Identity: Shingo Annen at TEDxTokyo

Known in the music realm as Shing02, bilingual rapper Shingo Annen spent his childhood in Tanzania, London and Japan. At the age of 15, he moved to the San Francisco Bay area. While studying at the University of California at Berkeley, he felt a powerful resonance with the themes and energy of hip hop and developed an appreciation for sending messages to society through music. Conceptual words from both Japanese and English are fused in his unique sound and flavored with beats from reggae, jazz and Japanese music. His discography includes several albums and EPs, and he's also known for rapping "Battlecry," the theme song of the hip hop-influenced chanbara anime Samurai Champloo. Shingo has recently been directing and producing short videos such as Petals of Fire and then-n-now. In addition to being part of Ryuichi Sakamoto's Soundcloud project, he also pursues antinuclear activities.   / shing02   http://e22.com/blog   / shingoannen   About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)