Kaiju Kitala is the debut release from Ugandan rapper Swordman Kitala. It's an impactful take on the '00s UK grime and bass sound which allows Kitala to introduce his flexing, argumentative flow in an appropriately gritty way. The splashy, fleshy, and full-body production, which partially lends Kitala his strength on this release, was bred and unleashed by the capable bass-demon tamer Soft-Bodied Humans. Soft-Bodied makes these monsters the towering menaces that they are, and Kitala rides them around the mix like they were Shetland ponies. There are literally Kaiju cries on the beat to "Core-Braver" and Kitala could not sound more at home amongst them. This is again, due in part, to his very assertive and, I will repeat, argumentative flow. On the opener "Bagan," Kitala literally sounds like he is leaping over his own bars to make sure that he is able to get in the last word, even when talking to himself. Dog-piling your own flow would seem like a disastrous way to rap, but Kitala makes it seem like a competitive sport. There are plenty of segments on Kaiju Kitala that might as well be stunt car crashes, where the collisions are all intentional and meant to be part of the show, if not the whole show. Kitala's vocal style does mellow out on later tracks like "Giringa," but even when steeped in a streak of trappy, triplets sunder, it still sounds like he's butting heads with himself and everyone around him. It is the kind of commitment to being heard that really gets to the heart of hip-hop itself. If you have something to say, there is no reason to let anyone get in your way and stop you from saying it- not even yourself.
