meiso, japanese emcee down here on oahu, really fucking good, i was actually at this show. really indicative of the sound that's coming out of hawaii right now, melodic beats, lots of doubling, and lots of chopping(rapping really fast).
Yay! Foreign music. I like to listen to non-english stuff a lot when I write, since it doesn't distract me as I have no idea (usually) what the hell they're saying. Here are a couple faves that haven't been mentioned yet.
From Iceland, Amiina (occasional collaborators with Sigur Ros) Amiina - Rugla
From Japan, Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her. One of my favorite bands from the 90s, though I didn't know they existed until they broke up. SSKHKH - Lullaby
From France, Emilie Simon. She's pretty popular. What's more amazing are her performances when she's solo (which is usually). Incredible on-site mixing stuff that Imogen Heap has become pretty famous for. She basically uses a Nintendo power glove, which is all kinds of awesome. Emilie Simon - Fleur de Saison
Probably forgetting some good stuff, but a lot of ground was already covered. Shiina Ringo is basically my go-to for J-rock and anything Eugene Hutz does is awesome.