Kaaris drops "Byakugan": is the Dozo's return to his roots successful?

If you follow French rap, the event of June 2026 did not escape you. Three years after his last studio album Day One, K Double A is back in stores since June 12, 2026. And he's not here to play a minor role. With his new project aptly named Byakugan, the Sevran rapper delivers a mixtape that is already shaking speakers and dividing the web.

The mixtape format: a return more than 10 years back

The first detail that struck fans when the project was announced: Byakugan is not an album, but a 14-track mixtape. You have to go back to Double Fuck, released more than ten years ago, to find Kaaris on this exercise. A format that historically offers him more freedom, a rawer tone, and a total absence of compromise.

Why "Byakugan"? The eye that sees everything!

The project's title is a direct reference to the manga universe Naruto. The "Byakugan" is a special pupil that allows seeing through matter and beings. According to Radio France, it's a beautiful metaphor: this opus is meant to be introspective. Kaaris casts a lucid, unfiltered, and sometimes brutal look at his own journey in the music industry.

Goodbye autotune, welcome to "violence" and "grime"

Musically, Byakugan delivers on its promises. The assessment from specialized media like Generations is clear: autotune is almost banned from the project in favor of a assumed verbal aggression and nonstop "kicking".

Kaaris's writing has evolved. It is more direct, more brutal here, sometimes abandoning the complexity of his old metaphors to aim for pure efficiency.

Among the 14 tracks, note in particular:

• "Le Sevranais" and "Huracan": Raw tracks that recall the warrior aesthetic of early Kaaris.
• "Deuxième prime": A track with an evocative title where you feel the incandescent energy of the Or Noir era.
• "Rajel" and "Van Halen": Two tracks where the Dozo particularly focuses on technique.
• "Camp des Loges": The only real breathing space of the project, a slightly softer and "radio-friendly" track, but coherently integrated into the tracklist.

Is the Dozo in his "Deuxième Prime"?

In recent years, part of the public whispered that Kaaris was "outdated." The rapper, confident he suffered from the "unbeatable classic" syndrome following the huge success of Or Noir in 2013, had already silenced critics recently thanks to "Vision", his highly noticed feature with La Fouine.

Byakugan confirms this dynamic. However, opinions remain divided:

• For purists and critics (Générations, Fnac): It's a real success. We are talking about a Kaaris in his "second prime," offering almost a spiritual and thematic sequel to Or Noir. On social media, many call it a "killer" or "album of the year."
• For the more skeptical: Some see a somewhat "reheated" or caricatural side, believing the artist locks himself into what new listeners in 2026 expect from him: shock and gratuitous violence.

Conclusion

Whether you shout nostalgic genius or lack of renewal, one thing is certain: Kaaris still puts as much passion into his art. With Byakugan, he proves he refuses to give up the crown of French hardcore rap. A must-listen for any self-respecting rap fan!