by zak

Ever since the Because the Internet era, it seems like Childish Gambino has been on a mission to either find or evolve his style, especially from a vocal point of view. Toying around with pitches and octaves, Gambino has channeled an almost Jai Paul-like aura on his past two albums. There is no equation for when this moment may, or may not, occur during one’s career, no matter how confident you are that you’re onto something. When speaking with Kali Dreamer leading up to the release of the 18-track project Super Jr., they also mentioned how the album was a culmination of the singer-songwriter coming into their own, crafting a style indistinctly theirs. 

The parallels don’t end there, though. Gambino’s highly anticipated follow-up to Awaken, My Love! came into the world on the heels of a worldwide quarantine. Despite people having more time at home, the album was still somewhat overshadowed by worsening pandemic. The release of Super Jr. fell into a similar fate, dropping two days before the Capitol was attacked. It seemed fitting for a musician who never put an exact release date for the project.

So, if you missed out on the pirate party’s initial drop, here’s a reminder in the midst of yet another crazy news week: Don’t sleep on Kali Dreamer. 

The first few times I listened to Kali Dreamer’s new album, some tracks were still unmixed and unmastered. That had little to no effect on my overzealous enjoyment of the project. The lyrical content on Super Jr. spills out like the most poignant and packed rhymes hidden inside an artist’s journal. On “Revolver Alucard,” Kali Dreamer spits, “They love when you suffer in silence with no sound / With the pen I can heal.” It’s that self-awareness and awareness to his fans and audience that helps the listener to truly care about the artist’s mission. And who else is name dropping the likes of Orson Welles, Judas’s last name, and the true moniker of the protagonist from the Kill Bill films while also sticking the landing? Kali Dreamer.

Super Jr. really flourishes at showcasing the personality of its auteur. The presence and Kali’s attachment to professional wrestling and video games is apparent on almost every track. My Bloody Valentine and My Chemical Romance are also obvious influences in both style and title. The most intriguing of Kali Dreamer’s interests, however, is with life at sea. One of the more light-hearted songs on the album, “Kalico Jack (Endless Nightmare),” even contains a sample of the sea shanty “Drunken Sailor.” The mentions of 1718 allude to the year that the infamous pirate Blackbeard, as well.

Kali Dreamer shared some remarks on this certain attachment: “The Pirate Life always meant freedom to me. It was a hard life, full of struggle and suffering, but it was preferable to what life had for the people desperate enough to end up a pirate. The whole ‘jolly pirate looking for treasure and adventure’ is a romanticization. Pirates were more likely to steal food and medical supplies than a chest full of gold coins and crowns (though if they found one, they would absolutely take it). I kinda see my music like that. I take risks, and do whatever I want with my music, at the cost of losing a more mainstream appeal. It’s been an uphill climb, and I don’t have much to show for it—but I’m fine with it because at the end of it all, I have something that’s uniquely mine, and I feel free.”

On the pirate ship of Super Jr., Kali Dreamer acts as the captain of the misfits. On “Rolling Star (Death Saves),” the final and one of the album’s many standout tracks, Kali Dreamer gives us one of the project’s most real lines: “I really just want people like me to be OK.” A simple wish, not made by someone wanting to become famous but by someone who is trying to give purpose to their art. Right before Super Jr. enters its final act, at the conclusion of “Butcher of Light,” an unedited clip plays from the TV show Atlanta in which Donald Glover’s and Kat Williams’ characters go back and forth on family loyalty. Glover’s character fires back, “What I’m scared of is being you: someone everyone knew was smart but ended up being a know-it-all, fuck-up Jay that just lets shit happen to him.” While Kali Dreamer uses this skit and aims it at himself, Super Jr. is his answer to Glover’s fears. It’s a product of realized potential and confidence to speak truth.

Follow Kali Dreamer on Facebook and Instagram. Support their music on bandcamp.