The Phantom of Atlanta's Beats: Untiljapan's Silent Rise
How a faceless artist is breathing life into hip-hop and challenging the social media game
The Atlanta hip-hop scene hasn't really grabbed my attention in a while. It seemed stuck in 2020, riding the waves of 'Whole Lotta Red' and 'My Turn'. One of the Meccas of hip-hop, to the best of my knowledge, had hit a standstill (not you, Killer Mike). The sounds were getting repetitive, with copycats putting out music that lacked substance. My knowledge, I'll admit, was lacking.
It's 2 AM on the West Coast when a TikTok tells me to check out this Atlanta artist, Untiljapan. I open up his latest album 'Safe Travels', and suddenly I'm sitting up straight, locked in. I've stumbled upon a masterpiece. Who is Untiljapan, and why haven't we heard about him?
The following for Untiljapan is diehard. You can find archive accounts on Spotify, instagram and Soundcloud. There is a discord channel tracking every music update they can find on the Atlanta artist. The artist himself however is a complete mystery. His twitter account is active every few months with an update here or there on upcoming drops. the Untiljapan instagram has 0 post. If not for a couple of photos floating around online no one would know what he looks like. The fandom does not push it either. in the area of social media giving access to what your favorite musician is eating for breakfast the allure of a faceless loreless hip hop artist stands out. The only connection that can be had with Untiljapan is through his music along with the artwork and visuals he puts out. The only connection with the artist is the art.
Untiljapan's following is diehard. Fans scour archive accounts on Spotify, Instagram, and SoundCloud. There's even a Discord channel tracking every music update they can find on the Atlanta artist. The artist himself, however, remains a complete mystery. His Twitter account comes to life every few months with brief updates on upcoming drops. The Untiljapan Instagram? Zero posts. If not for a couple of photos floating around online, no one would know what he looks like.
Surprisingly, the fandom doesn't push for more. In an era where social media gives us access to what our favorite musicians eat for breakfast, the allure of a faceless, lore-less hip-hop artist stands out. The only connection that can be had with Untiljapan is through his music, artwork, and visuals. It's all about the art, nothing else.
Now, the art. Untiljapan's latest album 'Safe Travels' hits you with fresh cover art: him, of course, wearing a helmet to cover his face, donned in a white suit. The handwritten white font is a work of art in itself.
The sound of this album? Pure Atlanta in the best way possible. It's mainstream Atlanta hip-hop, but the quality behind Untiljapan's album makes major releases seem like dollar store productions. The songs flow like an old school Future album. He manages to keep that Atlanta vibe throughout different beats - no one will mistake where he's from with any of these tracks. Yet, he didn't have to stick to one type of beat or sound to maintain that Atlanta feel. Maybe the biggest thing to stress: the lyrics have substance. It's not just about a nice drum beat.
This is a PSA to all hip hop lovers. Peep game and lock in. It is time for you to hit play on Untiljapan.
