MIYACHI and CHICO CARLITO release collaborative single 'CHOTTO CHIGAU'

MIYACHI has released a new collaborative single with Okinawan rapper CHICO CARLITO. The track, titled "CHOTTO CHIGAU," is out now via Mass Appeal Records alongside an official music video.

The phrase "chotto chigau" translates to "a little different" but functions as a soft, polite negation in Japanese. For MIYACHI, a bilingual rapper raised in New York and now based in Tokyo, the phrase represents a lifelong identity. "In Japan, every time someone told me 'chotto chigau,' it meant I was doing something wrong," MIYACHI said. "It took years to realize that was important. In this new chapter, I'm deliberately showing the 'chotto chigau' version of myself."

CHICO CARLITO, from Naha, Okinawa, is known as the first "monster" on the TV battle rap show 'Freestyle Dungeon' and is part of the collective YAO alongside Awich, ONE OK ROCK, and Paledusk. On the track, he raps about Okinawan culture, referencing the islands' guardian shisa lions.

The song frames their differences as a strength, with MIYACHI comparing their partnership to "New York pizza and Okinawan taco rice." The production blends boom-bap and trap elements.

The music video was directed by the Dutch collective Red Moons, known for work with AntsLive and Ronnie Flex. It follows MIYACHI and CHICO CARLITO through a long night in Tokyo, moving from a smoky yakiniku counter to a world-class recording studio.

"Okinawa has always been 'a little different' from Tokyo. We turned that into our sound," CHICO CARLITO said. "MIYACHI caught it from the New York side. That's why it worked so well."

MIYACHI signed with Nas's Mass Appeal label in October 2025, becoming the first artist based in Japan to join the roster. He released the album 'SALARYMAN STRIKES BACK' through the label.

Source: PR Times via The Orchard Japan