Dragon Ash

Dragon Ash (Katakana: ドラゴンアッシュ) is a Japanese rock group led by rap mogul Kenji Furuya. They are an icon in Japan and were one of the first groups to popularize hip hop in Japan. They brought an American flavor to Japanese music and helped

Dragon Ash (Katakana: ドラゴンアッシュ) is a Japanese rock group led by rap mogul Kenji Furuya. They are an icon in Japan and were one of the first groups to popularize hip hop in Japan. They brought an American flavor to Japanese music and helped to turn rap music mainstream, with a mixture of rapping, rap-rock, punk and R&B influences. Some of their best known songs include Grateful Days, Life Goes On and I love Hip-Hop. The group uses various samples, many from the famous American Alternative group, The Smashing Pumpkins, these songs include Cherub Rock in which they sample the bass line from The Smashing Pumpkins song by the same name, and Grateful Days in which they sample the opening of Today by The Smashing Pumpkins.

Dragon Ash has gained some popularity in the United States by releasing the song "Shizuka na Hibi no Kaidan Wo". This song was used as the ending theme for a popular Japanese movie, Battle Royale. For many Americans, Dragon Ash is first discovered through watching the movie.