nqrse

Overview

nqrse (stylized in all lowercase and read as Naruse; Japanese: なるせ) is a Japanese rapper, songwriter, and vocalist from Nagasaki Prefecture, born on 13 January 1995. His image color is pink. He is known for using a pink-haired girl character as his persona, a striking contrast to his low-pitched rapping voice. Although the avatar leads many to assume otherwise, he is male.

Career

On 23 March 2013, at the age of 18, nqrse began his musical activities by posting the original rap song "Emotional" on Nico Nico Douga. He is a member of the internet hip-hop collective StudioLama, founded in 2014, and appeared at Living Your Liebe in December 2014.

Since 2015 he has taken part in the XYZ TOUR series alongside fellow utaite, performing at Yokohama Arena in 2019. In 2015 he also appeared at Utakatsu! Super Live 2015 and EXIT TUNES ACADEMY at Nippon Budokan.

His first solo EP, "NEGATIVE", was released in 2016. In 2017 he released the album "Will O Wisp" with singer Araki and held a tour of the same name in October. From 2017 he also appeared in Mafumafu's "Hikikomori-tachi demo Fest ga Shitai!" live events, performing at venues including Saitama Super Arena, Makuhari Messe, and Seibu Dome.

In January 2020 he started the group AraNaruMey (あらなるめい) with longtime collaborators Araki and Meychan. They opened a Twitter account in April and a YouTube channel in October 2020, and perform cover songs, livestreams, and live shows. In October 2023 the group held "AraNaruMey's Internet Karaoke Tournament" and "AraNaruMey's Ultra Chaos Party".

Since 2021 he has actively released original songs; his first digital solo release, "Utakata no Yoru" (泡沫の夜), entered the viral chart. He also contributed to the book NEXT GENERATIONS!.

Musical style and persona

His rap-centered vocal style, low voice, and cute pink-haired avatar define his identity. His genres are listed as vocaloid and J-pop. His favorite things are snow, sushi, and snacks.

Name origin

His stage name comes from the real surname "Naruse" (成瀬) and appears not to be his real name; he chose it as the coolest surname he found. The spelling is not "naruse" because the q is used as a pictogram of α, and the missing u was a typing mistake.