Fun-loving and energetic five-piece RIP SLYME are known for bringing hip-hop to mainstream J-pop. Their blend of sample-based music and shout-along hooks introduced a generation of listeners to rap music starting in the mid-'90s. RIP SLYME have expanded the sonic definition of hip-hop in Japan, featuring uptempo acoustic guitar strums (“Stepper's Delight”) and jazzy horn blurts (“Funktastic”). Exuberant tag-team rapping referencing classic American MCs builds toward earworm hooks, and they continue to play around with contemporary styles, like high-energy Jersey club in 2015's “Jump.”