Kimmortal's metamorphosis: how the rapper is preparing for a new era

Written by Jesse Locke

On their new single, "Butterfly High," Vancouver-based Filipino hip-hop artist Kimmortal offers words of hope for anyone in the midst of a transformation. Written for the CBC series Sort Of, which follows the romantic misadventures of gender fluid millennial character Sabi Mehboob, the song is a compassionate conversation between lovers, one of whom may leave the other behind. Kimmortal's breathy vocals float over echoing beats and shimmery synth pads, until they go hard in the chorus: "Me, I got nothing to prove/ when it's just me and you/ used to have nothin' to lose/ now you're someone I could lose."

Kimmortal wrote "Butterfly High" for the show's main character, played by Bilal Baig, but ultimately realised it was about themself. "It's one of my more vulnerable tracks, basically reflecting on my relationship, my growth, and my expansion," they told CBC Music, explaining how the song asks a series of difficult questions: "If I grow, will you still be beside me? Am I going to lose you if I go for this thing I've been working toward for so long?" 

Inspired by the opening lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" ("Well, I've been afraid of changin'/ 'cause I've built my life around you"), "Butterfly High" ponders the challenges of moving from traditional relationships into practices of non-hierarchy and non-monogamy. 

"You feel the grief of letting go of the old you," said Kimmortal. "Stepping into this new thing is exciting, but what are you losing? Your home, your friends, the old parts of yourself that you don't need anymore?" 

As 2SLGBTQ+ rappers continue to take over the Canadian hip-hop scene, Kimmortal's new era positions them in an even bigger role in carving out spaces for marginalized voices. Combining deeply personal lyrics and political statements with elements of their cultural ancestry, their unique approach to hip-hop looks and sounds like no one else.

'I wanted people to hear my thoughts and connect the dots'

Like a caterpillar spinning itself into a cocoon, Kimmortal began their musical transformation in grade 10 by stealing their sister's guitar and teaching themself how to play. Their introduction to hip-hop came through breakdancing, before they encountered Vancouver's spoken word scene. Early performances took place at Nyala, a sadly shuttered Ethiopian restaurant that hosted open mic nights every Tuesday. Influenced by early k-os and Lauren Hill's MTV Unplugged session, Kimmortal's 2014 debut album, Sincerity, showcased their folk-rap sound.  

"Performing at Nyala opened me up to the poets of the community, and I was really excited about it," says Kimmortal. "I was in a competitive dance crew at the time, but wasn't feeling heard because it was all about group choreography. I wanted people to hear my thoughts and connect the dots!"

During their university courses in women's studies and art history, Kimmortal was introduced to the work of Cuban-American performance artist Coco Fusco. A short film documented Fusco's project of placing herself in a cage in the middle of a museum. "It's a throwback to human zoos and the history of racism within art institutions," said Kimmortal. "I was 23, and I started weeping in class watching that film. It ignited something in me and taught me about exoticization, racism and sexism."

Since then, weaving multiple languages into their lyrics has become a key feature of Kimmortal's music. Recent examples include their Tagalog hook featured on A La Una's short king anthem "On My Way" (translating to "don't be afraid, have no shame"), or the song "Tabi Tabi Po" from Kimmortal's 2023 album, Shoebox. 

"That song title basically means 'excuse me' to the spirits of a forest," they explained. "It's based on Filipino folklore and how you treat spirits with respect and acknowledgement."

This careful treatment of cultural artifacts extends to Kimmortal's caretaking of languages. "There are over 150 dialects within the Philippines alone," they said. "I don't speak fluent Tagalog, but that's the only one that gets any energy because of colonialism. I practise it in my raps, because why not? I'm taking Tagalog classes weekly and trying to make yearly visits to the Philippines."

'I'm still learning as I go'

Kimmortal's cultural cross-pollinations have earned them deserved attention. In 2022, U.S. congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rapped along to their song "Sad Femme Club" in response to the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the first Black woman to hold the position. One year later, Kimmortal's dark sex jam "This Dyke" popped up as the soundtrack to an orgy on The L Word: Generation Q. It was the first time their music had been synced to a TV series, before it appeared somewhere equally primal.

"I got this email that said, 'Do you want to make music for a documentary about queer animals? We want you to go weird,'" Kimmortal shared. "I immediately said yes!" The documentary Animal Pride, which features "This Dyke" alongside sampled stringed instruments mimicking the sounds of different animals, will debut later this year on CBC's The Nature of Things. According to Kimmortal, it's going to be iconic. 

"Until now, the study of animals has come from a cis, heteronormative point of view that we've projected onto the zillions of creatures in the world," they said. "Making music for this project helped me accept my own queerness and transness, because things in nature are super gay. It's really fun to make sounds while watching animals mount each other." 

Studying acting and script writing has also taught them how to embody complex characters that may contradict their political beliefs. "I've been learning about bringing humanity forward," said Kimmortal. "It's a crazy time to be alive because a genocide is happening and transphobic laws are being passed everywhere. It's all connected." This anger is channelled into one of their latest songs, "Stop business as usual," where Kimmortal raps, "It's land back/ from Philippines to Palestine/ time to uprise/ 'til we're all free."

With a decade of experience under their belt since the release of their debut album, Kimmortal continues to explore multiple artistic mediums, developing an upcoming musical while simultaneously transitioning into a mentorship role. This includes producing music for two new Vancouver-based artists: blues singer Larissa Blokhuis, and Naomi Grace, the latter of whom is still figuring out her genre. 

"My friends say they trust me and I make them feel safe," Kimmortal concluded. "I'm supporting both of them to birth these things, but it's really hands off. Honestly, I'm still learning as I go, just like everyone else."