Posted in: Anime, Crunchyroll, TV | Tagged: anime, AoT, Baki, Che Lingo, Cö shu Nie, Crunchyroll, Deadman Wonderland, death note, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Hajime No Ippo, Hunter X Hunter, Josh Hawkins, Jujutsu Kaisen, MikesPro, Miku Nakamura, one piece, Psycho-Pass, rap music, samurai champloo, Soul Eater, Talentless Nana, Ze’Uchong

Crunchyroll, UK Rapper Che Lingo Debut "Lifetime" in Anime Trailer

Che Lingo X Crunchyroll sees the UK rapper launch the new single "Lifetime" as the theme for Crunchyroll's Fall Anime Season teaser trailer.

Crunchyroll announced a one-of-a-kind partnership with UK-based rapper and lifelong anime fan Che Lingo for an original song created to celebrate Crunchyroll's 2023 Fall anime season.  The soundtrack, "Lifetime," is a melodic reflection of key themes within anime, featuring Miku Nakamura (Cö shu Nie). Like Che Lingo, whose discography includes several soundtracks for the hit dark fantasy series JUJUTSU KAISEN, Cö shu Nie contributed to the fan-favorite show with its first season-ending theme, "Give It Back."

Crunchyroll declared, "After exploring the themes of 'dark fantasy' and 'epic battles' as a starting point, Che Lingo developed a song that reflects 'opposite sides,' – leaning into the duality of dark and light. The lyrics in "Lifetime" echo the journey of shonen protagonists where fan-favorite characters need to overcome the hardships and challenges that arise during their adventures. Miku's lighter vocals provide the perfect complement to Che Lingo's heavier and darker bars, mirroring how shonen heroes look to the light in order to overcome every obstacle."

Che Lingo wrote a heartfelt statement about collaborating with Crunchyroll:

"Writing and composing 'Lifetime' for Crunchyroll is a historic moment in both our respective timelines. It's a unique collaboration and the first of its kind, so I'm grateful to help move the needle in so many ways, especially as an independent artist. Working with Miku Nakamura [Cö Shu Nie] was a wonderful and humbling experience; I knew she was perfect for the song the moment I heard her voice. Creatively directing with Crunchyroll on such a big moment was uplifting. It means even more being able to call my friends, Grade A Productions, MikesPro, Ze U'Chong & Josh Hawkins — people I genuinely trust and respect to bring it together. After working on 'Jujutsu Kaisen' back in 2020, working with Youki Yamamoto, Hiroaki Tsutsumi, and Manon Dave, and seeing the rise of the anime and the respect for the soundtrack, I'm glad we got to evolve that relationship with the culture and contribute to it again. Anime inspires so much freedom, and we were able to exercise that creatively to the beat of a unique drum to show a genuine connection between anime, music, and storytelling, manifesting a moment we can all celebrate through 'Lifetime.' I hope the sentiment lasts as long as the title suggests."

Interview with Che Lingo on Working with Crunchyroll

Hi Che, congrats on getting to create the featured song for Crunchyroll's Autumn season. How did that come about?

Thank you, I'd written some music for the Jujutsu Kaisen OST in 2020 and was attending some anime premieres in London last year, where I was introduced to some of the team. I had some genuine fans in the company already through my first album, "The Worst Generation," which, if you know, is a One Piece reference, so after they discovered my work in JJK and my personal love for anime beyond music, we naturally started having conversations about ways to collaborate.

What I've always liked about your sound is the combination of Jazzy beats and a cool rap that sounds very London to me. I no longer live in London, but when I miss the city, your tunes are on the list I play to get the vibe. Care to talk about your approach to creating the sound and feel of the piece for Crunchyroll?

I called MikesPro, Josh Hawkins, and Ze'Uchong to do production, Guitar, and Keys on "Lifetime." We were in the studio watching anime fight scenes, and I was reminiscing about what they felt like to watch for the first time. Then I heard marching drums in my head, I wanted a big memorable breakout moment on guitar, too, to excite the final moment before the impact because moments like that were always so present in the anime fight scenes that I loved and soundtracks I heard. There's always a unique sound or riff or something.

The final piece to drive sentiment was Miku's sections they needed to float and feel freer than the dark heavy energy of the verses and intro to express a sense of hope. Miku's voice was perfect for that. The rest built quite naturally around those elements as the verses and arrangement came together.

Am I right in thinking, like the rest of us, anime has been a big part of your life from early on as well as video games?

Yes, Final Fantasy (and RPG games in general), Dark Chronicles, Monster Hunter, Yugioh, Pokémon, Deal Masters, Monster Rancher, Ultimate Muscle, and Dragon Ball Z were all staple childhood shows for me growing up. I collected some cards too, attended tournaments locally in my city, and had a Beyblade club. Very very fun times.

It's amazing that it's bled into my adult life and career so naturally.

So what are the anime series you like now? Any you want to big up?

Jujutsu Kaisen for sure, Jojo's Bizarre adventure as well, especially because a lot of the characters are based off of famous rock bands from the U.K., and I released a song featuring Queen on my last album, "Coming Up For Air". They inspired the "Killer Queen" stand in the 'Diamonds Unbreakable' season. Soul Eater, Samurai Champloo, Hajime No Ippo, Deadman Wonderland, Psycho-pass, Baki, Death Note, AOT, Talentless Nana, and Hunter X Hunter have to get shouts too.

What's next for Che Lingo for us to look forward to, then?

More music, more creative projects, I'm working on some cool stuff for 2024, maybe. Follow me @Che_Lingo and on streaming to stay connected.

The teaser trailer for the Crunchyroll 2023 Fall anime lineup this season includes new and continuing series such as  JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 2, the fantasy adventure Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, the long-running swashbuckling epic One Piece, and the post-apocalyptic adventure anime Dr. STONE New World, and many more, all to Che Lingo's "Lifetime."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!