MA55IVE THE RAMPAGE, a five-member hip-hop unit derived from THE RAMPAGE, will hold their first solo tour “MA55IVE THE RAMPAGE 1st LIVE TOUR 2024 “M5V”” four years after their debut. The final performance was held at Zepp Haneda on Wednesday, August 28th. As it was the last of their first tour, which the members themselves had been waiting for, the five were full of energy. Some members even lost their voices after performing with all their heart and soul. The live performance lasted for about 30 songs and two hours, and was a spectacular MA55IVE all-inclusive performance. The night traced the trajectory of the past four years, focusing on the songs from their first album “M5V” released on August 14th, as well as their memorable debut songs, collaboration songs with special guests, and even solo songs that can only be heard on this tour, and made us feel great expectations for the future.
The live started with a succession of songs from the album “M5V”. As the intro to the first song “Xscape” started, the stage curtains opened to the left and right, and Takahide Suzuki appeared in the center, standing tall. A few seconds later, the intro paused, the entire stage was dyed blue-purple, and the remaining four members appeared in a line on either side of Suzuki, bathed in spotlights. As the audience cheered loudly, the five stood on the W-shaped stepped stage and kicked off the verses of “Xscape” one by one. The spacey sound guided them through the universe of sound woven by MA55IVE. After finishing the song, the five members descended the stairs and gathered at the front of the stage, where they performed “INVADERZ” and “X MIND” in succession. The five members, dressed in the same costumes as in the album jacket photo, drew the audience into the futuristic world of “M5V” while incorporating the choreography they showed in the music video.
After a short self-introduction by each member, they performed “No.1,” a song about a passionate spirit striving for the top. The stage was bathed in red lights, further inciting the passion of the song. In a complete change from the energetic stage, LIKIYA, who was left alone on stage, performed his sweet and glamorous solo song “Whitney & Bobby.” The atmosphere in the venue was transformed into a sensual one.
Afterwards, they returned to being a group of five and performed “WYW”, “LIT” and “Drip Drop” in succession. They raised the temperature in the venue as they asked the audience to clap along to the diversely changing sounds and rhythms. When the excitement had risen to a sufficient level, they dropped “SURVIVE”, a collaboration with BALLISTIK BOYZ. When BALLISTIK BOYZ’s Uminuma Ryusei, Okuda Rikiya and Matsui Toshiki appeared in the middle of the song, a storm of high-pitched cheers rose up from the audience, and the venue was thrown into a frenzy with their intense performance that could be described as a gust of lightning.
The DJ Sho-hey, also known as Shohei Urakawa, transformed the excitement into a party mood with his DJ set. He skillfully connected the Latin-flavored songs of THE RAMPAGE while incorporating scratching, turning Zepp Haneda into a club. In the second half of the DJ set, he performed his solo song “Hands In The Air” while producing his own beats. The venue erupted with his old-school-flavored high-speed rap.
After a beautiful piano interlude that cooled down the rising heat, Kenta Kamiya performed his solo song “0”. He sang a slow ballad about a past love with great emotion, and then passed the baton to the chill and relaxing sections “Yume wa Yume no mama”, “Be Your Man” and “Way Up”.
After that, it was time for the MC, but LIKIYA, who was the first to speak, made a mistake. After starting off on a good note with “Have you all enjoyed yourself so far?”, he greeted the audience with “Once again, we are THE RAMPAGE!”. The unexpected mistake caused the audience to erupt in laughter. The other members rolled around in laughter, commenting, “Well, it wasn’t wrong, but…” As it was the final, the atmosphere was somewhat tense, but LIKIYA’s words eased the tension.
In a relaxed atmosphere, the five members expressed their joy and gratitude for being able to hold this tour, and then moved on to a raffle for a chance to win a ball and a T-shirt signed by the members. After that, LIKIYA announced that “information has been lifted,” and announced that the “M5V Release Party” will be held in the members’ hometowns and in Tokyo in September and October. The fans roared at the happy news, and before long, that turned into applause.
After the MC, they performed “Better,” which had the audience raise peace signs, and “Gerbera,” which tells the audience to relax and move forward. In addition to their hard and solid parts, these soft and charming tunes and expressions are also one of MA55IVE’s great charms.
Next up was Takahide Suzuki’s solo corner. He started by covering the chorus of Linus’ “Ame” (Ame), which he says is his recent favorite, and then moved on to his newly written song “One Way.” This song, with its impressive auto-tuned vocals, is a light dance tune that leads straight into the fast-paced “On My Way.”
The next song, “INFERNO,” was performed by collaborator RIKU (THE RAMPAGE), and the intro was enough to get the crowd excited. As the high-pitched voices continued, RIKU called and responded to the song title in the middle of the song, further stirring up the crowd, and the venue was filled with frenzy and joy.
With that momentum, the concert went into its final spurt. The audience sang along to the bridge “Oh, Oh, Oh…” of “Wild Boy,” which features a powerful bass sound. During “RIDE OR DIE,” the five members spit as hard as they could while flashlights and laser beams flashed spectacularly. The blue ring lights wrapped around the wrists of the audience shook up and down, and the venue came together to finish the main show.
The first encore song was “playboi” which started with a big applause. The members changed into their tour t-shirts and appeared one by one in the order of the verses, and took turns on the microphone. Shogo Yamamoto, who was the final act, performed his solo song “Rust” following his own verse. He followed up with a spectacular high-speed rap and ended with a screaming a cappella rap that got the crowd really excited.
Yamamoto began by saying, “There’s another story before the name MA55IVE started…” and continued, “During (THE RAMPAGE’s) 2017-2018 hall tour, Shohei, LIKIYA, Takahide, and one other person were kicking out verses, except for me and Kenta. When I saw that, I thought it was so cool and started rapping. If you’ve listened to ‘M5V’, you know that there’s one more person missing!” and launched into “GO HARD”. When they called out Kawamura Kazuma of THE RAMPAGE, their collaborator, the whole venue screamed. The thunderous cheers and powerfully bouncing rhythm made the floor shake violently like a runaway train.
Next came their debut song, “Determined,” with the audience calling out the hooks “Ay yay ya let’s go” and “on my mind.” The excitement reached a climax, and the venue turned into a melting pot of enthusiasm and excitement. To finish, they returned to the world of “M5V,” performing the album’s lead song, “Planetarium,” on a stage set with twinkling stars. It was impressive to see the five members singing as if they were savoring the current MA55IVE, who are shining brightly and aiming for greater heights.
After completing all their performances, the five members once again expressed their gratitude to the fans and each shared their thoughts about the future.
“I will continue to create various works with everyone’s happiness in mind! Please continue to support me!” (Kenta Kamiya)
“The view from here is so amazing that I worry that my everyday life from now on will become dark (laughs). We want to make everyone’s lives happier and happier with our performances and songs. Thank you for coming today!” (Shogo Yamamoto)
“My voice is getting hoarse, but I did my best because I wanted everyone to be happy. The tour ends today, but MA55IVE’s journey is not over yet, so please follow us!” (Urakawa Shohei)
“We received the most amazing smiles and energy from all of you. We want to shine brighter and brighter so that we don’t lose to the sparkle of this star! Will you follow us?” (Suzuki Takahide)
“We believe that our journey has only just begun. We will continue to expand our potential and give our all to deliver the best entertainment and love to everyone. We will definitely see you again! Peace to the future!” (LIKIYA)
Powerful yet stylish. A hint of elegance in their wildness. Smart demeanor and playfulness. Smooth flow and refined melodies. Insatiable ambition and a peaceful message. This live performance demonstrated that MA55IVE has a wide range of expressions and versatile charm. With their first tour a huge success, their future is as beautiful and sparkling as a planetarium projecting the universe.
Takashi Inomata
Photographer credits
Azusa Takada
Taku Fujii
Mari Kinoshita
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◇1st ALBUM『M5V』
Released on August 14, 2024
https://m.tribe-m.jp/ldh_page/discography_ma55ive_the_rampage_2024_album_m5v_index
The CD includes the album’s lead song “Planetarium,” the opening theme for the TV anime “Kenka Dokugaku” “Wild Boy,” the theme song for the movie “Tada, Anata ni Wakashitai” starring member Suzuki Takahide, “Gerbera,” and collaboration songs with THE RAMPAGE vocalist Kawamura Ichima, RIKU, and BALLISTIK BOYZ, making this an ultra-luxurious album!
What’s more, as bonus tracks, it includes all 14 songs performed at the “INVADERZ” Release Live at UMEDA CLUB QUATTRO held last September!
The video version includes the Music Video for “INVADERZ,” as well as newly filmed Music Videos for the two lead tracks on “M5V,” “Planetarium” and “X MIND,” plus “M5V” Behind The Scenes!
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