For the professional Basketball player, Kai King, who is represented by Rakuten Athlete Management, meeting his idol might have been as nerve-wracking as gearing up for a climactic showdown, or perhaps even more so.This time, we are presenting a conversation with musician Rickie-G, who is known as a music lover and has been listening to since high school and has also been attending his live performances.While exploring the commonalities between the two, we delve into the futures they have envisioned through their respective fields of sports and music.

It All Started With Michael Jackson

After the dialogue started, despite meeting for the first time, the two of them hit it off like compatible companions, quickly bonding over their shared love for music.The spark that ignited their passion for music, their favorite genres, and other mutual interests were discussed, during which a certain individual came up, leading to a great deal of excitement.It was MJ, also known as Michael Jackson, who was widely known by the nickname “King of Pop”.

Kai King “When Michael came to Japan in 2007, he appeared at an event in Tokyo, and I had a photo taken with him backstage.My father participated in that event as a chorus member.At the time, I wasn’t old enough to be aware of the existence of Michael Jackson, but when I came of age and looked back at those photos, I realized what an incredible experience I had been given (laughs).

Rickie-G “It’s an incredibly amazing event, isn’t it!Was your father a musician?Do you feel like you’ve been significantly influenced by music?”

Kai King “Yes.It’s embarrassing in front of Mr.Rickie, but I’ve also sung on stage with my father several times…After getting to know Michael, I started listening to The Jackson 5, and from there, my musical taste gradually expanded to classic R&B, soul, hip hop, and reggae.”

Rickie-G “That’s right.I also watched the 1996 History World Tour at Tokyo Dome.At that time, I was a middle school student.MJ is such a wonderful artist that it could be said everyone must pass through at least once, right? By the way, what’s your favorite song?”

Kai King “I like ‘HEAL THE WORLD’.”

Rickie-G “Oh, really!? It’s also a song that I really like!”

Music Supported Me During a Difficult Time

The two seemed to get along very well while discussing Michael Jackson.To begin with, Kai King is such a big fan of Rickie-G that he has been to his live performances numerous times.I wonder what prompted me to start listening to his music.

Kai King “I had a junior in my high school team who loved reggae, and he recommended a song called ‘am08:59’ by Rickie. That’s how it all started.The high school I attended at that time had really tough practices, and it was truly hard. But when I listened to this song, I was able to forget about the hardships and feel a sense of calmness in my heart.Since it was a school in the Shonan area, we often listened by the beach.Since then, I started listening to a lot of Mr.Rickie’s songs.”

Rickie-G “I’m happy!”Thank you.”

ーーIt might be difficult to choose in front of the person himself, but if asked about your favorite song, what would you choose?

Kai King “It’s really troubling……But, if I had to choose, it would be ‘Touhikou’.”

Rickie-G “Wow!But, why?”

Kai King “I like the song itself, but especially the lyrics ‘Look at one point and fly, that’s Zion, fly with undivided attention to the western sun’ resonate with me.Just when I was feeling that basketball was tough, there was a link to how I felt at the time, and when I listen to this song, it makes me think, ‘Alright, let’s keep going.’ However, I have never heard this song live before, so I really want to listen to it someday!”

Rickie-G “Indeed, it’s a song I don’t sing often (laughs)”

Kai King  “On the contrary, what I looked forward to every time I went to a live performance was ‘Nanairo no santora’.There was no sound source, so you could only listen to it live, right? I’m really happy because it’s included in ‘Roots in Sync’ (Rickie-G’s 2nd album), so now you can listen to it anywhere.”

To make it even better than this very moment

Athlete and musician.Though our titles may differ, we are both professionals.When such two people were asked if there was something in common between basketball and music, the first keyword that came back was “switching.”

Rickie-G “I believe that basketball is a sport where the transition between offense and defense is particularly fast.I feel like I have no time to worry, and my mind is always fully engaged in a positive direction.Even in live music, unlike sports, there’s no concept of winning or losing, but there’s a thrilling aspect where you never know what’s going to happen until the end.I always have this feeling that no matter what happens, I want to make the people in front of me happy.”

Kai King “Indeed, for both players and spectators, the sense of speed in switching is a unique charm of basketball. When speaking about being positive, both basketball and music inherently share the commonality of being able to provide positive elements to those who watch or listen. For me, being saved by music has been a very significant thing.”

Rickie-G “Also, communication is necessary for both, right? In my case, it’s important to properly convey my thoughts to my band members when we perform live together, and I’m sure it’s equally important for you to do the same with your teammates.”

Kai King “I also believe that communication for the purpose of improving each other, considering the other party, is very important”

“This is what I want to do.”Cherish the feelings of belief

Kai King and Rickie-G, who are now active as professionals, certainly didn’t have a smooth journey from the start.What they believed in, and what was reflected in their future, I wonder.

Rickie-G “I’ve never really thought of myself as doing music within the category of reggae, neither in the past nor now.In the reggae music I’ve listened to, what particularly drew me in was the incredibly cool cover arrangements, and the part where the lead singer belts out the song dynamically… that’s what I would say.I think I probably like the feeling of love and respect for what I’ve received from my ancestors. So rather than saying I’ve been doing it because I wanted to do reggae, I feel like it’s more about a continuous desire to try singing songs in this kind of arrangement, in my own flow, that has brought me to where I am now.”

Kai King “Although I’ve always said I wanted to become a professional player, I’ve lacked confidence somewhere.However, through learning serious basketball in high school and university, and through the rigorous training I undertook voluntarily, I gradually gained confidence as it led to results, and my dream of becoming a professional became clear.”Now that I’ve become a professional, I realize once again how incredibly important it is to have confidence in myself and keep going, no matter what the situation, in order to seize the future.”

Rickie-G “The feeling of wanting to do something yourself is very important.I also decide on the live performance location based on my feelings of ‘I want to sing here’.Once, I saw Billy Joel in an interview saying something like, “It’s good to create music by imagining where you want to sing. and I thought that was exactly right. Not just limited to music, but various things are flooding the world. However, deeply contemplating about what kind of atmosphere one can create, holding onto the roles that only one can fulfill, and valuing what one is good at, I think, can lead to a better future.”

At the end of the conversation, Kai King, who has admired Rickie-G since his high school days, handed over his signed uniform to him.If you believe in yourself and move forward, you may encounter such unexpected futures.People who are currently passionate about something should take pride in it like the two of us, and I hope they stride towards the future with strong steps.

PHOTO: Masashi Ura
INTERVIEW & TEXT: Keisuke Honda
EDIT: Shiori Saeki (IN FOCUS)
SPECIAL THANKS: THUMBS UP