Big Sean has joined the wave of American rappers collaborating with East Asian stars, teaming up with J-pop boy band One Or Eight for a remix to “Kawasaki,” a thumping, Jersey Club influenced party anthem. In the video, the boys naturally highlight the titular motorbike brand, speeding down highways and showing off some dynamic choreo (as well as their hard-won abs). The track was originally released in June without Sean’s verse via a performance video (watch it here), but after fans demanded an official release, One or Eight complied, adding Sean’s verse for the cherry on top.
Hip-hop has always been global, but over the last couple of years, America’s rap stars have really sought to bridge the gaps between hip-hop internationally and stateside. Earlier this year, Megan Thee Stallion scored a pair of hits with Japanese star Yuki Chiba on “Mamushi” and Korean rapper RM on “Neva Play.” This week, she also joined forces with rising K-pop girl group TWICE to contribute a verse to their new EP’s title track, “Strategy.” Rap’s collabs haven’t been limited to just East Asia, either; also this week, ASAP Rocky added a fiery verse to buzzy viral hit “Big Dawgs” from Indian breakout Hunumankind.
Watch One Or Eight’s “Kawasaki” video featuring Big Sean above.