“Kaps and hip hop inseparable like Siamese twins”  - Raise Up

 Indeed, in the future when we tell our grand kids about the never-ending story of the rise and triumph of Aotearoan hip hop, one of the first names we will recite is Bill Urale, Kapisi, Kaps the royal one.

Hip hop runs through his synapses, linking the cultural threads like Tetris pieces and spitting out knowledge with every verse, every utterance representing hip hop truth.

He’s done this since back in the day as Bran Muffin MC in the seminal Polynesian unit Gifted and Brown and solo since 1995. Like a volcano oozing lava he hit in 1998 with the superb “Sub-Cranium Feeling” and in 1999 with “Reverse Resistance”, which picked up the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll award.

The monumental “Savage Thoughts” album came out in 2000 to unanimous praise, followed in 2003 by the acerbic battle cry of “2^nd Round Testament”.

Now Kaps lifts the game to the roof with his third album, the vigorous, scintillating and engrossing “Dominant Species”.

Like a baseball bat it hits immediately with the tearing and tenacious “Raise Up”, beats and rhymes as hard as that old school Defender video game. A call to arms in order to elevate all around. Kap’s desire is to keep it real, to maintain and remain in the realm of true hip hop culture. Booming beats slip and slide, “Smoking your speakers like ol’ Cheech and Chong” upon which he layers lyrics of fury against false thought and imitation hip hop pirates. As always he comes correct with rhymes that put things into sharp relief.

“Above or under better vacate the graveyard/ Scatter your limbs like the British did to Braveheart/ Highway to hell well traveled, that’s why we stay hot/Remain calm, dropping beats like napalm/ We ain’t going out like that sing our anthems.”

 Bang bang attitude that acts as both a threat to the instigators of falsehood and as a sense of pride in authenticity and knowledge of who you are and where you come from. As this rhyme demonstrates;

“Represent New Zealand in the field, keeping it real/ Still repping Lyall Bay, homeboy you know the deal.”

Great tune on all levels with a pumping chorus from the pen of one M. Luafutu, A.KA. Scribe.

Kaps, he likes a fight and this album has its fair share of battle hymns, the aforementioned “Raise Up” is joined by “Spit Back at You”, “Elimination Process”, “Rugged Shit” and “Graveyard Shift”.

 Each joint, as he says “forged like an assassin’s sword”.” Spit Back at You” has some nice malicious intent, some digs at the unaware where Kaps states,

“Your rimes ain’t you still ain’t ready/ I’m like a caged animal and no one’s fed me/ I battle you, shatter you. My beats are like gunshots, they’ll scatter you/ If that’s your attitude then this is very necessary.”

This track also does the important thing of placing Aotearoan hip hop into an international perspective, Kapisi as part of the international hip hop community with this smart line.

“My flows are global recite for us indigenous.”

As indeed he is with appearances with many international acts and performances all around the globe.

 Of course it ain’t all one big pit fight, there is variety in his vision. Like the social commentary of “Blind Faith” where he extends ideas aired on “Savage Thoughts” and offers a criticism of religion in relation to Polynesia. The jaunty “Lollipop” with its sexual swagger entertains immensely and like the charmingly titled “Jesus Loves You” is a club joint that hits the funky spot, both choc-a-bloc with what he describes as ‘Kap’s colourful literature.” There is also ‘Live it Up” where Kaps forms a Polynesian tag team with Savage and cuts it up with deadly intent.

Standout cut is “For Tha Dollar” featuring the lovely voices of Adeaze on the hook. Here Kaps is concerned with the real importance of life, that of family and the relationships within. Telling us about how his family supported and forged his musical vision and endeavors. How music is of vital importance and how “When I think of music I think of family”, there is a real sincerity at work here that gives a sense of warmth and personal happiness.

 Throughout the album Kaps is at his lyrical best and proves he is still one of Aotearoa’s most proficient and gifted emcees. Excellent also is the sound of the album with a sparkling production groove that is hip hop at its finest with funk firmly placed to the fore. Kaps is in the production seat with work from Jerome Fortune, Wayne Palmer (O.B. One U.K.) And beats from Tenei Kesha Hapurona.

 Fans and supporters will definitely not be disappointed with this collection of 12 hot joints, as it has a directness and honesty we have come to respect from the man we call Kaps. Of special interest is the inclusion of a separate disc of 4 re-mixes featuring the alchemy talents of Forty one, Nextmen, Tiki and Katalyst.

 Kapisi does it again producing an album that will appeal to both the hip hop hardcore and the uninitiated. We all should be fizzing like Fanta over his return to the limelight where he belongs. END

Kerry Buchanan 2005