Kaiju The Unconquerable is one of those artists that fails to ever settle into anything — in the best way possible. “Episode 7: Ultraman” found it’s way to my inbox this past April, and I was amazed at how different Kaiju’s vibe was. Jarring isn’t quite the right word, but the shift in tone from “CYBERPUNK 2050” to “Ultraman” should a to of range, with the quality of the video being the constant.
His latest is easily my fave release from him to date. “Episode 8: Got II,” also dubbed “Restoration Of Akumetsu,” sees Kaiju playing the role of a cyber vigilante/assassin who — we learn through the excellent long-form news intro — is slaughtering important officials, earning himself (by the end) $2 billion bounty. As Akumetsu, donning a wild rad mask (who one newscaster described as exploding), he and his cohort Swisha take out a target and everyone in the way. A highlight is right before he first enters the location and cuts off the security guard’s hand.
Much like his other pieces — and kind of like “This Is America” by Childish Gambino — his visuals and songs can stand alone. As a juxtaposition to the more easy-going “Ultraman,” which was in many ways more playful and littered with delicious nerd-centric references, Episode 8 is much more aggressive. Upon first listen it was reminiscent of DMX’s aura on his debut record; specifically the chorus put me in mind of “Damian,” so seeing in the credits that it was in fact inspired by X was a neat addition on his part.
With a slow trappish instrumental, Kaiju’s flow is impeccable — at one point almost matching the cadence of Kendrick Lamar as he spits: “always intentional, my niggas keep it traditional, yeah you talking the fictional being my words to the physical … black is beautiful, yeah my people nutritional, they try to kill us with chemicals, lord don’t make me get biblical.”
While staying to a similar format, Kaiju manages to continually reinvent his sound, making each piece of his puzzle fit together while also standing out from the crowd. This latest chapter is no different; while I have no idea what this is building towards or the grand vision, I’m excited to see the wonders that Episode 9 holds!
Early.
