearing in commercials; in this video, he’s featured in an ad for a rental car company called Celeb Rent-A-Car.
The song used is a track called “Taiyo,” a tropical, pop-leaning piece about love with his partner.
Although he originally rapped in a more hardcore trap style, he’s recently been trying more melodic rap in the vein of Drake.
If you’re interested in checking out his new musical direction, this song is a great place to start digging in.
KOHH × MONSTER PIPELINE PUNCH MOVIEKOHH
KOHH is a rapper known as a pioneer who brought trap music to Japan.
He’s a heavyweight rapper that every Japanese hip-hop head knows.
He’s also widely recognized even beyond the rap scene and has appeared in several commercials.
This particular ad showcases a new side of him, featuring a track that swaps trap for a tropical vibe and pairs it with melodic rap.
If you like hip-hop blended with R&B, the original song has been posted on YouTube—try searching for the title “I Think I’m Falling”!.