New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Kojaque has revealed "Casio," the final preview of his debut album Town's Dead out June 25 on Soft Boy Records/Different Recordings. Watch the new video for "Casio," featuring
Maverick Sabre.
The black & white video, which Kojaque co-directed with Spencer Young, captures the song's themes of overcoming self-doubt. A ghostly version of himself (Kojaque doused himself in 3M reflective paint) shadows the other version of his character who tries to liberate himself from feelings of apprehension and depression, and ends with a casket set aflame. Kojaque raps, "Cus nothing's worse than being imprisoned by these thoughts."
"I wrote the track after having a frank conversation with one of my good friends who was going through a really dark time. I was trying to empathise with him through my own experience of depression and suicidal thoughts. The video is meant to signify cheating death, or defying what can feel like your destiny. Mav tied the whole song together beautifully, I was so happy to work with him on it. I directed the video with Spencer Young. I had seen his work before which I thought was really slick. We went back and forth on the concept a lot before coming to the final treatment. I've still got that high reflective paint on my skin" - Kojaque
Town's Dead is a concept album centered around a love triangle that unravels over New Year's Eve, but its thematic scope is huge as Kojaque tackles big issues with a balance of spewing rage and tender ruminations. From Brexit and the loss of his father to the gentrification/housing crisis in Dublin and toxic masculinity. Kojaque first started writing Town's Dead when he was 19, and made it mostly on his laptop in his bedroom and on tour busses.
The album has been celebrated by NME, Complex, Consequence of Sound, the Irish Examiner and many others as key raves roll in. Kojaque has toured with slowthai and Lana Del Rey, performed at Glastonbury and Pitchfork Paris, made his COLORS debut this past summer, and the record label he co-founded has been the subject of its own Boiler Room documentary.
He also just shared the video for the album's title track. As with most of his videos, Kojaque served as director, was inspired by everything from 90s British film Remains Of The Day to Tyler, The Creators' "A BOY IS A GUN" video and it features his severed head, gleefully rapping. Watch "Town's Dead" here.
"A sharp, poetic release from Ireland's most rightly lionised rapper...few albums this year can be as potent as this" - Loud + Quiet, 9 out of 10 stars
"Dripping with humor, personality and cinematic storytelling...Town's Dead is all you could ever want in a debut" - DIY, 4 out of 5 stars
"A devastating critique of Dublin's establishment on his extraordinary new album" - Hotpress, 9 out of 10 stars, Album of the Month
"The Dublin MC forcing us to face real life; both the gory and the glory" - Wonderland
"An unlikely force putting Dublin rap on the map" - Line of Best Fit
Pre-order Town's Dead (available on Digital, CD, 2LP, 2LP deluxe, & Cassette): https://kojaque.ffm.to/towns-dead
Town's Dead Tracklist:
1. Heartbreak
2. New Year, Who's This? (Interlude)
3. Town's Dead
4. Wickid Tongues
5. Shmelly
6. That Deep
7.
Black Sheep Part I
8. Rover
9. Jinty Boy Blues
10. No Hands
11. Part II
12. Sex N' Drugs ft. Celia Tiab
13. Fallin For It
14. Coming Up
15. Casio ft.
Maverick Sabre
16. Curtains.
