2023年5月に行われたシャーリー富岡によるWez Atlasへのインタビュー第２弾。今回は2024年の年末に英語で行われたものを原文で掲載。
2024年、Wez Atlasは大きな転機を迎えた。スタイルの変化を楽しみながら、新たな表現を模索し、新EP『ABOUT TIME』を完成させた。タイトルには「そろそろやるべき時が来た」という自身への決意が込められている。これまでの完璧主義を手放し、即興的な作詞や日本語での表現に挑戦。2025年、Wez Atlasはさらなる進化を遂げ、次なるステージへと飛躍する。

─How have you been? Are you feeling good? You look good!

Wez：Yes I'm good! I've been going through some visual changes, figuring out my style. Right now I'm doing this mullet vibe. Most of my life growing up, I had the same hairstyle.

─Really?

Wez：I had a big mushroom cut, like The Beatles. That's what happens when your hair grows naturally and you don't do anything about it. The first time I got adventurous with it, the flood gates opened. Now I'm like, whatever. Let's try everything.

─What was the adventurous haircut like?

Wez：It wasn't even adventurous, it was just a middle part. Even doing that was crazy because I always had bangs. My hair wouldn't part at first because、クセとかがあるから. I had to part it every single day so that it would remember. Then when I tried to go back to bangs, it wouldn't go back. It would just stay parted.

─So you had ちょっと大変な髪質。Is it fun for you to try different things?

Wez：It is. I think that's the stage I'm in right now. I moved recently, I'm moving again soon. I like finding new hobbies and stuff and being experimental.

Reflecting on 2024 〜 2024年を振り返る

─2024 looked like a pretty busy year for you. Writing, performing, releasing songs and music videos. A lot was going on. How do you reflect on that?

Wez：Yeah, it was quite hectic. The first half was pretty quiet. I was hibernating, almost. January through March, I really wasn't making too much music. February, I don't think I even touched my computer to make music once.

I was rethinking what direction I wanted to go in, what I wanted to do. So I took a little break. Then spring came and the fog started to clear and I found some direction. From there, it's been hamster-on-wheel type of fast, busy times.

─What made you want to hibernate at the time? Was there something that made you want to take time off?

Wez：Yeah, it was getting to a point where I wasn't enjoying the process. I was just trying to force it out, it wasn't sustainable. So I said, let me just chill for a while, and find the things that excite me again.

I started with things outside of music. I drew little pictures. I used to love to draw cartoons and stuff. I also took myself bowling, played some pool, watched some movies alone.

Just trying to find the excitement. And then slowly but surely, I started to feel that feeling of fun and excitement. With making music, it went from "I have to", to "I want to". So yeah, it was good that I was able to find that.

─So the ball started rolling again. In what ways did those experiences help you grow?

Wez：The fact that I was able to get back to wanting to make music, probably fueled my energy on stage as well. Because when you're performing the same songs over and over again, it can become kind of repetitive and stale.

You're up there, you're singing the words, but you're not really feeling it deep down. I'm more excited now because I have new songs to perform. I think one of the best feelings is updating your setlist. Right now I have a lot of new songs I've been waiting to perform.

(At the time of this interview) The songs on my new EP are mostly songs I haven't performed yet in front of a crowd. So I'm kind of nervous and also excited to see how everyone will react to this. It's been a while since I've had that feeling, because I've been performing the same songs for a long time.

The story behind『About Time』〜 『About Time』へのいきさつ

─You're a great storyteller, so I'm sure there's an interesting story behind your new EP「ABOUT TIME」.

Wez：It's pretty straightforward, though. I was just telling myself like, "dude, it's about time." At first, I called it something else. The song "One Life" came about before the concept of the EP, but it kind of embodies the whole energy of the project. Like "you only get one life, 明日のことなんかはさっぱり分かんない" That's the stuff I was telling myself.
In my earlier projects I think I tried to be more poetic or figurative, but this time I just wanted to get straight to the point. I want to be as clear as possible. So I didn't really spend too much time thinking about the title. That's how I landed on "ABOUT TIME".

─Is there a reason you're painted blue on the cover?

Wez：That was from the "One Life" music video. We had this artist Aoi Honjo come in and paint me like the Earth. So there's blue and hints of brown to symbolize earth.

Atlas means world map and that's part of the origin of my rap name. But also we just thought it would be fun to paint my face. It was pretty spontaneous, not really calculated.

I realized after though, there could be a different meaning for it. On the cover, I'm wiping the blue paint off my face. In most of my previous songs I'm singing the blues. I'm always lamenting, being sad. But at a certain point, I began to think, as long as I continue to sing about how stressed, sad or depressed I am, maybe I'm keeping myself in that state.

They say that what you think about or say aloud every day really affects how you feel.

So I wanted to try to switch it up. And that was kind of the mindset with this EP. With the lyrics, it's quite positive, forward thinking. And then I look at the photograph where I'm wiping the blue off of my face. Wiping that negativity off. I'm trying to move on or uncover something else. This all came to me way after, though (laughs).

─I really like the EP, especially the track "Focus". I love the positivity. It's very vulnerable as well. After I heard it, I wanted to share it to all my friends, my friends' children, everyone. You bring a special positive vibe.

When you write, I'm sure a lot of it is inspired by personal experiences. Do you ever worry that you might be oversharing?

Wez：Oh, for sure. But I like to share my emotions, just not the specific details.

When I first listened to J. Cole, that honesty and rawness is what made me want to become an artist. Even with the personal stuff about his mom or the people he grew up with, that vulnerability and openness, as a listener, is very comforting and inspiring.

But yeah, sometimes I get a little nervous I might be sharing too much. At the same time, I feel like that's what I signed up for.

─What inspires you to write?

Wez：My process is starting to change a little bit. I used to write when something pops up or something happens to me. When I feel something, I'd want to write that down and capture that emotion. But these days it's more like, "let's just hop in the session and see what comes out."

Now that I'm busier and the team's expanding, we're trying to keep the momentum going. So whatever comes out in the studio, that's what we go with.

I used to be such a perfectionist and set too high of a bar for myself. I'm like, no, no, no. And then I end up with a bunch of incomplete songs. So this time around, I just wanted to go for it.

─Did that come easy for you or was it challenging?

Wez：I think it worked out pretty well. The deadlines helped, though (laughs). I ended up writing most of my verses like the night before the deadline. It was the same when I was in school, writing essays and stuff. I'd get a crazy spurt of focus and creativity at the last minute. And I guess that's carried over to music as well.

But yeah, I think if you just lock in and put yourself in a position where you have to write, you'll find something. Some type of emotion or motif. I think it's working for me right now. And I realized I could write faster than I thought I could. So that's good.

─I'm glad you found that creativity again.

Wez：And it was interesting because when I was put on the spot like that, I got something completely different from what I expected. Especially because I was writing a lot in Japanese this time. I was like "oh, this is what happens when I try to write a full verse in Japanese." There were a lot of discoveries.

─Do you ever get writers block? How do you handle it?

Wez：Yeah, for sure. But I think showing up and forcing myself to write is helping me overcome that writer's block. Before I was like, "ok, it's writers block, whatever. I'll come back to it." But I stuck to it and tried to squeeze something out. And then it gets a little bit easier the next time because you have the experience of getting some sort of output.

I was always envious of musicians around me that were able to write a verse in 30 minutes. I was always the one at the session that would be like "let me take this home and send it back to you guys later."

So now I'm learning to be present and get something out on the spot. But also, the work you do outside of the sessions helps too. If you're a basketball player and you're shooting a thousand shots a day, it comes naturally to you in the game. So I'm trying to put my reps in. I'm treating it more like a sport. It's very different from how I was before.

Juggling and balancing English & Japanese 〜英語と日本語を意識しながらどう表現を考える

─You're a wizard with the words, in both Japanese and English. You blend them in a way that I think no one has ever been done before. I'm sure it's difficult to think and express yourself in two languages. Which comes easier for you?

Wez：I think I'm pretty evenly balanced in that sense, especially these days. I've been in Tokyo about 10 years now so my Japanese has gotten pretty good. When I first came back from the States, though, I was in shambles. I couldn't use 敬語. I didn't know how to write emails. I've got to a point where I feel pretty comfortable with it now. I feel like my English is slipping away sometimes, though (laughs).

The way I talk with my friends is terrible. We mix it like crazy. Mid-sentence we'll switch to Japanese. They call it "Japanglish".

─分かる、分かる。I get it.

Wez：It'll be like, "え、てかさー what should we do tonight? 居酒屋行く？"

─Yeah, like "Let's go for happy hour. 飲みたいよね" みたいな。

Wez：そうそう。We talk like that in the bilingual community. It's like our own little language.

─It's natural for us but it sounds strange to other people.

Wez：I used to make fun of it but now I speak like that. But there are just certain words that don't translate equally, so it's better to say it in the original language.

─That's another powerful element in your music, because you can say what you want to say in both Japanese and English. But it's not just for people who understand both languages. I think you help creating a bridge for Japanese culture to the rest of the world.
In your music, do you have a 意識 of how to use the two languages?

Wez：Yeah, it's more deliberate these days. I've been writing entire verses in Japanese. I'm really trying with that right now. English comes more naturally, so I'll bargain with myself. I'll be like, "ok, if you write this verse in Japanese, you could start the second verse with English." Then I'll go, "ok, only four lines in English on the second verse." I do stuff like that because I really want to be able to express myself in Japanese and find my Japanese "voice".

With my previous projects I wasn't really thinking about who was listening to it, I was just expressing myself in the most natural way.

But now I realize there's a lot of different people listening to my songs. I feel like I have two different fan bases that listen to my music. There's the English speaking side, which I think connect on a deeper level because of the stories.

That wasn't really happening on the Japanese side. So I wanted to try to connect more with them, because I feel like I write about the Tokyo experience and the stress of living in a Japanese society. So if I switch to Japanese, made it would connect better.

─Your music should be heard by everyone.
You've performed in the US a couple times, where else would you like to go?

Wez：I'm really intrigued by Asia. I went to Thailand for vacation recently, and Bangkok was super fun. It's kinda similar to Tokyo, with big buildings and stuff. We're so isolated here in Japan that you almost forget that there's other countries nearby. I definitely want to travel through Asia - Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Shanghai. I wanna go all over.

─Nowadays so many people are so interested in Japan. Just walking down the street, you'll see people from so many different cultures and countries. People come here, they fall in love with the Japanese culture, the politeness and thoughtfulness and things like that. I feel like I find that in your music as well. You carry that same gentleness in your songs.

Wez：I think I know what you mean. For a rapper, I'm pretty soft spoken, not super hard. I'm pretty reserved.

─Your lyrics aren't super brutal and offensive. You're soft-spoken, and poetic. I think that a lot of people would love it. My friends overseas listened to your music and were very impressed. The way you blend your cultures into your music. I think you have potential to succeed on a global scale.

Wez：Thanks. I've had interactions with fans around the world through social media, but I want to actually go and talk to them. At SXSW I met some Japanese fans that live in Texas. That was cool. I definitely want to travel as much as I can and have conversations like that.

─Yeah, I think traveling is and getting to experiencing other cultures is really a 宝, one of the best things.

Wez Atlas in 2025 wants to 〜 2025年のWez Atlasは？

─Where do you want Wez Atlas to be in 2025? Where are you going to take us fans next?

Wez： I think I found my Japanese "voice" with this EP, so I want to continue developing that. I'm still a beginner. I've been writing in English for like six, seven years, so that's a lot more time spent honing that craft. If I spend the same amount of time doing it in Japanese, maybe I could get really good.

The Japanese rappers that I listen to use a lot of expressions that aren't really in my vernacular. I'm like, "damn, that's clever", but I couldn't come up with it myself. I want to get to the point where I can fully express myself both ways without thinking too much about it. Fully 二刀流 like ゾロ, wield two swords and be fully competent with both. I don't really see anyone that's doing that in in both languages, like super proficient. I feel like I could be pretty good at that. That's what I want to work on this year.


取材・文：シャーリー冨岡
撮影：藤田拓

RELEASE INFORMATION

Wez Atlas「ABOUT TIME」
2024年11月27日(水)
Format：Digital

Track：
1．Intro
2．One Life
3．Glow
4．Feel It Now
5．40℃ (colder)
6．Focus

試聴はこちら

INFORMATION

水ドラ25「ソロ活女子のススメ５」

放送日時：4月2日（水）スタート　毎週水曜深夜 1時〜1時30分
放送局：テレビ東京、テレビ北海道、テレビ愛知、テレビせとうち、TVQ九州放送
※テレビ大阪は4月7日（月）スタート　毎週月曜深夜1時～1時30分

動画配信サービス「Lemino」（予定）「U-NEXT」にて3月26日（水）夜10時から、各話1週間独占先行配信
Lemino：https://lemino.docomo.ne.jp/
U-NEXT：https://t.unext.jp/r/tv-tokyo_pr

広告付き無料配信サービス「ネットもテレ東」（テレ東 HP、TVer、Lemino）にて見逃し配信
テレ東HP：https://video.tv-tokyo.co.jp/
TVer：https://tver.jp/
Lemino：https://lemino.docomo.ne.jp/

過去作の配信：
シーズン1〜4が、「ネットもテレ東」（テレ東 HP、TVer、Lemino）、「YouTube（テレ東公式ドラマチャンネル）」にて期間限定で順次配信中

原案：朝井麻由美「ソロ活女子のススメ」（大和書房）
【キャスト＆スタッフ】
主演：江口のりこ
出演：小林きな子　渋谷謙人　佐々木春香
ナレーション：大塚明夫
脚本・監督：及川博則（ライス）
プロデューサー：森田昇（テレビ東京）千葉貴也（テレビ東京）村上浩美（ライス）永井清（ライス）
コンテンツプロデューサー：稲垣美優（テレビ東京）
制作協力：ライス
製作著作：テレビ東京
特別協力：オーストラリア政府観光局　ビクトリア州政府観光局
協力：レッツエンジョイ東京　カンタス航空

【エンディングテーマ】Wez Atlas 「HOOMAN」

公式HP：https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/solokatsu5/
公式X：https://x.com/tx_solokatsu
Ⓒテレビ東京

LINK

オフィシャルサイト
@wezzyatlas
@wezzyatlas