Behind the Sound: Katori Walker
Epidemic Sound’s artists make our company sing. Join West Coast rapper Katori Walker for the seventh edition of Behind the Sound.
Epidemic Sound is the world’s premier soundtracking platform because of our artists. Together, we help everyone from brand-new creators to household brands find their voice — that’s worth shouting about.
Today, we’re heading into the seventh edition of Behind the Sound, in which we celebrate the musicians who’re taking Epidemic Sound to the next level. This month, it’s West Coast rapper Katori Walker.
Hailing from Pasadena, California, Katori’s honed his craft for more than twenty years. He doesn’t shy away from his influences, paying homage to hip-hop legends like Ice Cube and newer stars like Kendrick Lamar. The former’s G-funk roots, the latter’s vulnerable honesty, the raw aggression of both — it’s all there.
Katori’s shared lineups with everyone from J. Cole to JPEGMAFIA, Doja Cat to Vince Staples. His music’s been streamed more than 1.6 billion times on YouTube alone, and his 2024 single, Himothy, featured in the Sidemen’s hit reality show, Inside.
Katori Walker is unapologetically himself, wearing his heart on his sleeve — nowhere is this clearer than his new album, The War Within. Ahead of the record’s release in October, we sat down with Katori to discuss his lyrical style, pre-recording rituals, and…crypto?
How does growing up in Pasadena come through in your sound?
Katori Walker: “[It’s] the lingo, it’s the slang, [it’s] the word-play — it’s all over. Pasadena. It’s just in me.”
What’s the one thing people misunderstand about West Coast rap today?
KW: “I don’t think there’s any misunderstandings about West Coast rap right now. I think we got everybody’s attention and everybody got put on notice, especially with the Kendrick and Drake beef.”
You put so much of your life into your lyrics. Is there a specific bar that was the hardest to perform and record?
KW: “When I made the song about my brother and his death [Ormoni], and coming to terms with the fact that he actually died. [They were] some of the hardest bars to say out loud.”
Do you ever record a verse and think, ‘This one’s just for me’?
KW: “Yeah, I record a lot of music that’s just for me, that the world will never hear. That’s therapeutic.”
Is there a particular song of yours that felt like therapy to make?
KW: “[I] have a song that [isn’t] out, called Superhuman. I have another song called I Need a Hug…which is also not released. But those songs feel like therapy, as you can see by the titles!”
What’s something you’ve learned about yourself through making music?
KW: “That I’m much more driven than I thought I was, and much more focused.”
What’s the first sound you remember falling in love with?
KW: “The first song that I remember falling in love with was the Fugees’ Killing Me Softly With His Song. I remember when I was a kid, that song [would] come on [and] it always made me feel something. I don’t know what feeling it made me feel, but it was a beautiful feeling.”
What’s something you do before you step into the recording booth, that no one sees?
KW: “I usually go on a walk in the morning, or I’ll prepare my desk with my coffee.”
Do you freestyle with intention or write with structure?
KW: “Every song that I’ve written is always structured — nothing is by accident.”
What’s your go-to creative reset when you’re stuck?
KW: “I have to listen to music that made me fall in love with music, if that makes sense. I have to go back to the roots.”
What would you name the chapter of your life you’re in right now, and what’s the soundtrack?
KW: “The chapter of my life right now will be called The War Within, and the soundtrack comes out October of this year!”
You started rapping at the age of nine. If you could go back and give your nine-year-old self one piece of advice about this journey, what would it be?
KW: “Buy Bitcoin!”
Katori Walker’s music is available on all major streaming platforms.
Listen to Katori Walker’s Epidemic Sound discography below, and keep an eye out for the next edition of Behind the Sound.
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