Unikkatil (birth name Viktor Palokaj, also known as Rebel a.k.a. Unikkatil; born in 1981 in Pristina – Kosovo) is a successful rapper and producer from Kosovo , who is generally viewed and as the ‘King’ (also self proclaimed) of the Albanian hip-hop scene.
He has been one of the prolific pioneers of Shqip Rap (Albanian Rap) since 1994. Unikkatil has continued producing successful tunes while living in the Bronx, New York and in Kosovo. Unikkatil raps in Albanian and English though his main focus is in the Albanian language.
In the late 90s/early 21st century Shqip Rap was mostly commercial based until Unikkatil brought something fresh to the game, gangster rap. Gangster rap did exist in one form or another in Albanian rap however it was never popularized and never really grabbed the attention of a greater audience. The skillful delivery, witty metaphorical rhymes of Unikkatil changed the game and many rap artists have taken his direction, leaving the commercial party scene with soft, simple rhythmitic and to the point hip-hop behind. Although Viktor has gained fame recently he has been around for quite a long time. He actually started recording songs such as “Demokraci” (Democracy) and “Ta Zhdukim Policinë” (Let’s Vanish The Police) way back in 1992. At the age of only 12 he recorded his first professional song entitled “Zinxhirët Qe S’kputen” (Chains That Don’t Break) . Viktor moved to the USA in 1996 because of trouble back home in Kosovo. There, in the heavily Albanian populated Bronx, he got along with many of other Kosovars and Albanians and started producing music. In 1998 he, along with fellow Albanians, created a joking-around freestyle and in the same year he created a song called “If I Die U Die” which is considered by many as the best ‘American-style’ rap song ever made by an Albanian. Ever since many people (Albanians) have competed against him, many rivals that is. Many people have a lot of influence about the songs he sings. Especially Albanians from Kosovo. He has received a lot of public attention in Europe & USA.
The brand new solo album by Unikkatil was released on December 17th 2007, “Kanuni i Katilit” hit stores mainly in Kosovo and other Albanian populated areas. Several reviews have described it as Unikkatil’s best work and one of the best Albanian Rap albums of all time giving extremely positive critique. The album includes 14 tracks and features affiliates such as Presioni, N.A.G, Rameka, Barooti and many other members. One of the significant changes to the album is Pristine, (not to be confused with Andronika) the female singer which sings the hooks of two of the songs in the album. Unikkatil has featured her before but as a minor role, and now the combination of her beautiful vocals and the deep songs seem to have truly touched a lot of people of all ages, which we can not say about his earlier group projects since the target audience in the earlier releases was the younger crowd. Many believe this is a positive turn towards his music but some agree that he needs to stay with his hardcore image.
The 12 tracks are as follows:
- Intro
- Cubat feat. The Bloody Alboz, Presioni, N.A.G. & V.e. B
- Kur Qes Kanun feat. Klepto & N.A.G.
- Rob’t E Frik’s
- T’qoj Pesh feat. VZ
- Skit
- Kaj feat. Pristine
- Nëpër Çka’do feat. Tribun & Sacrifice
- Shtigjet E Vërteta feat. Pristine
- Mentaliteti Jem feat. D.M.K. & Rameka
- Caku I Arritun
- Se Skom Qare feat. Presioni
- Inati feat. DMC & Kobra
- Skit
- Kanuni I Katilit
- Pak Urti feat. Rameka & Dredha
- Shihemi N’Përkujtime
- Outro
The recorded sales in his homeland have been recorded as 13,000 copies in 3 days. In comparison to superstardom musicians such as 50 Cent this may seem like minor sales, however, considering that in a country where the population covers about 2 million people and the short time of 3 days this can be seen as a huge win for Unikkatil.
