With The Black Urameshi 2, the Illinois artist connects music, imagination, and a culture built on doing things differently
Hip-hop has always had room for artists who bring something unexpected to the table. From genre-bending production to visuals inspired by worlds outside traditional rap culture, the genre keeps evolving through people willing to pull ideas from different directions. Frank Vibes is part of that tradition, using his latest album, The Black Urameshi 2, to explore a creative space where alternative music, anime influence, and independent hip-hop intersect.
Based in Richton Park, Illinois, Frank has spent approximately 20 years developing his craft as a rapper and producer. His sound is not restricted to one familiar formula. Hip-hop supplies the backbone, while blues, jazz, rock, and industrial elements bring contrasting moods and textures into the mix. The result is an approach that favors atmosphere and experimentation over easy categorization.
The album’s anime-inspired identity adds another layer to that vision. Anime culture has long influenced music, fashion, gaming, streetwear, and internet communities, creating a visual and emotional language that resonates far beyond the screen. For Frank, that influence fits naturally into a body of work concerned with transformation, rebellion, and the freedom to become something beyond what others expect.
Artists such as Gorillaz and Steve Lacy offer useful points of reference for understanding the broader alternative sensibility behind his approach. Both have demonstrated how musical ideas can move across boundaries without losing their identity. Frank draws inspiration from that spirit of creative flexibility while developing a direction of his own.
The Black Urameshi 2 is part of a continuing series that also includes The Black Urameshi and Ken’Kai’s Cave. Rather than treating the album as a one-off statement, Frank uses it to expand a developing artistic universe. Themes of self-actualization and revolution sit at the center of that process, giving the project a perspective that reaches beyond the mechanics of making records.
The creative circle surrounding the album plays an important role in bringing that vision to life. Vinnie Murphy, who also works under the name Wilderness Bounty Hunters, returns as producer. Other Mike and Ken’Triana contribute through Frank’s JustUs Entertainment collective, while Broadway joins Frank and Murphy on the executive-production side.
The group is also exploring how visuals can deepen the audience’s connection to the music. Music-video concepts are part of the collective’s wider creative plans, offering opportunities to translate the project’s atmosphere into images and storytelling.
Frank’s interest in Japan gives this cultural blend a potential destination beyond the recording studio. Tokyo is among the places he hopes to perform, and the city’s deep engagement with anime makes it a compelling target for an artist whose work incorporates that influence. The ambition reflects a broader goal of bringing his music to listeners outside his home market and finding communities that connect with his creative language.
Still, the vision begins with the music itself. Frank is determined to preserve ownership of his work and maintain control over his artistic decisions, even as he remains open to the right industry partnership. That balance allows him to pursue growth without abandoning the experimental spirit that defines his sound.
With The Black Urameshi 2, Frank Vibes is adding another chapter to a world where hip-hop can coexist with alternative sonics, anime-inspired imagination, and an independent mentality. The project is a reminder that rap culture continues to grow when artists bring their full range of influences into the room. For Frank, the mission is not to fit into an existing universe. It is to create one that people can step into for themselves.
Stream The Black Urameshi 2
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-black-urameshi-2/6794322682
Connect with Frank Vibes
Instagram: https://instagram.com/frank.vibes
