The title track, “Ethos” wastes no time in bringing audiences deep into the mix. Over the solemn and atmospheric soundscape, Kaizen Vibez sends intentional and stray shots at all the detractors and naysayers who get in his way. Lines like “Fool me once, you know the rest/Unalive that like 2 to the chest/Between my crosshairs like a sandwich/Remember this Karma’s a bad bitch” help cement his train of thought. Now that the stage is set, Kaizen Vibez takes it a step further with the aspirational and revealing track “Can’t Sit Idle,” where he soul searches for his true purpose and finds it along a perilous journey. This then leads into the sombre “Pain Into Purpose,” where he verbally paints his inner trauma and pain on wax. Armed with a laidback flow and concise songwriting style, Kaizen Vibez details his past traumatic experiences and the lasting effects they had on him as he slowly found an avenue to turn those painful memories into Purpose. As expected, Kaizen Vibez’s lyrical ethos is overtly stated in “Gotta Mean Something.” The track has a solemn and soulful texture with mellow drums that is perfect for Kaizen’s insightful lyricism. The first collaborator, BiG LD appears on “Matches,” a lyrical masterclass of a track that showcases two lyricists going head to head over a dark scenic soundscape. The show of lyricism continues in “Tao of the Shogun” where Kaizen Vibez drops lines like “Allergic to fake shit like Polyester/I summon the spirit of a great ancestor/Control the elements like Avatar, bumping something old school like Shalamar” which underpins his distinct style.
Thus far, the project sticks to familiar themes that suit Kaizen Vibez’s grounded flow and well-crafted, easy-to-follow songwriting. Tracks like “No Substance” expose the wannabes and talkers who don’t have the heart and give the audience a glimpse into Kaizen Vibez’s world where only the strong can survive. On the bouncy “W+,” he doesn’t sound out of place but the beat choice is unexpected and gives the project a different vibe. It strays from the dark, menacing soundscape but the champion mentality displayed on the track conforms to the theme of the project. In “Prestigious” and “Untethered” he gives us a taste of the high life and how he makes moves to reach the top. The latter is a conceptual track that blends sci-fi, history and social-political themes to drive home the reminder of how flawed humans have become. Kaizen Vibez’ continues with his lyrical onslaught on “Red Lines” which sees him as a man who is ready to go the extra mile to reach his destination, even if it means decimating a few people along the way.“Fortune” is a semi-autobiographical piece that truly shows Kaizen Vibez’s background. We see him as a kid with his struggling mom and all the hardships that shaped him into the man that he is. The final track “Nebula” is a cinematic piece comprising urgent-sounding synths, pulsating leads and pads reminiscent of classic 80s rock tracks. here, Kaizen Vibez’ sends out red alerts to the wack emcees with lines like “He got a mean bark and a mouth you can’t muzzle/This dog gonna bite, I don’t stay on a leash/Just like the Middle East, ain’t gon’ be no peace/ each word I let fly, is like a killer drone/Hit you unexpected ‘cause it’s a war zone.”
In a nutshell, these emcees are not safe and they better beware. Other notable tracks include the synth-driven “All or None” featuring SomeoneCalledSomeone and the solemn “Oxygen Mask.” The tracks explore the duality of life and the dynamics that bind pain, suffering and pleasure all into one.
Watch the official videos below.
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