Beats realises early on that it is not for him, swapping his usual loyalty for Grindah for loyalty to his own music and dignity. Grindah and Beats go down different paths in light of their sudden fame. It’s not a reflection of Japanese record labels, or even record labels in general.” Hugo: “Yeah exactly, he’s tried every other avenue, and this is the only one that is working. I think Grindah’s intention is just to be famous.”Īllan: “I think his intention is to be loved for his music, and this is the only way he can do it.” Hugo: “Or dye their hair ginger and spike it up. For example, Skibbar and Shabba are big in Japan, they’re drum and bass MC’s who didn’t have to dress in an admiral outfit.” That’s a reflection of the machine whether it’s TV, music or film, the machine run things and only cares about the money side of it. Is that a reflection of the industry just in Japan, or do you think it’s the reality across the world?Īllan: “Nah, that’s a worldwide thing, that’s the machine. One of the main takeaways from the film appears to be that if you want to make it big in japan, you either have to sacrifice your musical integrity and your close relationships, or you have to sacrifice the opportunity to be ‘big’ itself. Hugo: “Yeah exactly, and sex! (Laughing)” So it’s social commentary not directed just at the music industry, but the wider world? Hugo: “It’s sort of a way of talking about friendship, and they’re the sticks.” There’s this whole world that is fake and bullshit and can hurt people, so it’s something that we poke fun at.” Those little jokes, they’re all part of the same thing. You’ve got Miche, that gets obsessed with social media, and obsessed with showing that social media is more important than real life. The label might be saying ‘oh you need to work with this guy’, or ‘you need to go in this direction’.”Īllan: “It’s more something that we’ve seen, yeah, and something that we’re obviously against. You see it happen, like I’ve seen big artists have big record deals, everyone’s excited for them, and then it doesn’t go to plan. To what extent did your own experiences in the industry shape this narrative? Obviously this is a comedy, with some ridiculously funny scenes, but I feel like there were some underlying criticisms and exposes of what the ‘dream’ of the music industry can actually turn out to be. Make sure to check out People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan in a cinema near you, and be sure to give their debut album Greatest Hits Part 1a listen or two! The result was an extremely insightful, but also a typically entertaining conversation about the film, the music industry, and the inspiration for Japan as the setting. Prior to the official release of the film, I sat down over Zoom with four men who are largely responsible for the genesis and cultivation of the idea Allan Seapa (MC Grindah), Hugo Chegwin (DJ Beats), Asim Chaudhry (Chabuddy G), and Steve Stamp (DJ Steves). The result of this has been some legendary content, like their appearances on Radar Radio and their takeover of BBC Radio 1Xtra, but fans have always been curious about the men behind the characters. Since their initial success, People Just Do Nothing have chosen to conduct almost all of their interviews in character. When a Japanese game show picks up Kurupt FM’s track “Heart Monitor Riddem”, MC Grindah and Co are given a shot at redemption but at what cost to their relationships and integrity?
Hence People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan a film that follows the boys’ attempt to finally taste the commercial success they have been craving since their inception.
Where to watch kurupt fm big in japan series#
Now with an extremely successful five-season TV series under their belt, the Kurupt FM boys are looking to broaden their horizons, conquering new spaces outside of their Brentford homeland. People Just Do Nothing has developed an indisputable cult following since releasing its first webisode in 2011.