Creepy Nuts Talk About Being On Stage, Off Script, & How They Are Still Undeniably Themselves

The stage at Zepp KL recently played host to a celebration of Japanese music under the banner of CENTRAL’s Music & Entertainment Festival—an event meant to spotlight the genre’s growing global reach, with anime acting as its trusty Trojan horse. Amid the fanfare, we caught up with the Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts, who’ve come a long way from smoky basements and underground battles to dazzling stages in foreign countries.

But despite their growing fame and adoring audiences, the pair haven’t lost their edge—or their sense of humour. What followed was a chat that touched on their humble beginnings, curious inspirations (including screaming children), and the surprising absence of pre-show rituals.

Here’s what they had to say.

[Answers have been paraphrased for clarity]

Do you ever miss the simplicity of your early days—MC battles, underground radio, late-night hustles?

R-Shitei: Honestly, I feel like I’ve always been giving it my all, whether I was spitting bars in a tiny battle venue or performing overseas in front of a massive crowd. That drive never really changed. It’s still me up there, doing my best to connect with people.

DJ Matsunaga: Yep, same here. The work ethic hasn’t changed. I don’t really dwell on the future; I just keep doing my thing with everything I’ve got. Whether it’s back then or now, the goal’s always been to give it my all.

You’re known for your high-energy performances. Got any pre-show rituals to get into the zone?

R-Shitei: I’d love to say we have some sacred chant or energy drink mixology—but no. I’m a ball of nerves right up until the moment I step on stage. Then I just try to calm myself down and… go for it.

DJ Matsunaga: I don’t have any fancy routine either. I usually just fiddle with my phone a bit. Maybe I scroll, maybe I beatbox into the void. Depends on the vibe.

If music didn’t exist and you had to pick the absolute wrong career, what would you be doing?

R-Shitei: I’d probably just be… floating. Doing nothing, watching films, and reading books. I mean, without music, there’s not much else I’d want to do. I’d just be some guy in a room—quietly existing.

DJ Matsunaga: Yeah, I’d be completely lost too. Without music, I wouldn’t have any direction. I might just wander through life like an NPC stuck in idle animation.

Your sound blends genres but always stays fresh. Got any unusual non-musical inspirations lately?

R-Shitei: Actually, yeah—my kid. I became a father last year, and just watching them be their chaotic, unpredictable little selves has sparked loads of ideas. Kids do the weirdest things. It’s oddly inspiring.

DJ Matsunaga: Musically, I still listen to a lot of Japanese and international hip-hop. But when I create, I try to make stuff that isn’t already out there. I want it to sound like nothing you’ve heard before.

Your lyrics feel like movie scenes. When writing, do you see things cinematically or are you more of a journal-it-and-go type?

R-Shitei: A bit of both, really. Sometimes I’m pulling directly from real-life stuff—what I saw, how I felt. Other times, I step outside of myself and imagine it like I’m filming a scene from someone else’s perspective. It depends on the story I want to tell.

Final one—what’s your creative process like? Which comes first: lyrics or beats? And what’s the studio vibe?

DJ Matsunaga: Usually, I’ll whip up a basic loop—a short demo track—and send it over to R-Shitei. He lays down some vocal ideas, then we go back and forth polishing both the lyrics and the sound. It’s very collaborative. These days, I don’t do everything myself anymore. We’ve started working with others like R-TAC, and honestly, the lines between roles have started to blur. It feels less like “me and you” and more like “us” making music together.