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Substantial

@substantialmusic

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A Maryland made MC living in Tokyo.
1/2 @bopalloy
Band: @thesunshues
Credits: #Nujabes, #Arknights, #EVO, #MobileLegendsBangBang, and #PUBGMobile

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If Nujabes brought you here and you love our song Eclipse, you should listen to QT (Quality Time). Let me know your favorite collab from us and which I should do next.

#substantial #nujabes #eclipse #qt #musicrecommendation taken in Tabata by @substantialmusic

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11 days ago

東京、新章。🇯🇵

Peace World. After years of dreaming, planning, submitting paperwork, packing, and preparing… we’re here.

Our family has officially relocated to Japan, and we’re calling Tabata home. 🏡

Japan has been a meaningful part of my story since my first visit to Tokyo in 2000. From working with Nujabes and DJ Deckstream and building lifelong relationships within Japan’s music community, to performing, creating, collaborating, and returning again and again, this place has always felt like more than somewhere I visited.

Now, we’re building a life here.

New home. New routines. New collaborations. New music. New memories. Same mission.

I’m excited to document this next chapter with my family and share the journey as we continue creating, connecting, and contributing to the culture.

ただいま、日本。
We’re home. 🇯🇵❤️✌🏾

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東京、新章。🇯🇵

Peace World. 長年夢見て、計画を立て、書類を提出し、荷造りをして、準備を重ねてきた時間を経て……ついにここまで来ました。

私たち家族は正式に日本へ移住し、田端を新しいホームタウンとして暮らし始めます。🏡

2000年に初めて東京を訪れて以来、日本は僕の人生にとって特別な場所であり続けてきました。NujabesやDJ Deckstreamとの活動、日本の音楽コミュニティで築いてきたかけがえのないつながり、そしてこれまで何度も日本を訪れ、演奏し、創作し、コラボレーションしてきた経験を通して、日本は僕にとって単なる「訪れる場所」以上の存在になりました。

そして今、ここで家族と人生を築いていきます。

新しい家。新しい日常。新しいコラボレーション。新しい音楽。新しい思い出。

変わらないのは、僕たちの使命。

家族とともに始まるこの新しい章を記録しながら、これからも創作し、人とつながり、文化に貢献していく旅を皆さんと共有していきたいと思います。

ただいま、日本。
We’re home. 🇯🇵❤️✌🏾

#TheRobinsonsinJapan #Substantial #Tokyo #Japan #Tabata taken in Tabata by @substantialmusic

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2 months ago

✊🏾 by @substantialmusic

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8 months ago

10th Stanniversary: “Little Black Dress” 🖤 🎉

10 years ago, I produced “Little Black Dress” for the Black Dress Exhibit’s YouTube channel. A really special project connecting music, fashion, art, history, and storytelling.

I’m proud to still be connected to the work Black Dress continues to do celebrating and preserving the stories of Black creatives in fashion and beyond.

Their next event, Black Dress Talks: Accessories, takes place Thursday, November 12 at 6 PM at Pratt Student Union.

Check out their work at @blackdresstheexhibit

#Stanniversaries #LittleBlackDress #BlackDressExhibit #BlackFashion #Substantial taken in Pratt Institute by @substantialmusic

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5 days ago

🎶 Press Play: Black Music in Gaming

For International Music Day, we’re celebrating Black artists whose music, performances, and sound design help shape the worlds we play. ❤️

Here’s just one highlight from each artist’s much wider body of work:

🎵 Chase Bethea: Duppy Detective Tashia OST

🎵 David McKee (ViRiX Dreamcore) @dreamcorev: Music contributions to Vividlope

🎵 Jongnic “JB” Bontemps @jongnic: Redfall original score

🎵 Mega Ran @mega_ran: “It’s a Pizza Party!” from TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge

🎵 MEMODEMO: “RGB” from Arcaea, co-created with AQUASINE

🎵 Omega Sparx: Co-created and performed “K.O.” for The King of Fighters Allstar

🎵 Star Victoria Power (Slide20XX) @slide20xx: Calico OST

🎵 Substantial @substantialmusic: Featured on “Loyal to the Beat” from Arknights

🎵 Wilbert Roget, II @wilbert.roget: Helldivers 2 OST

These selections represent only a small part of their contributions. Across indie titles and major franchises, these artists have composed soundtracks, designed adaptive music, performed character vocals, created original songs, AND helped define the sound of games and gaming culture!

Swipe through to meet the artists, then make sure you take some time to dig deeper into their catalogs. Which Black game music artist belongs on everyone’s playlist?

💬 And if you know somebody we didn’t mention, or if YOU are making music for games, tell us about it in the comments!

#InternationalMusicDay #BlackInGaming #GameMusic #VideoGameMusic #GameAudio by @substantialmusic

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5 days ago

Happy International Music Day! "All around the world..." we make music to share our hopes, fears, joy, pain and dreams. We use it to protest or proclaim our love which is sometimes one in the same. Here's a few of my favorites from around the world. Swipe left to check em out and what country they're reppin. Enjoy. What's some of your favorites and where are they from?

🎵🎧
1. Same Song by Digital Underground (Intro)
2. Two Worlds Apart by Little Simz
3. Alpaca by South Penguin
4. Bronx by Car3sucio x Even Así Na Ma
5. Sabali by Amadou & Mariam
6. What Goes Around by Nas

P.S. I know I'm late in Japan but I'm right on time somewhere. #GlobalMindSet baby! 🙌🏾
#HappyInternationalMusicDay #Substantial taken in Tower Records Shibuya by @substantialmusic

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Caught up with @mrmecc this week on Substantial Weekly. We've been friends and collaborators for nearly 30 years. I keep moving 😅 and he keeps picking up the phone.

It was an awesome surprise to have him on the show. It's been even more amazing watching his ascension over the years.

Love you bro! 👊🏾✌🏾

Catch Substantial Weekly every Sunday at 8pm / Monday at 9am here in Japan, for updates, music, Bars and more. Join us on Discord as well. taken in Tabata by @substantialmusic

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10 days ago

New achievement unlocked!!! 🔑

Today we attended @tokyo_game_show for the first time ever, and it didn’t disappoint. Mega shoutout to @mega_ran for making it possible! 🙌🏾

Excited to see what comes from the networking we did today. Shoutout to @mason.lieberman for all the introductions! Nice meeting Jaeho from #Mintrocket! Can’t wait for you all to hear/see what we’re cooking up.

Another highlight was connecting with @tasty_steve, who I might not have met if I hadn’t bought the cardigan yesterday! 😅 It was an absolute pleasure, bro! We’re looking forward to connecting again soon.

Thanks for the invite to the @redbull function and for helping us meet @reindhir (saved the day 🔋), @cedricletherisien, @farbeeezy, @carcinogensda, and others! We had an awesome time.

It was a great excuse for a @bopalloy outing. 🙌🏾🙌🏻 Can’t wait to see what comes from the many conversations and connections that started today.

Stay tuned. 👀

#tokyogameshow #substantial #marcusd #bopalloy #japan taken in 幕張メッセ (Makuhari Messe) by @substantialmusic

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19 days ago

“THE CHANGE” out now everywhere!! prod. by @uncle.kizzy and keys sample from @madkeys_ ! They did their thinggg on this track! 📝⬇️

I had been going through a lot of milestones in life and really wanted to capture the calm reflection of gratitudes I’ve been experiencing along the way! Seeing how these moments carried into the next and began shaping me as a person was something that couldn’t be taken for granted. This song helped me put to words and vibes how reflecting on these moments made me feel! As soon as I heard Kai’s flip on this track, I knew I had to write about it! I hit him up the rest was magic! ✨💍📞

#newrnbmusic #newmusicalert #rnb #hiphop #explorepage taken in Los Angeles, California by @substantialmusic

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19 days ago

Peace World!

Had a really good time at the SEGA TGS Party 2026 in Ginza with @marcusd_. 🎮

Got to reconnect with @mason.lieberman and voice actor @mr.eli.harris, and meet @justinscarpone (thanks Eli for introduction) and the legend @crush40jun (thanks for the invite) for the first time. Always dope running into good people, making new connections, and having some real conversations around music, games, and everything happening out here.

More to come. 🙏🏾

#SEGA #TGS2026 #TokyoGameShow #Ginza #Tokyo taken in Zouk Tokyo by @substantialmusic

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20 days ago

Day 1 of my @tokyo_game_show trip was a tale of two stories.

On one hand there was a 2 1/2 hour flight delay and bad weather, but the other hand made up for it in spades!

I connected with my daughter when I landed and we went straight to the invite only, @sega / @segaofficial Pre TGS party where I was greeted by none other than Justin Scarpone himself and given the VIP treatment.

There were so many people that he introduced me too, that I can`t name them all here and some with respect, likes to remain under the radar.

I was introduced to everyone from the beautiful and talented songstress @crystalkayofficial, to Daichi Mukai of @rggstudiowest, who I am meeting with today, to @myrtlegail, to the Sonic composer himself @crush40jun.

After we lined up our schedules for a Friday meeting at Sega HQ to discuss @sth_game and other IP's, we stood up to go upstairs to meet with Yokoyama-san of RGG Studios.

As soon as I turned around, I got the biggest greeting from my guy Hez Chorba, who I did not expect to see there along with several other of his Sega colleagues.

When I tell you that we were partying it up, I mean just that!

The stage had live performances including some wicked guitar tunes from Jun Senoue playing alongside some Sonic gameplay.

The big screen had extensive gameplay of Crazy Taxi, Stranger Than Heaven, Persona and much more.

While we were mingling with different execs and influencers, I ran into my guy @substantialmusic whom I haven't seen since @momocon.

I was introduced to the dope emcee by @mega_ran and Substantial got me to open up for them live on stage.

That was a first live performance for me and it meant a lot for me career wise, so it was only right that I return the favor and make introductions for him to Sega. That's what it means to build genuine relationships.

While filling in the PR gap for the missed Tanesha, my daughter also made a connection at @nintendoamerica. Not bad for her first rodeo.

There's much more to tell, but I have to rest and get ready for the business day at TGS.

Special thanks to Sega and RGG Studios for setting us up for the business day.

On to Day 2!

#staytuned #iameliharris #voiceactor #sega #TGS by @substantialmusic

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