KALIBAN

No pimp cup. No gold teeth. No running suit dipped in Gucci. Kaliban is strictly business. L.A.’s resident battle rap title-holder is no stranger to the raw front lines of today’s rap scene. And he’s ready to change it. The question is, is today’s rap scene ready to take on Kaliban? With all the beef in the industry there needs to be a samurai that paints a clear portrait between the winner and the loser. That samurai has arrived…
Kaliban grew up in a part of South Central Los Angeles he refers to as “the Danger Zone”, dubbed that due to alarming murder rates and brutal turf wars. In the midst of that urban battleground he honed his take-no-prisoner spit fire style at local underground spots like Project Blowed, Elements, Fais Do-Do, and Galaxy. Places like these have a strict hold-your-own policy and chances were Kaliban showed and proved on a solo mission. Never the type to roll 10 deep, he was notorious for silently sliding into a cipher and murdering ten emcees at a time all without ever taking off his hoodie. Like a true samurai, he would do his killing, humbly collect his props, and disappear into the night as swiftly as he came. Some may say this sounds like a movie but to those struggling emcees in L.A.’s fight for supremacy, this is their living, breathing, walking nightmare. Not only does Kaliban have undoubted street credibility, his rhymes are packed with the smarts of Einstein and the street hustle of a young Willie D. He has a strong understanding of the current rap game and is able to disguise himself as a wolf in sheep’s clothing; appealing to audiences, murderous to label-made clones.
With his rhyme game locked down, Kaliban ventured off into more mainstream gambles where the purses were bigger. He took home a trophy from Nike’s Battleground competition where he destroyed emcees from all over the country. With fangs dripping with industry blood, he became hungry for more high profile marks. It was time to hit the movies. Kaliban and fellow producer, DJ Obi, a duo also known as The Mint, landed their song, “Sewaside”, on the Lions Gate major motion picture release titled “Drive Thru” released in 2007. Kaliban was not done yet. He then starred in “Battle For New York”, an independent movie that showed the difference between a “rapper” and an emcee. In true form, Kaliban was cast as the ultimate emcee to square off against sixteen opponents. Not a far stretch from his day to day routine. Kaliban did gain a strong business sense from the making of this movie and he applied that knowledge to his future undertakings.
As a true samurai would, Kaliban is always working to improve his art and has teamed up with several other artists and producers in his quest for Hip Hop supremacy. In the early 2000’s, Kaliban, going by his alias 50 Cal, teamed with producer DJ Obi to release his first solo album, Trigga-Nometry in 2003. It’s heavy, sampled sounds combined with Kal’s lethal lyrical prowess made it a widespread underground success. Kaliban and DJ Obi followed to release several more mixtapes under their alias, The Mint, and a various artists album by the name of Cobra LA. Always hungry for more, while still working on solo projects with the Mint, Kaliban became member of the rap group, the Filthy Rich Criminals (FRC). FRC is not only known for its pulse pounding beats and hard hitting delivery, but for its philosophy of “Industry Terrorism”. FRC has completed a full-length album titled “California Whiskey”—which is still awaiting release. In the meantime and in response to fans’ demands, FRC teamed up with L.A.’s resident mixtape king, DJ Warrior, to put out “CA Whiskey: The Mixtape” in 2007.
Lock and Stock Records (LAS) was born as an indie label under the partnership of Kaliban and 24 Terror, Kal’s manager and sound engineer. Together they put together and released “Da .44 Killa” mixtape in 2006 and “Da .44 Killa Round 2” in early 2007, and “Da .44 Killa Round 3” in late 2007 which has helped to create a major buzz in the L.A. mixtape circuit.
Not to be overlooked either is Kaliban’s undeniable stage presence. At 6’5” tall, Kaliban uses his presence and his innate feel for the audience, to grab their attention and put on an unforgettable show. Having done countless shows with the Mint, FRC, and as a solo act, Kal is definitely no stranger when it comes to performing in front of an audience.
Currently, Kaliban is focusing on his solo career, booking shows and appearances abroad, and promoting his latest releases under his own indie label, Lock and Stock Records—this time aiming at the majors with fresh new sounds and production, while keeping true to his art of being a bona-fide, battle-bred emcee. A direct product of Hip-Hop, Kaliban has songs that appeal to every type of Hip-Hop listener because of the message he brings, his undeniable gift to rhyme, and flawless delivery. Kaliban is truly the type of emcee we rarely see nowadays—the real deal.
CLONES BEWARE: Brace your pimp cups and guard your grills, the terror alert is rising and Kaliban is awake.