Tenacious, empowering, with a little monster movie energy…
Japanese rapper OdAkEi uses the cat analogy to promote tenacity and a never say die attitude, along with the party vibes we’ve come to expect from their music. This time around OdAkEi teamed up with heavy hitters SARUKANI and “Dr. R” Sakai to create this catboi summer anthem. With a video that adds more layers to an already intriguing song.
We already know OdAkEi has the flow and bars to bring the party, after all, 1.3 million of us are already subscribed to their YouTube and another 730k on Tiktok! So, teaming up with the world renowned beatbox crew SARUKANI – who get hundreds of thousands of views on any given tiktok clip- was a great move! Okay top tier vocalist, top tier “instrumentalists”, now we must have a monster producer involved right? YUP! “Dr. R” Sakai’s has amassed a resume that features huge talent. One of his most recent credits includes producing one of the top 20 best albums of the year Poppy’s, “Poppy.Computer”. At first listen one can’t quite tell that “9 Lives” is a fully acapella track, just a testament to both SARUKANI’s and Dr R’s talent.
Lyrically, OdAkEi talks of sticking to one’s convictions and keeping forward momentum despite failure. “Stuck in a rut but I’m digging the ground/I got these dreams and I’ll never wake up”. At the chorus the singer/rapper nyao’s and meow’s with the stubborn conviction. Count downs from 9 are scattered throughout as well, presumably the lives being lost along the artist’s journey.
The music video brings us into SARUKANI’s Lab. The beatbox group, as evil scientists, experiment on OdAkEi, turning the rapper into a humanoid cat in the process. It’s likely that the scientists are supposed to represent those who force us into corners throughout life, teaching us to become something different and stronger to cope. Though by the end of the video, our protagonist dies… too many lives lost on the way… Though not before SARUKANI drops the breakdown that includes a “trumpet solo”… awesome.
Carlos Ramirez is a broadcaster from the DC region and lover of all things performance art with experience in theatre, television, and radio. Carlos believes one of the most important details that makes music magical is the culture. Supporting the artist is just as important as enjoying their art. Therefore, when he’s not on the air, you can find him at every open mic, hole in the wall, and basement show in town. @LosOnAir
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
