Two artists who released albums around the same time are stepping into the same night as the “main characters.”
Gokou Kuyt dropped his 1st album Ain’t Gang, while BHS Svve released his 4th album Pop Dilemma. On January 11, 2026, they will co-host “Super Release Party” at Veats Shibuya.
They first crossed paths on SoundCloud, and their connection multiplied across generations and scenes. One came up through the path of “Tokyo Shaman,” the other from the orbit of “DEMONIA.”
Introductions
Gokou Kuyt
“I do hip-hop—kind of—but when I was a teenager I got really into overseas cloud music. I started listening from places outside the mainstream, and that made me think, ‘I want to try making this too.’ Even now, it feels like I’m still on the same extension of that.”
BHS Svve
“Up until around high school, I didn’t really have many chances to listen to music. But MC battles were booming back then, and I thought, ‘If it’s rap, maybe even I can do it,’ so that’s how I started.
Now, I think there are two big lanes inside me. One is what you’d call more ‘rapper-like’—rap music that makes the listener feel strong. The other is music that has more of what you’d see in other genres: ‘empathy’ or ‘being there for you.’ Those two.”
“The first time I really clocked you was 2021” — the doorway was “sound”
-When did you feel you “properly recognized” each other?
Gokou Kuyt
“It’s kind of vague… I can’t remember which came first—hearing from friends like, ‘there’s this guy,’ or listening on SoundCloud.
But I do remember hearing the track on SoundCloud, thinking ‘this is sick,’ and hitting like. I think that was when I really recognized him.”
-Do you remember roughly how many years ago?
Gokou Kuyt
“Probably… 2021.”
BHS Svve
“I remember it pretty clearly because I was so happy. I’m from Sapporo, and when I was grinding as a ‘local MC battler,’ a senior told me, ‘There’s a rap scene in Tokyo too.’
I heard about the parties Shakabozu was doing (Tokyo Shaman) and thought, ‘So this kind of culture exists.’ And then they told me, ‘There’s also a dope rapper named Gokou Kuyt.’ That was the first time, and I think it was around 2018–2019.
For a while I just kept thinking, ‘He’s so cool—I want to meet him.’ Then in 2021, I got a like on SoundCloud from Kaito, and since I’d already been a fan, I reached out like, ‘Thank you.’ After I moved to Tokyo, I finally got to meet him properly—something like that.”
-So it started through SoundCloud?
BHS Svve
“Yeah. But we barely talked there—we just knew ‘this person exists’ through the sound first. The actual conversation came a bit later.”
First impressions of each other’s music
-When you heard the music, what impressions or images did you get—of each other’s tracks?
BHS Svve
“In Hokkaido, when you’re young, it can feel kind of closed-off. You can’t even afford travel costs to go to other prefectures, and you don’t really know where to get information.
When you say hip-hop, there’s this strong ‘origin’ idea—like Blue Herb, you know. I loved that too, but I was always struggling with the gap, thinking, ‘That’s not really me.’
Then I heard Kaito’s music for the first time… and the coolness of cutting out everyday life like that—it changed my fixed idea. It hit me like a shock.”
Gokou Kuyt
“I honestly think he’s the best rapper in the world. For real.
I’ve watched his MC battle videos too—he can do super hard, straight-up rap as well.
But when I first heard him on SoundCloud, I remember it being pretty melodic, like he’d pitched his vocals up. I was like, ‘Wait—he does this too?’ My image from friends was ‘he’s insanely strong in MC battles,’ so it surprised me.
Then (later) I listened to the album and it really floored me, and since then I’ve just been listening like normal.”
-If you had to pick one track from each other’s latest releases, what would it be?
-I’m sure you’ve both listened to each other’s work. If you had to name a “favorite track” from the other person’s album, what would it be?
BHS Svve
“Can I go first? Kaito’s Ain’t Gang is probably his first album, right.
To cut to the chase, my favorite is track 1, ‘AIN’T GANG INTRO.’ There are a bunch of reasons.
The previous release was probably about a year ago, and before that there was a pretty long gap, I think.
We hadn’t seen each other for a while, so I was wondering, ‘What’s going on with his activity?’ Then suddenly it was like, ‘Ain’t Gang is already done.’ And on top of that, I heard the whole thing was produced by DJ UPPERCUT—so I was like, ‘Wait, seriously?’
I’d heard a few tracks in advance, but when it finally dropped, the way it slams down the emotional movement since the Tokyo Shaman era, and the ‘Gokou Kuyt as an artist’—right at the opening—was shocking. Including that impact of ‘the album is starting,’ track 1 is my favorite.”
Gokou Kuyt
“That’s such a good comment… man, can I answer this right.
For me, ‘Yasuragi’ is my favorite—partly because I’m on it.
Also, a track like ‘Kushiki Kakuyou’ just feels like ‘BHS Svve’ to me. He’s had songs like that before, but somehow…
And then there are songs like the one that got a music video (‘10XL’)—with J-rock-ish, emotional lyrics and a melody that hits your heart.
It just made me think his range got wider than before, honestly.”
About the collaboration “Yasuragi”
-How did the decision come about to make the track you did together, “Yasuragi”?
BHS Svve
“Why was it again…
On Kaito’s mixtape that came out last year, the producer WTHR was involved too, and as a project it became like, ‘Let’s invite someone.’ But then it was like, of course—this is the first place to go.
We had the beat made, sent it over, traded verses, and then went to the studio, right. EVOEL STUDIO.
That day we had the original beat, but we were like, ‘Wouldn’t it be better if we raised it by a sixth?’ So we didn’t use any of the demo data—we recorded in the studio on the beat pitched up a sixth, and that’s what it became.”
-What kind of position does it hold within the album?
BHS Svve
“This time, there’s a part where I intentionally reduced features, but as lead tracks I think ‘10XL’ and ‘Yasuragi’ are the two pillars—and then ‘Login’ too. Those three are the ones I’m especially into.
I made the album wanting to expand my range, so I kept thinking, ‘Let’s do what I haven’t done before,’ and ‘Yasuragi’ is where that worked well. I think it’s a track that says, ‘This is what this album is.’”
Can you walk us through the core of the album-making process—and what you put into the titles?
BHS Svve
“Pop Dilemma is, like the title says, a ‘dilemma.’
In life and in making music, I often feel contradictions.
To me, the coolness of pop and the coolness of hip-hop are kind of opposed. But I love both, and it’s hard to get both.
And that’s not just music—like, you say you want to die but there are days you want to live, or you want to lose weight but you end up eating—there are tons of things like that. I think everyone carries it.
And it’s also ‘just a phenomenon.’ But I think resisting it—fighting back against it—is what’s cool, what’s precious.
So I made it trying to express: resisting the contradiction you feel is ‘cool’—that’s what pop is.”
Gokou Kuyt
“Ain’t Gang is literally just: I’m not a gang member.
Since around middle school, I’d always admired hip-hop—people rapping about scary stuff, having hard backgrounds, singing their ‘real.’ I always loved that.
But I don’t have that kind of backbone. I grew up in a pretty happy family, lived a normal life. So what I rap about ends up ordinary, and I’d think, ‘Maybe I can’t do hip-hop.’
I kept doing it while carrying this thing like, ‘It’s not real, is it,’ but at some point I realized: even people rapping about bad things are still cutting out pieces of their life and rapping them.
That act of cutting out and rapping—that’s hip-hop. I’m not a gang member, but it’s hip-hop. That’s the album I wanted to make.
Then I sent demos to DJ UPPERCUT and he said, ‘I want to do it,’ and he made all the beats from there.
He told me, ‘Most people live ordinary lives. That’s why what you’re doing can get empathy,’ and it gave me courage—like, it showed me what I should be doing.”
Why the release party is “super”:
-Did the two of you handle the booking?
Gokou Kuyt
“We did it together.”
-How did you arrive at this lineup?
BHS Svve
“At first it was like, our album timings are close, so let’s do a release party together. From there it became, ‘Let’s make it a special, huge release party.’
We started moving with the idea of inviting tons of artists we’re close with and making it big.
I think Kaito’s circle and my circle are slightly different generations. Kaito came up sharpening each other around the Tokyo Shaman path, and for me, I built friendships around DEMONIA after moving to Tokyo in 2022.
But if we call in our close friends, even if the core is the release party, it becomes a special event in a crossover way—so that’s how we booked it.”
“Only on this day, we’re the main characters” — respect for elders, and the will to surpass
-Was there a shared theme you were conscious of?
Gokou Kuyt
“For me, Shaka and people like that are huge seniors—almost like a master. Honestly, I feel like I still haven’t beaten them at anything.
But on this day, I’m the one closing the show. Because we’re the main characters.
Just for this day, there’s a theme in me—like, I want us to be the main characters more than anyone. Just my own thing.”
BHS Svve
“I feel almost exactly the same. I’m placed before him in the order, but since it’s a release party, I’m going in with the mindset that I’m the main character.
At the same time, it’s an honor to share a night with people I admired, and also the friends I’ve built around DEMONIA are coming out to ‘celebrate.’ So I feel like I have to answer that—on stage.”
1/11 is a “Jump Ultimate Stars” kind of day
-What do you want the audience to feel?
BHS Svve
“First, I think the fact that this lineup comes together at all is pretty special, so I want people to enjoy that.
Also, if everyone’s together, there’s a high chance you’ll see feature songs performed with the actual featured guests. Having that happen in a single day is rare. Stuff that usually only happens at a one-man show might happen.”
Gokou Kuyt
“Because it’s an event we threw ourselves, our sets are longer too. In a regular showcase, you’d end up finishing with just the new album tracks, but on a day like this we can do older songs too. I want to make a live show that people who listened to the old songs and people who listen to the new songs can both enjoy.”
BHS Svve
“Do you know Jump Ultimate Stars? Like Fist of the North Star and One Piece—it’s kind of fun when the generations are different, and even if you don’t know that manga, you can still fight together, right?
It’s similar to that: if you loved the scene from around 2017–2018 onward—before and after the pandemic, up to now—I think this is an event you can enjoy like an all-star lineup.”
What comes after the release party
-After the event, how do you want to move forward?
Gokou Kuyt
“For now, I’ve got songs coming together, so after the release party, I want to keep releasing—whether the next thing is an album or a mixtape, I’m not sure yet. I’d love to do something again next year too.”
BHS Svve
“I’ve already got, like, 30 or 40 songs just as demos.
Pop Dilemma is out, but I’m still in the middle of fighting the dilemma, you know. Up to now, I spent about two and a half years packing everything in to make this album, but I feel like after the release party it might get sublimated—so the pace could get really fast.
I want to increase my exposure and keep delivering new music.”
A message to attendees
BHS Svve
“Whether you used to come but drifted away, or you’re someone who’s been showing up consistently—if you come see this show, I think you’ll definitely have fun.
For me and Kaito too, I’d be happy if you can feel ‘where we are in 2026 right now’—what we’re seeing.”
Gokou Kuyt
“With the same feelings I had when I made the album, I hope something comes through about where we came from and what we’re aiming for.
It’s still a work in progress, but I want everyone to see the best we can do right now.”
BHS Svve
“A dilemma is cool, but I think it’s also painful. If someone comes who’s carrying something, I don’t just want to give a flex-style hype-up—I want to convey, through the event, ‘Everyone’s like that, and that’s what’s cool.’”
Bonus: questions for each other
BHS Svve
“Where do you buy clothes and stuff?”
Gokou Kuyt
“Mostly thrift. A lot of what I wear is stuff I got from a shop in Koenji called ‘Shinryoku.’”
BHS Svve
“I’m not super confident with clothes, so take me sometime.”
Gokou Kuyt
“Shinryoku too, but honestly, clothing stores have all kinds of stuff. There aren’t that many shops that narrow themselves down to one single super sharp direction.”
Gokou Kuyt
“By the way, do you have any plans to enter an MC battle soon? Do you still have the itch?”
BHS Svve
“I haven’t made any plans, but if I feel like it, I want to. If I get an offer, I’d totally do it.
I end up entering on the spur of the moment, you know.”