KOJ – THIS PUNK PANTHER IS THE REAL DEAL
If I was a betting man… well I am occasionally you know – a couple of quid on the Grand National because you have to don’t you – I think that is a rule. Or a little footy bet here and there because it makes the match a bit more interesting, oh yeah and a go on Last Man Standing because it supports my local amateur team so that doesn’t count as gambling does it?
But if was a proper gambler then I’d definitely have a flutter on a double of Liverpool winning the Premier league again next season and on local lad KOJ becoming the next artist from the city to have a major breakthrough. I cant see any way in which the world won’t fall for his considerable musical charm.
KOJ has it all and if you haven’t yet joined the KOJ party then you should get yourself down to Kitchen Street on 25th June when the man himself is performing under his TRiBE banner as part of the promo for his new barnstorming new single Punk Panther.
As part of Liverpool Music Month, TRiBE sits inside a wider city-wide celebration of sound and culture – while staying true to what it’s always been: a space where Black music culture and creativity is centred, connected and given a space to grow.
TRiBE is KOJ’s flagship live event – not a headline show, but a platform. It’s where artists meet audiences, where scenes connect across city lines, and where the energy in the room turns into real relationships beyond the stage.
This edition features KOJ and his band the Gravediggaz alongside Manchester’s ONEDA and Liverpool progressive-jazz collective Finite Experience, with TRiBE’s signature emphasis on collaboration – including moments where MCs are invited up to perform together with the TRiBE live band – freestyle vibes.
The event lands at an exciting moment for KOJ, following his recent SXSW debut in Texas and a period of growing recognition, with support from BBC Radio 1Xtra, Spotify and Apple Music. This particular edition with also be a celebration of the release of his new single PUNK PANTHER which drops the next day.
I was lucky enough to see KOJ’s live show in Hamburg and it was a complete revelation. He has always been a compelling performer but his bold new sound, a mash up of punky guitars and hip hop mixed with bold, political messages takes it to a whole new level. His show at SXSW in March was the one of the hottest tickets as the buzz about reached all the industry insiders at the world’s biggest music industry event.
You’d be daft to miss out on TRiBE – see KOJ before he goes global. This is what KOJ himself has to say about the night. “TRiBE is about more than putting on a show – it’s about building a real meeting point. A space where we can share energy. Being part of Liverpool Music Month makes it even more important – because this city’s always moved music culture forward but arguably not always ours so this feels like a timely inclusion in a wider celebration. I want what TRiBE represents to become of pillar of this music city.”
At a time when the world is a mess and life is a struggle for so many people artists like KOJ have even more of a role to play. He is a rare, authentic working-class voice, representing a generation shaped by economic pressure, political unrest, and cultural fragmentation – positioning him as a timely and necessary figure in UK music and youth culture.
Kev McManus
