Nujabes, A.K.A. Jun Seba

On February 26th, 2010, Jun Seba, better known as Nujabes, passed away in a car accident in Tokyo, Japan. His passing was kept from the general public until recently posted on Hydeout Productions's website. A great wave of sadness passed through his fans as knowledge of his death was passed from country to country. International fans all reflected on Nujabes as a mastermind of music and a definite loss to the music industry.
Known for his brilliance and unique style, Nujabes was most widely known for his work on the soundtrack and background music for the animated series, 'Samurai Champloo'. Drawing inspiration from musical legends, such as Miles Davis, Nujabes mixed jazz and rap to create a new genre of hip-hop he called his own. Throughout his career, he was able to collaborate with many talents, though he kept steady in his field and worked to better his music.
Though information and interviews featuring Nujabes is scarce, Shingo Annen, also known as Shing02, a known collaborator of Nujabes's, fortunately answered three of my questions through his Myspace page.

TC: What is the most memorable trait about Nujabes?
S02: The most memorable trait was that he was very shy, to the point he seemed nervous. Once you got to know him though, he was very kind and giving.

TC: How was his attitude in the studio?
S02: In the studio he was cool and very confident on what he wanted, but he was very meticulous. Usually we would have our differences in direction, but we would talk and always work it out.

TC: What would he want to be remembered for?
S02: I think he would want to be remembered for the dedication he had for his craft. I had renewed respect for him in recent years because he kept everything analog and organic, unlike a lot of his peers that tried to emulate his style.

Special thanks to Shing02 for sharing with the public about the legendary, Nujabes. May he rest in peace.