One part MF DOOM, one part living breathing Anime story line, Southwest Miami, rapper Kaiju The Unconquerable is in a lane all his own. A glorified, self-identified nerd, he started rocking stages at comic conventions — and even has the credit of being the first Hip-Hop artist ever to be featured in Shonen Jump, which has been the (print) ground-zero of all things Manga since it was launch 49 years ago.
Kaiju differs from other “weirdo” rappers, though — unlike an act like DOOM, he isn’t a character (per say). His songs and his image don’t hinge on each other to coexist. I mean, he uses a healthy amount comic and anime references, but no more than your average nerd-core spitter. He thrives on a wave-appropriate trappish vibe.
Case and point is his newest release, “CYBERPUNK 2050.” Over a bouncy trap tinged instrumental, he criticizes artists who create fake personas via social media that they can’t necessarily live up to in real life. “I’m the kid with the new option, fans waiting like a shoe dropping,” he raps amid a laid back, well-paced barrage of straight bars. Like, this kid can rap!
Where the nerdery comes in is his visual treatment. In this case, “CYBERPUNK 2050” serves as the sixth installment of an ongoing series of self-directed videos that Kaiju has been dropping over the past year. It’s a complicated storyline to explain, buy in this episode; Kaiju has used a portal to the future, and — to keep it simple — is engaged in some dope martial arts hijinx that make for an entertaining and engaging 6-minute watch.
Artists are NOT putting this level of original thought process into their shit — don’t @ me!
“I love embracing who I am that’s why I respect Wu-tang so much,” he told Lisa Ford Blog last year. “Because even though they’re from the streets, they embraced the fact they were fans of martial arts movies.” It’s easy to make stylistic parallels to the dedication they have to their respective overarching themes.
Kaiju has a great back catalog, with a full-length LP, ONI, and then all the material used for his video series following. It’s not clear if there is an actual project lined up that will house records like “Forbidden” and “Note 7” ( a banger, BTW) and this new one, but get acquainted — and get ready.
You’re welcome.
