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Issei Uno Fifth on Blending Hip-Hop and R&B and His Personal Mission on His Debut Album Dear Mama: Interview

Billboard Japan sat down with Issei Uno Fifth to talk about the struggles behind his artistry & why he’s all about staying true to himself.

On February 19, he dropped his first full-length album, Dear Mama, a deeply personal project that serves as both a love letter to his mother and a bold declaration of his place in the industry. One day, I was at a team member’s house, and out of nowhere, they handed me a box with twelve different colors of clay and said, “Make something.” So I just went for it—no sketches, no overthinking—just pure creativity in the moment. I remember thinking, “Wait… you can actually say stuff like that in a song?” It left a huge impact on me—seeing how artists could expose their emotions, struggles, and thoughts without holding back.

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