Now, people who have grown up on anime have brought it into hip-hop — a genre that historically has been hesitant to accept it. For years now, underneath the radar, YouTubers have made their own music videos to accompany rappers’ songs, utilizing anime-style graphics to create their own unique expressions. While it’s always been creative and had an audience that primarily existed underground, growing numbers and engagement could see it become a new normal for rappers looking to showcase their appreciation of anime and grow their platforms.

Banks has three AMV videos so far and reveals over the phone that he loves what they do — but he didn’t know anything about anime prior to connecting with them. “I found out about these channels through my own artist discovery,” he says. “I went through YouTube and found these channels that basically make a montage of your music via anime. I wasn’t really into the scene so I had to take a look into it.” Since then, as showcased by his frequent collaborations with them, Banks has become enamored with the platform. But that’s not the only reason that he keeps getting the videos. “What’s great about these videos is that they become super popular, because of anime’s popularity in the United States, and their success translates all the way to your streams,” he says. “When my song gets uploaded to these AMV channels, I am immediately able to see how much of a boom I get on Spotify and SoundCloud. It works out great for both parties, whether they charge you or they do it for free.”

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