The MouthSoap had the chance to chat with the rap phenomenon, TOKYO’S REVENGE, to ask some fun questions in a Zoom press conference that took place on Wednesday. As we first reported, we took notice of the once underground rapper when he dropped his single “GOODMORNINGTOKYO.” Since then, he has established a solid following and been on the radar of those who knows what’s hot in hip hop before the mainstream. Tap in to find out about the otherworldly music artist your mother warned you about!
TOKYO’S REVENGE doesn’t believe in trying too hard. He prefers to be private and just focus on the music, an ongoing theme he referenced throughout the interview. He has tattoos on his wrist that represents 444, a collective he co-founded. It’s branded on his social media and symbolized throughout his music. When asked what it represents to him, he says that 444 is a sign that he’s “headed down the right direction.”
Playing on his mysterious aura, TOKYO’S REVENGE has managed to pull off an entire rap career without revealing too many details about his identity or origin. The unorthodox rising star doesn’t need fame to shine. He’s good having a solid fanbase that supports and understands his music.
His latest project, 7VEN, released on September 11, contains seven songs that includes his spellbinding single “GOTHAM” as the first track, along with “BULLETPROOF,” “SINNER, PT. 3,” “DEADMANSWONDERLAND,” “BODYCOUNT,” “HELL BENT” and “we made an anime opening.”
On the Discord ping riddled “GOTHAM,” TOKYO’S REVENGE takes pleasure in lyrically sifting through his enemies as he drops bars on a chaotic heavy bass beat. Far from deadpan rap, TOKYO’S REVENGE effortlessly merges subgenres of hip hop and rock on the stellar 7VEN. For obvious reasons, the tracks all play out like an episode from a Japanese anime series. Action, comedy, romance and drama are all interlaced throughout the songs. Any doubts that he isn’t a diehard fan of the comic and animation world are laid to rest with the title of his last track, “we made an anime opening.” Hopefully, listeners get the point; TOKYO’S REVENGE is not the average rapper.
He’s unique in that his music is a therapeutic uncoupling of his innermost thoughts and feelings. There’s purpose underlining his creativity, which makes him standout from the saturation of young, rap artists who are chasing clout. The overall intention is to tackle being misunderstood and the emerging mental health crisis by transparently releasing that kinetic energy through his music. The return on investment is his personal growth and the opportunity to break out of his shell. While some of his peers are choosing to take the path most traveled, TOKYO’S REVENGE goes against the grain. He’s an anomaly, an oxymoron, some would even say a unicorn.
When asked who he is influenced by, the Haitian rapper references rap gods Jay-Z, Eminem, Tyler The Creator, and Denzel Curry, while simultaneously drawing inspiration from anime, Japan, South Florida hip hop, 1990s rock and screamo. The combination is otherworldly.
Yet, his depth extends beyond the music. The self-taught rapper is no stranger to adversity, learning first-hand how it feels to be homeless. Throughout the years, he struggled to find work and a place to lay his head. But, his pain wasn’t in vain. The school of hard knocks concocted an artist that was so hungry to be better than his situation that he learned how to engineer music by himself and jumpstarted his rap career on SoundCloud.
TOKYO’S REVENGE is not one to just lend over his creativity to the powers that be. In the midst of using life as inspiration for his music and being hands-on with the curation of his cinematic music visuals, he’s been able to continuously feed his passion for music production and engineering. However, the new hobby that pays is also the very reason why he can’t seem to leave his bedroom.
The convenience of bouncing back and forth between playing video games and connecting with his supporters on Discord to recording music when he’s inspired, TOKYO’S REVENGE has everything he needs nicely constructed in the comfort of his spacious abode. The very fact that he is so open to revealing this shows his true down-to-earth nature. The ritz of being a flash-in-a-pan rapper are the farthest thing from his mind.
So, what’s the average day for TOKYO’S REVENGE? Anything but what we would think an average rap or rockstar would do. He wakes up in the morning to a fresh, hot shower, but he doesn’t pressure himself to be an “artist.” In order to keep his mental health in check, TOKYO’S REVENGE tries not to look at his music career as being a job, so he conducts his day like the average person as he interacts with his social circle and plays video games with his fans.
Ironically not surprising, the rapper admits to going months without posting on social media, a very admirable and rare trait among Gen Zers and millennials. It’s the new trend of being everything to everyone, all the time that seems to be the propellant for the “Clark Kent” rapper.
“…The biggest problem that we’re having right now is that we’re overexposed to everything. Like, everything is turned up to 10. I feel the same thing about the music industry. We have people who aren’t just trying to be musicians, but trying to be musicians, and social media influencers, and brand deal sponsor people — All that comes with the success of being an artist, obviously. But, I feel like from what I see around me, that people are more focused on what their Instagram engagement looks like in reference to another artist that may be in their same range, as oppose to what their music is or how well they convey what they’re trying to get across through their music. So, I kind of skip out on that and just put the music first.”
TOKYO’S REVENGE is not driven by the immediate rewards of social media admiration or the conventional definition of the modern day rap star, where the conversation tends to fall back on the formula of jewelry, girls, and cars. Those apparent build-a-rapper elements are not what inspires him. Instead, he’s inspired by the voice in his head that tells him there’s more to be conquered. He’s driven by his habit of worrying. It’s been a motivating factor to make him perform at his best, even during the worst of times. The last thing he wants to do is become too comfortable.
“There is absolutely no reason to stop. Even if you’re not reaping as much as you sow. Even if you’re not collecting what you put in. There’s no reason to stop because If you’re constantly releasing or improving on something, you’ll get better,” TOKYO’S REVENGE said in the interview. “Just keep going, and going, and going.”
He certainly seems to live by that mantra.
