Filipino hip hop can be divided into two main categories: hip hop as performed and followed in the Philippines, and hip hop performed and followed by people of Filipino descent overseas, mostly among Filipino Americans in the United States. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
At present, there are striking differences between the two, with the former taking a more old school style approach to rapping and orchestration. Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded Hip hop music (1979–1984 and often by extension the music in the period preceding it ( see Roots Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and This can be understood by the fact that many Filipino people follow current American hip hop artists, and may simply see the difference as being that of American hip hop sounding one way and Filipino hip hop sounding another. The United States is the nation of origin of Hip hop, a cultural movement that began in the 1970s in New York City, among primarily African American and Another interesting fact about the former is that although there is strong support for underground artists through area affiliation or artist collectives, the vast majority of hip hop artists in the Philippines are seen by the strongly Catholic Filipino society as socially unfavorable, due to the mature nature of some of their lyrics which often portray the harsh realities of a developing country; while the latter, due to their immediate surroundings in more productive areas of hip hop as well as economical advantages, are able to perform and orchestrate in current styles and branches of hip hop, giving content and listening choice a wide array of options, and unlike in the Philippines, the youth-oriented culture of many western countries attribute to many Filipino-American or overseas Filipinos support of these overseas Filipino hip hop artists. Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties However, a growing number of Philippine hip hop artists in the Philippines have been orchestrating and rapping in styles closer to Hip hop variants followed worldwide today, showing a new wave of outside-in influence. The Philippines has the oldest hip hop scene in Southeast Asia, largely due to that nation's historical connections with the United States, the birthplace of hip hop. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Filipino rap is heterogeneous, encompassing rap in languages such as Tagalog, Chavacano, and Cebuano, as well as English. Tagalog is one of the major languages used in the Philippines. Chavacano (as a proper noun and a derivative of the Spanish adjective " chabacano " and as it is generally accepted in literature the broadcast media "Cebuano" redirects here For the inhabitants of Cebu see Cebuano people Cebuano (Cebuano Sinugbuanon, "language English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The musical style has become as diverse as hip-hop music itself with such sub-genres as Kalye (Street), Masa (Commercial), Makabayang (Ethnocentric/Socially conscious), Gangsta, and underground rap. Underground Hip-hop, Underground Rap, or Undie (to draw comparison to "indie" or independent rock is an Umbrella term for Hip-hop
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History
Origins: The roots of hip-hop in the Islands
The beginnings of hip-hop culture in the Philippines can be attributed to several main factors; the innate of them being the heavy influx of American musical styles in that country as reflected in the widespread popularity during the 1960s of Motown artists The Temptations, The Supremes and The Jackson Five and later in the 1970s of Funk, Soul and Disco music. Hip hop is a Subculture, which is said to have begun with the work of DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and Afrika Bambaattaa "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. The Temptations (sometimes abbreviated as The Temps or The Tempts) are a Grammy -winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful The Supremes were an American female singing group that first formed as a quartet called The Primettes The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, and later known as The Jacksons) was an American popular music Family Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define Bands such as The Commodores, The Gap Band, James Brown, Con Funk Shun, The Bar-Kays and Earth, Wind and Fire among many others received heavy rotation on Manila airwaves. The Commodores were a highly successful Funk / soul band of the 1970s and 1980s The Gap Band are a US R&B, Funk and Soul music group who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s with their heavily-charged dance anthems James Joseph Brown Jr (May 3 1933 – December 25 2006 commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" the "King of Funk" and "The Con Funk Shun is a former American R&B and Funk band popular in the 1970s and 1980s The Bar-Kays are a popular soul, R&B, and Funk group which began performing in 1966 and continue to perform today although with only one Earth Wind & Fire is an African - American Funk band led by Maurice White that achieved worldwide success in the 1970s The future importation of hip hop culture and music, similar to the previous genres mentioned can be credited to the direct contact Filipinos received with both Americans and Filipino Americans, or as they are commonly called balikbayans, stemming from the root words "balik" meaning to come back and "bayan" loosely translating into hometown or homeland. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. [1]
The intimate relationship between hip-hop culture and the large Filipino American community along the United States West Coast naturally resulted in the exportation of rap music back to the Philippines. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Numerous cassette tapes, videos, books and magazines concerning hip hop issues and popular rap artists would be sent out by Filipinos to family members back in the islands. :]
The towns and barrios surrounding the numerous American military bases that were scattared throughout that country such as Clark Air Base in Angeles City and Subic Bay Naval Base in Olongopo were among the earliest to be exposed to the culture; as contact with African-American, Filipino American and Latino servicemen resulted in some of the earliest exposure the locals had to the new musical genre. Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles US Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair supply and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa [2]
Groundbreaking hip hop films such as Wild Style (1983), Breakin' (1984) and Krush Groove (1985) were also major influences; and as early as 1982 local breakdancing crews like the Angeles City based Whooze Co. Wild Style was the first hip hop Motion picture. Released independently in 1982 by First Run Features and later re-released for home video This article is about the 1984 movie; for other breakin' or breaking references see Breaking. "Krush Groove" is a 1985 Warner Bros film written by Ralph Farquhar and directed by Michael Schultz (who also produced the movie along Angeles City (Lungsod ng Angeles Kapampangan: Ciudad ning Angeles) geographically located within the province of Pampanga in the Philippines International, with members consisting primarily from Clark Air Base, The Eclipse (whose former members included Francis Magalona, Dance 10's Darwin Tuason and current Federation Sounds' Glenn "Kico" Lelay), Info-Clash Breakers and Ground Control (members included Rap Master Fordy, later to be known as Andrew E. Francis Duran Magalona or as he is also known FrancisM, Master Rapper, and The Man From Manila is credited as being the first Filipino rapper in the and Jay "Smooth" MC of Bass Rhyme Posse) became mainstays in local parks and malls in and around the Metro Manila area such as Glorietta Mall, which was an early hotspot for breakers. Glorietta is a large shopping mall in the Ayala Center in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Several mobile DJ crews of the era included such names as the Rock All Parties Crew which emerged onto the scene only to produce such future Pinoy rap pioneers as Andrew E. and Norman B.
1980s: Seeds of a movement, from the South Bronx to Metro Manila
The birth of Filipino hip hop music (commonly called Pinoy Rap and its emcees Rapistas) came in the early 1980s, with early records from Dyords Javier (Na Onseng Delight)[3] and Vincent Dafalong (Nunal), both records released in 1980. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Early influences on the genre included American hip-hop icons Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, The Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Run-D.M.C., Ice T, KRS-ONE & Boogie Down Productions and Eric B. and Rakim among many others. Joseph Saddler (born January 1, 1958 in Bridgetown Barbados) better known as Grandmaster Flash, is an American Hip hop musician The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop and Funk group known mostly for their biggest hit " Rapper's Delight " the first hip hop Curtis Walker (born 9 August 1959) better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is one of the first commercially successful rappers and Run-DMC was a pioneering hip hop group during the 1980s founded by Joseph "[The Reverend] Run" Simmons, Darryl "D Lawrence Krishna Parker (born August 20 1965) better known by his stage name KRS-One, is an American Rapper. Boogie Down Productions was a hip hop group originally comprised of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. Eric Barrier ( Eric B) and William Barrier Griffin Jr ( Rakim) were a hip-hop duo known as Eric B
The genre developed an underground following in Metro Manila during the 1980s. Metropolitan Manila ( Filipino: Kalakhang Maynila, Kamaynilaan) or the National Capital Region (NCR ( Filipino: Pambansang In late 1989, former DJ and breakdancer Andrew E. , or, as he was then called, Rap Master Fordy, introduced two of his friends from the mobile DJ group Rock All Parties Crew, Norman B. and Andy "Luv" MD, to J "Smooth" MC, an acquaintance from Andrew's breakdancing days. The trio would go on to form the group Pine Rhyme (for Las Piñas City, the area from which they hailed), later to be renamed the Bass Rhyme Posse. The City of Las Piñas ( Filipino: Lungsod ng Las Piñas) (population 472780 2000 Census is a city in the National [4] The pioneering act was Pinoy hip hop's first rap group and would release their self-titled debut album on VIVA Records in 1991 which spawned the cult hits Let the Beat Flow, Buhay Estudyante (Student Life) and Juan T. VIVA Records is Philippine Record label. It is subsidiary of VIVA Entertainment. becoming the genre's first rap group to release a record. [5]
The genre soon entered the mainstream with Francis Magalona's debut album, Yo!, which included the nationalistic hit "Mga Kababayan (My Countrymen)". Francis Duran Magalona or as he is also known FrancisM, Master Rapper, and The Man From Manila is credited as being the first Filipino rapper in the An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public In Popular music, a chart-topper is an extremely popular recording, identified by its inclusion in a ranked list&mdasha Chart &mdashof top Magalona (widely known by the aliases Francis M. , The Man from Manila, and Master Rapper), a former breakdancer from the The Eclipse crew who rapped in both English and Tagalog, became an instant superstar and the first rap icon in the Philippines as a result. Breakdance, breaking, b-boying or b-girling is a Street dance style that evolved as part of the hip hop movement among Tagalog is one of the major languages used in the Philippines. "Super Star" redirects here for the Sibel Tüzün song see Süper Star. [6]
More stars followed in Magalona's footsteps, including Pia Arroyo who's (Loving You) duet track with Francis M. marked the first time a female had rapped on record in the country, Lady Diane (The First Lady of Rap), Andrew E. (Humanap Ka Ng Pangit) (Look For Someone Ugly), Bass Rhyme Posse (The Bass Rhyme Posse), Denmark (I'm Markie D. Andrew Espiritu (born July 31, 1965) better known as Andrew E !), Michael V. (Maganda Ang Piliin) (Pick Someone Pretty), Rapasia (Hoy! Tsismosa), Marcelo (Di Ka Ba Marunong Umayaw), Rapi Boys, and MC Lara, who released a self-titled album. AM Kidd and Topkat are Filipino-American rappers emerging from the Bay Area rap scene.
1990s: The Golden Age
Known as the "Golden Age" of Pinoy Hip Hop, the 1990s marked the beginning of many rapid stylistic innovations beginning in 1991 with the establishment of the Disco Mix Club Philippines which was one of the earliest platforms for Philippine DJ mixing battles. Disco Mix Club (DMC is a DJ Remix service founded by Tony Prince which began as a radio show (Disco Mix Club Show in 1981 on Radio Luxembourg Early innovators of the style included DJs Carlo Yalo, Noel Macanaya, Rod "DVS" Torres and Omar Lacap among others. [7]
Following the path set forth by their Bass Rhyme predecessors, the tri-lingual rap group Rapasia released their self-titled debut record in 1991, garnering the hit "Hoy! Tsismosa". One of the earliest Filipino hip hop groups to embrace such an abstract format, the album's lyrical content often contained a mixture of various Philippine languages (including Tagalog and Chavacano) along with English. Tagalog is one of the major languages used in the Philippines. Chavacano (as a proper noun and a derivative of the Spanish adjective " chabacano " and as it is generally accepted in literature the broadcast media [8] Rapasia's innovative style would later be built upon years later by other Pinoy rap groups such as Zamboanga's Ghost 13. Rapasia's members included Martin "Bronx" Magalona, brother of Pinoy rap entrepreneur Francis Magalona.
MastaPlann was also another group that did all their music in English. The group had 3 deejays and 2 mc's. The mc's were known as Type (Johnny Luna) and Tracer One (Butch Velez brother of famous actor Vivian Velez). MastaPlann released 3 albums that went multi platinum. Mastaplann is an all-Filipino Hip Hop group that was formed in 1992 in the Philippines, with original group members Butch Velez aka Tracer One, Johnny Luna aka Type Slickk, Disco Mix Competition DJs Sonny Abad, Noel Macanaya aka DJ MOD, Lopi Guzman aka DJ Lopi, and managed by Jesse Gonzales. Butch and Johnny were balikbayans from the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles, CA, Sonny a balikbayan from Hercules, CA, near the San Francisco Bay Area and Noel and Lopi native Filipinos. In 1992, Mastaplann was signed by Universal Records, where they released two records; in 1993, their debut eponymous release, and in 1994, The Way of tha Plann. These albums eventually obtained platinum status and are still selling worldwide. In 1995, Butch and Johnny went back to the states to take a hiatus from the scene. In 2000, they released a third album through BMG Records, under the new sub-label, Red Egg Records entitled Mastaplann. com, an obvious reference to their newly developed website. Additionally, the group scaled down their line-up to just Butch and Johnny, and then added Johnny Krush, another balikbayan from the San Francisco area. This album has already obtained gold status in the Philippines, and is also still selling. Currently, the group is based in the States where they still perform and make music. Mastaplann is currently working on their fourth album, yet to be titled, to be released under True Asiatik Productionz.
The following year marked a turning point for Pinoy rap with the release of Francis M. 's influential second album, Rap Is Francis M (1992), which is highly regarded as one of the greatest Pinoy Rap albums. Pinoy is a Demonym referring to Filipino people in the United States, the Philippines and around the world. Ushering in a socially-awoken wave not seen in the Philippine music industry since the heydey of Juan De La Cruz, Sampaguita and 1970s Pinoy rock; Magalona's tracks dissected the various cultural, social & political problems that plagued his country such as drug addiction in "Mga Praining" (The Addicts), political corruption and instability in "Halalan" (Election) as well as the detrimental effects of a colonial mentality to Filipino culture in "Tayo'y Mga Pinoy" (We Are Filipinos), the record's complexity and socially sentient message quickly earned it its classic status and became the standard by which future albums of the genre were to be compared to. Pinoy Rock, or Filipino Rock, is the brand of Rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. Colonial mentality refers to institutionalised or systemic feelings of inferiority within some societies or peoples who have been subjected to Colonialism, relative to the Magalona's enduring contributions to the genre would later be recognized in the All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-Hop (2003) published by Backbeat Books;[9] as well as in the U. S. -based hip hop publication The Source (magazine) (May 2004). The Source is a United States -based monthly full-color Magazine covering Hip-hop music, Politics, and culture, founded in
In 1994, going against the wave of radio-friendly rap tracks that dominated at the time, Death Threat released the first Filipino gangsta rap album which told tales of the daily lives and struggles impoverished Filipino youth faced growing up in the slums of Metro Manila's barrios entitled Gusto Kong Bumaet (I Want To Be Good). Death Threat are pioneering Gangsta rap artists in the Philippines composed of MCs Beware For the Ice T album see Gangsta Rap (album. Gangsta rap is a term originated by the mainstream media to describe a certain subgenre Barrio is a Spanish word meaning District or Neighborhood. The Word has come into use in English mostly through the large [10]
In 1997, the underground Pinoy rap group Pamilia Dimagiba released their groundbreaking album Broke-N-Unsigned on Tenement Records, marking the re-emergence of the conscious emcee in Pinoy rap. A coalition of sorts, Pamilia Dimagiba composed itself of several underground Pinoy rappers and crews such as 8th Messenger, Shadowblyde, Spoon, Murder-1 of Khan's Assassins and Young Galaxy of Iron Triangle among others. The raw seven-track, politically minded album was a breath of fresh air at the time; as Pinoy rap during the era had taken a more hardcore, gangster persona. Known for their coarse lyrics, serious subject matter complemented by heavy beats fused within traditional Filipino folk music; the camp's records by the names of "Duelo", "Manila's Finest", "Reality Hurtz" and "Brainstorming" among others were largely in essence a throwback to the early, nationalistic Francis M. inspired days of the genre. [11]
Another Filipino hip hop artist who achieved prominence during the 1990s is the formerly Los Angeles-based DJ Andrew E. (born Andrew Espiritu), whose tracks "Humanap Ka Ng Panget" and "Makati Girl" (as done by Norman B. Andrew Espiritu (born July 31, 1965) better known as Andrew E of Bass Rhyme Posse; was the first Pinoy rap track recorded to contain beatboxing) became monster hits in the Philippines, rivaling even Francis M. 's previously untouchable reign on top Pinoy rap's throne. Prior to landing a recording contract, the rapper had competed in various rap contests around the Philippines; the likes of which also produced Pinoy rap stars Michael V. , Denmark and Martin "Bronx" Magalona. Andrew E. 's 1991 hit "Humanap Ka Ng Pangit" (Look For Someone Ugly) was the first to spawn a plethora of response records from other rappers in the country, such as Michael V. 's "Maganda Ang Piliin" (Pick Someone Pretty). The rapper's ability to combine unique storytelling with raunchy and humorous wordplay laced with catchy beats made Andrew the first of his kind in the genre. [12] He then went on to release a movie entitled Andrew Ford Medina: Huwag Kang Gamol in 1991 which was the first film in the Philippines to include a full-on freestyle battle on screen. Freestyle rap is an Improvisational form of Rapping, performed with few or no previously composed Lyrics, which is said to reflect a direct mapping of the By the mid-1990s he had established his own record label, the controversial Dongalo Wreckords, as well as many successful rap groups, including Cebuano rappers The Anthill Mobb, Madd Poets and Bicolano rappers Salbakuta. "Cebuano" redirects here For the inhabitants of Cebu see Cebuano people Cebuano (Cebuano Sinugbuanon, "language For the macrolanguage Bikol see Bikol languages. Bikol refers to Central Bicolano (also known as Bikol Central The former, known for their complex and versatile lyrical ability achieved fame with their debut album Ikatlong Mundo. In 1997, Andrew E. produced and hosted the first Pinoy rap television show, Rap 13. Other popular rap artists and groups included Cirkulo Pugantes, El Latino, Mastaplann, Verbal Sativa, Kulay, Legit Misfitz, Pariente, Urban Flow, Sun Valley Crew, and Mega Force Crew (*formerly known as Grand Assault Tribe).
Millennium and beyond: The New School
The opening years of the 2000s witnessed Pinoy rap transform from being considered a novelty or fad into a full fledged phenomenon, rivaling that of Pinoy rock's traditional stronghold in popularity amongst the island nation's youths, as well as in the national music industry. Pinoy Rock, or Filipino Rock, is the brand of Rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. Rap artists such as Salbakuta, Pikaso, Krook and J. O. L. O. , Mike Swift, Mobbstarr: DiCE & k9, Los Indios Bravos, 7 Shots of Wisdom, Mista Blaze, Nimbusnine, Krazykyle & the Rapskallion Familia, Kruzzada, and Carlos Agassi dominated the music charts with hits such as "S2pid Luv," "On Your Own," "The Answer," and "Anak Ni Luningning. The Amir of Rap Amir Carlos Dámaso Vahidi Agassi (born December 12, 1979 in Makati City, Philippines " In 2002, Carlo Maniquiz and Nick Tuason together with the assistance of FUBU's headquarters in New York City established FUBU Philippines clothing; opening up several chains of stores around the islands, and along with the King of Pinoy Rap himself Francis M. The City of New York , launched a compilation album of the same name later that year showcasing a basic who's who of local hip-hop talents. [13]
In 2003, Death Threat member Gloc 9 (born Aries Pollisco) released his solo debut album entitled G9, scoring such hits as "Isang Araw", "Sikat Na Si Pepe" and "Jologs" among others; making his solo arrival known to the Philippine music industry the record was an instant hit. Death Threat are pioneering Gangsta rap artists in the Philippines composed of MCs Beware The album would be followed up by 2005's memoiric Ako Si. . . Gloc 9, the rapid-tongued emcee's career has since been elevated to new heights and is considered to be one of the most acclaimed and popular rapistas within the genre today. [14]
Hip-Hop group MOBBSTARR, consisting of Cebuano rappers Dice & k9 scored a phenomenal hit with the song "Itsumo", further establishing their role as premier southern Filipino rap artists.
On August 22, 2006, AMPON Absolute Messages Personified Over Noise dropped their debut album "Dekoding Rhythm"; a compilation consisting of both primarily English & Tagalog tracks by producers Mic, Caliph8, Chec, and Skarm among others. [15]
Rap Rift: Tagalog vs. English Lyricists
The nationwide success of artists such as MOBBSTARR: Dice and K-9. , Krook and J. O. L. O. , Pikaso, 7 Shots and Sun Valley Crew who primarily use English lyrics in their tracks has given way to the on going divide between the two main types of rappers in the country: Tagalog and English. Tagalog is one of the major languages used in the Philippines. With tracks consisting of English lyrics such as "On Your Own" dominating the Philippine air waves, several Tagalog based emcees have felt a sort of bias in the Philippine music industry, favoring Pinoy hip hop artists who use English rather than MCs who choose to use Tagalog or other native Philippine languages in their rhymes. In Philippines there are over 170 languages almost all of them belong to the Austronesian language family. Those who rapped in tagalog believed that rapping in their native language give them the identity of being a Filipino rapper. The conflict between the two sides became evident in several events such as the 2004 Black Eyed Peas concert in Manila in which local rapper Mike Swift's Tagalog-based track was cut short halfway through the song due to the unofficial "English Only" policy towards the BEP's opening acts being enforced by the event's organizers. The Black Eyed Peas is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles. [16] Drawing the boundary line between the two styles of rappers, the popular rap act Salbakuta recorded the track, "Ayoko Ng Ganitong. . . " whose lyrics partly attacked such "English Only" Pinoy rap artists. like"topdawg"
Junior Rapistas
The widespread popularity of Pinoy rap in and around the islands has resulted in the spawning of a new breed of Pinoy emcees: Junior Rapistas. Far from being a new trend, Jamie "Baby" Magtuto and her 1991 hit single "Eh! Kasi Bata" ('Cause I'm a Kid) was an early example of Pinoy kiddie rappers. The single was also included in the soundtrack for Jamie's motion picture debut of the same name released later that year. [17]
The 2000s saw the resurgence of grade school rappers in Filipino Hip Hop. See also Primary education An elementary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory education known as elementary 2005 was a breakthrough for kid rappers in the Philippines as Aikee, through the Madd World/Circulo Pugantes Camp released his debut Ang Bawat Bata (Every Child) on Alpha Music and at eleven years of age, became the youngest Filipino rapper to release a full rap album,[18] and as a result has become one of the most popular mainstream rappers in that country. [19] Other notable junior rapistas include Lil' Kix (Dongalo Wreckords),[20] Xylk (Real Deal Productions)[21] and the duo Kid Rappah (Dongalo Wreckords)[22]
Other elements of hip hop
The art of MCing or rapping in Filipino hip hop is also represented in other forms such as battle rapping, or freestyling. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Freestyle rap is an Improvisational form of Rapping, performed with few or no previously composed Lyrics, which is said to reflect a direct mapping of the Freestyle rap is an Improvisational form of Rapping, performed with few or no previously composed Lyrics, which is said to reflect a direct mapping of the Several annual contests such as the Fête de la Musique[23] and the Blazin' Freestyle Battle are held annually within the Philippines specifically aimed at showcasing such talents; often drawing masses of undiscovered, amateur Pinoy rapistas.
Many other aspects of Filipino hip hop are embodied in other elements such as turntablism, with DJs DJ Coki, DJ Kimozave, DJ Rocky Rock, DJ Arbie Won, and DJ Sir Scratch among others. Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer. Philippine-based DJ crews such as The Megateam, Spindicate Posse and Samahang Ng Mga Turntabolista sa Pilipinas (S. T. P. ) dominate DJing competitions such as the Disco Mix Club Philippines. Disco Mix Club (DMC is a DJ Remix service founded by Tony Prince which began as a radio show (Disco Mix Club Show in 1981 on Radio Luxembourg Artists representing other elements include b-boy crews like The Battle Krew (TBK), Tru Asiatik Tribe (TAT) and The Balikbayan Tribe (BBT), grapistas or graffiti crews such as, SBA CRU, UAT, Elemento Syento Porsyento, Estrella Pasay Grafixerz (E. Graffiti (singular graffito; the plural is used as a Mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched scrawled painted or marked in any manner on property P. G), Farm Friends Kolektib (FFK), CIS as well as beatboxers like Christopher Oreo a. k. a. BoomBuster, Cool MC Norman B. of the Filipino rap group Bass Rhyme Posse.
Filipino American hip hop
Birth of a culture
United States hip hop shares a rich history and deep connection within the Filipino American community. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Filipino American hip hop culture bases its long historical roots beginning in the Filipino, Latino and African-American neighborhoods along the West Coast, specifically in the Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The " West Coast " " Western Seaboard " or " Pacific Seaboard " are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the The movement that had been born in the south Bronx among Jamaican, Puerto Rican and African American youth in turn had its West Coast identity formed within the respective African American, Filipino and Latino communities. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Puerto Ricans in the United States (also referred to as the "Puerto Rican Diaspora," " Nuyorican " "Stateside Puerto Ricans" "mainland African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Similar to the Filipino American zoot suiters, be-boppers and ballroom dancers of previous generations, the dynamics within these respective communities would reincarnate itself once again in the form of hip hop. A Zoot suit (also spelled Zuit Suit) is a suit with high-waisted wide-legged tight-cuffed pegged trousers and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded [24] Since the 1990 Census, Filipino Americans have made up the second largest Asian Pacific American group in the United States (after Chinese Americans),[25] and until 2000 were the largest Asian group in California. In West Coast hip hop, their role has been comparable to that of Puerto Rican artists on the East Coast, who were an integral part, along with African Americans, in the creation of the foundations of hip hop culture.
As early as the late 1970s, during hip hop's infancy, pioneering mobile Bay Area Filipino mobile DJ crews such as Sound Explosion, Unlimited Sounds, Electric Sounds, Fusion, Ladda Sounds, Ultimate Creations, Sound City Productions, Kicks Company, Images, Non-Stop Boogie, Imperial Sounds, and Sound Sequence among many others helped capitalize on the massive Filipino party scene by introducing the newly formed genre of music while spreading its popularity throughout South San Francisco and its surrounding areas through paid gigs on house/block parties, family gatherings, school pep rallies, weddings and church halls; primarily playing and mixing electro funk alongside Latin freestyle. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, located on the San Francisco Electro ( electro-boogie, electro-funk) is a Genre of Electronic music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 and Funk Freestyle or Latin Freestyle, also called Latin Hip Hop in its early years is a form of Electronic music that is heavily influenced by Latin American Rival crews would often one-up each other by showcasing superior equipment and providing elaborate set-ups. Early mobile DJ stars included DJ Ren, (born Rene Anies) founder of one of the first Filipino American DJ crews Electric Sounds and DJ D-Styles, (born Dave Cuasito) who in 1987 established the mobile DJ crew Sound City Productions. [26] In 1983, a real-estate agent by the name of Mark Bradford established Imagine, which began primarily as a showcase for Filipino DJ talent in and around the Bay Area and came to serve as the premier event for DJs until the founders untimely murder in 1991. The movement would reach its pinnacle in 1987, when more than one hundred mobile DJ crews would participate in all important DJ sound clashes and showcases. By the late 1980s, the mobile DJ movement had declined in popularity and had given way to the turntablist, largely due to the rise of Q-Bert and the innovation of scratching within the DJ community. The legacy of the mobile DJ would live on however; due to the fact that many of the Bay Area turntablists that would go on to define the art in the 1990s such as Q-Bert himself, along with DJ Shortkut often had their beginnings in mobile DJ work. [27] Also in New York City, early hip hop musician and Salsa legend Joe Bataan (half Filipino and half African American) had one of the first rap hits, "Rap-O Clap-O," in 1979, released on his Salsoul label. Joe Bataan (also spelled Bataán) (born 1942 in Spanish Harlem, New York City) is an Afro-Filipino American Latin R&B musician This article is about the record label SalSoul is also the name of a Puerto Rican Salsa radio station [28] In 1980, DJ Nasty Nes (of Rap Attack fame) of Seattle launched the specialty show "Freshtracks" on Seattle's 1250 KFOX introducing the first ever hip-hop radio station on the West Coast. He would than later go on to serve as the DJ for pioneering Seattle rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot. Sir Mix-a-Lot or Sir Mixalot (born Anthony Ray, August 12, 1963) is a Grammy Award -winning rapper and producer [29]
In the 1980s, several legendary Filipino B-Boy groups such as the Renegade Rockers, Knuckleneck Tribe, Rock Force Crew, Daly City Breakers, Jughead Tribe and Concrete Rockers also emerged out of the bay area rivaling even the New York City based Rock Steady Crew, whose official West Coast contingent is known to consist of several Filipino American members. The City of New York Rock Steady Crew is a Breakdancing crew and hip hop group that was established in the Bronx, [30] Kalifornia Noize Terrorists' Paul Sirate, better known as P-Kid[31] emerged out of the Bay Area becoming one of the early premier breakdancers and later went on to MCing and producing, lacing tracks for the likes of the Bronx's Terror Squad and L. Terror Squad is a hip hop crew and a Record label from The Bronx, New York that was first established in 1998 on a song in the album A. 's Pharcyde. The Pharcyde is an Alternative hip hop group from the West coast of the United States Elsewhere in the Bay Area, pioneering Filipina rapper Lani Luv (born Melanie Caganot) became one of the early West Coast female MCs.
Several tagging crews such as Oakland's Those Damn Kids (TDK) were some of the originators of Graf Art on the West Coast. It was during this time in 1983 that TDK's King Dream (born Michael Francisco) surfaced out of the graf art world. Francisco utilized his pieces to celebrate, express and educate from his own Filipino American background in order to promote tolerance while simultaneously strengthening bonds with others from differing cultures, eventually achieving international recognition. [32] Now deceased, (Dream was murdered in 2000)[33] he is considered by many to have been one of the greatest and most influential graf writers who's work had been expressive of his urban environment while focusing on social issues concerning not only Filipino Americans, but also other people of color in America such as police brutality, racism, nationwide liberation and rebellion. [34]
Rise of the turntablists: Built from scratch
By the 1990s, hip hop artists of Filipino descent (particularly turntablists like Q-Bert and the Invisibl Skratch Piklz) achieved prominence and came to dominate the DJ art form of scratching, introducing the world to a more innovative style of scratching utilizing a wide variety of new techniques, including the playing of actual melodies,[35] as well as the inventions of the crab scratch, tweak scratch, strobing, and furthering the development of flare scratching. Filipinos or the Filipino people are the citizens of the Philippines. Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer. The Invisibl Skratch Piklz were a group of American / Filipino turntablists. [36] In 1996, the International Turntable Federation, which hosts the largest international turntablist competitions, was established by Alex Aquino. DJ Glaze of Long Beach's Foesum have together been staples in the West Coast gangster rap scene since the G-Funk era of the 1990s. G-funk, or Gangsta Funk, is a type of Hip hop music that emerged from West Coast Gangsta rap in the early 1990s DJ Babu (born Chris Oroc) has gained notoriety for his work with the turtablism group Beat Junkies and the alternative hip hop act Dilated Peoples. DJ Babu (born Chris Oroc) is a Filipino-American DJ. One-third of the hip hop group Dilated Peoples (alongside Rakaa Iriscience Dilated Peoples is an Underground hip hop group residing in California. Many other notable DJ champions from other countries around the world such as Canada, Australia, Japan and Germany have also been of Filipino descent. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. [37] Other notable DJs include DJ Kuttin Kandi of New York City's 5th Platoon, DJ Icy Ice of Los Angeles' KDAY 93. KDAY ( 935 The Beat FM) in Redondo Beach California is a Radio station based in South Los Angeles that airs a Hybrid Urban Adult Contemporary 5 FM and DJ E-Man from Los Angeles' Power 106 FM, DJ Marlino aka "da5footafunk" from San Diego's XHITZ-FM Z90. KPWR (1059 FM, "Power 106" is a commercial Radio station located in Los Angeles California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles XHITZ-FM (sometimes incorrectly identified as XHTZ, but known on air as Z90 3; From Washington DC Area, DJ Enferno (2003 US DMC Champ/2003 1st Runner Up DMC World), DJ Geometrix of Trooperz Crew, From Texas, DJ Manila Ice (2007 DMC US Finalist) and DJ Jester the Filipino Fist. Another long time contributor is music producer and Hawaii's 1st Hip Hop DJ Champion, Joseph Netherland, better known as, DJ ELITE of Elite Empire Entertainment, LLC. Two long time staples for entertainment in Sacramento, CA are DJ Eddie Edul and DJ Billy Lane.
The "raptivists"
Filipino American hip hop also infuses influences from the native Philippine literary art of Balagtasan, or Filipino spoken word poetry; although most Filipino American rappers primarily use English or "Taglish" in their lyrics, as opposed to their Philippine-counterparts. Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Francisco Baltazar ( April 2, 1788 &mdash February 20, 1862) known much more widely through his nom-de-plume Francisco Taglish is a Portmanteau of the words "Tagalog" and "English" which refers to the Philippine language Tagalog (or its standardized In the millennium, underground rap groups such as Blue Scholars, Native Guns (now defunct), and Kontrast have utilized this method in their styles, producing pure hip hop while promoting community activism and social consciousness through their lyrics, earning the title of "raptivists. Blue Scholars are a hip hop duo based in Seattle Washington. The duo was created in 2002 while the members Geologic and Sabzi were a part of The SHOW (Student Native Guns is an American Rap group consisting of two Filipino American MC 's and a Chinese American " Some groups, like San Jose, CA based Sons of Rebellion, also unify several communities through their music as they represent the Filipino American, African American, and Muslim experience. [38] Lyrics from Sons of Rebellion have even been used as part of a nationwide high school curriculum, for the technology based high school SiaTech, and tracks from former Native Guns member Kiwi's album Writes of Passage: Portraits of a Son Rising have also been used in a Filipino-American literature course taught at San Francisco State University. KIWI (1029 FM, "Radio Lobo" is a commercial Radio station located in McFarland California, broadcasting to the Bakersfield California San Francisco State University (informally referred to as San Francisco State, SF State, State and SFSU) is a public University Many socially conscious and community minded Filipino emcees often do benefit shows to help out the Filipino community locally and internationally. In February 2007, Filipino American emcees Kiwi, Kapatid X, Power Struggle, Praxis Roks, Blue Scholars, and Rhapsodistas joined forces with other Filipino American community artists to do a Stop the Killings benefit concert in San Francisco, CA to help raise awareness about the political climate in the Philippines. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city [39] The Stop the Killings event utilized the power of hip hop to expose the numerous amount of killings done to innocent people in the Philippines. [40] Blue Scholars and Kiwi went on to do a subsequent "Stop the Killings" tour, with shows happening in several major cities across the nation.
apl. de. ap
Perhaps one of the most successful mainstream Filipino American rappers is the Black Eyed Peas's apl.de.ap, who has released songs such as "The Apl Song" (Elephunk) and "Bebot" (Monkey Business), which not only contained Filipino (Tagalog) lyrics but also native Filipino musical elements. The Black Eyed Peas is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles. Filipino is the national and an Official language of the Philippines as designated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Pineda has also founded his own record label, Los Angeles-based Jeepney Music, to help discover and promote Filipino hip-hop talent from both the United States and the Philippines. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP
Left Coast Legacy
The future and legacy of Filipino American hip hop particularly on the West Coast is also represented in MCs such as the Bay Area's Al Beezy, Dl Da Arsun, RTIST, Mak Gee and Nump who's track records together have included collaborations with West Coast hip hop pioneers such as E-40, The Federation, Daz Dillinger, JT the Bigga Figga, Dru Down, Yukmouth, C-Bo and The Delinquents among many others along with appearances on television shows such as "MTV's My Block: The Bay"; southern California's Lucky Tha Lootgetta, and Riccy Boy (half Filipino/Samoan). Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Earl Stevens (born November 15, 1967) best known by his Stage name E-40, is a Bay Area rapper, part of the Bay Area rap Delmar Drew Arnaud (born on May 25 1973 in Long Beach California) better known by his Stage name Daz Dillinger (and formerly Dat JT the Bigga Figga born Joseph Tom is a hip hop producer / Rapper from San Francisco California 's Fillmore neighborhood Dru Down (born Darnel Robinson) is a rapper from Oakland California. Jerold Dwight Ellis III (born on October 18, 1974 in Oakland, California) better known by his Stage name Yukmouth, is Shawn Thomas, better known by his stage name C-Bo ( Abbr for Cowboy) is an African-American rapper. The Delinquents is also a 1989 movie starring Kylie Minogue The Delinquents is a 1957 motion picture which San Diego-based Gametight Inc. is a Filipino American owned record company (Bogie) which is home to many hip-hop artists such as Lucky Tha Lootgetta, as well as Tha' Frontliners, Big Wy, and Riccy Boy. Also representing the city of San Diego is the Filipino/Mexican record label South Psycho Cide Productions whose rap group, South Psycho Cide[41] have landed nominations for Best New Hip-Hop Album in 2003 and 2005 for the San Diego Music Awards. [42]
E. A. R. T. H. (Everything Around Revolves Thru Hiphop) has been making a buzz in the I. E. Inland Empire since 2002. E. A. R. T. H. consists of Write Words (Filipino), NoE, Ro Tone and Double Negative. Their first debut album E. A. R. T. H. (Everything Around Revolves Thru Hiphop) was released in 2005 indepedently, and has gain a following. They just finished recording their 2nd album "Grass Roots: From The Ground," which will be release in spring/summer 2008. You can find more information about them thru their myspace: [2]
MistaMil is a multi-talented producer/songwriter/performer and CEO of his indie label L22 Records based in Southern California which comprises a mainly Fil-Am roster. Alongside Mistamil, is Los Angeles, CA born/Philippines based MC Mister RP who is scheduled to release his highly anticipated solo debut album "Fragments of Wisdom" worldwide late 2008, with production by Illmind, Marco Polo, Shuko, Symbolyc One, Nicolay, Styalz Fuego, Budo, and more. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Southern California-based DJ Clueless (half Filipino/Salvadorean) and gangster rapper Knife (half Filipino/Spaniard), from East Los Angeles bear seemingly diverse musical styles; as is evident in the prevalence of satanic culture in his 2006 album So Satan by Adversary Ent. A knife is a handheld sharp-edged instrument consisting of handle attached to a Blade used for cutting For other uses of the word see Satanism (disambiguation. Satanism can refer to a number of belief systems depending on the user and context and Triumphant Recordings.
Pinoy Production: Chad Hugo
One of the most successful Filipino-American producers is Virginia Beach's Chad Hugo (born Charles "Chad" Hugo). Virginia Beach (pronounced /vɚˌdʒɪnjəˈbiːtʃ/ is an Independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area and one of the largest cities in Charles Hugo (born February 24, 1974) also known as Chase Chad, is a Filipino-American, Grammy Award -winning producer One half of the popular music production and writing duo The Neptunes, Hugo has along with his production partner Pharrell Williams have laced chart topping hits for the music industry's elite such as Jay-Z, Nelly, Gwen Stefani and Snoop Dogg among others. The Neptunes (or "Neptoons" is the name for the record production duo consisting of Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Cornell Haynes Jr (born November 2 1974 Highly successful Nelly has sold over 20 million records in the United States Gwen Renée Stefani (born October 3 1969 (ˈgwɛn stɛˈfɑːni is an American recording artist and Fashion designer Stefani fronts the rock band No Doubt Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr (born October 20 1971 His mother nicknamed him " Snoopy " as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of [43] Staying true to his Filipino roots he has also collaborated with many Fil-Am rappers such as The Black Eyed Peas' Apl. Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. de. ap; making an appearance in Apl's music video for "The Apl Song". [44]
The Coming of Krump/Buck
Reminiscent of the legendary Bay Area Filipino American b-boys and b-girls of the 1980s and 1990s, the new millennium has seen the recreation of that creativity in the arrival of a new generation of young Fil-Ams seeking to carve out a name and legacy for themselves in the books of hip hop through the West Coast art form of Krumping. Krumping is an urban Street dance -form that began in South Central Los Angeles by Tight Eyez and Big Mijo [45]
National outlook
Although generally associated with the West Coast with groups like Blue Scholars and Native Guns, Filipino American hip hop is increasingly represented by artists in other regions, with East Coast performers such as Knowa Lazarus and the Q-York Senate hailing from Queens, New York, Midwestern groups such as Chicago's The PACIFICS, as well as the South in TBB and Crew from Atlanta, Georgia, Baby Booda [3] from Mississippi, Koponang Kulapo in Bay Area, California and as far north of the American border as Canada, including Montreal's New Elementz and Rizal[46] and Toronto's Dopey, Dos Armados[47], Si JP[48], and COLA are just some of the few rising Filipino-Canadian hip hop artists. Blue Scholars are a hip hop duo based in Seattle Washington. The duo was created in 2002 while the members Geologic and Sabzi were a part of The SHOW (Student Native Guns is an American Rap group consisting of two Filipino American MC 's and a Chinese American Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Filipino Canadians are Asian Canadians who trace their ancestry to the Philippines or Filipino people
Films
The 2000 documentary film Beats, Rhymes and Resistance: Pilipinos and Hip Hop in Los Angeles (produced and directed by Lakandiwa de Leon, Dawn Mabalon, and Jonathan Ramos) chronicles the development of hip hop culture among Filipino Americans in Southern California during the 1990s. [49]
Radio
There were two FM stations in the Philippines that played all kinds of R&B, Hip Hop & all types of Rap music. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and These are two defunct radio stations such as Power 108 FM & BLAZIN' 105. 9 FM. These were the radio stations that recognizes the latest and the greatest Hip Hop genre. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. This was better known as Project: Hip Hop founded in 1993 by three high school friends namely DJ Caine, Satoshi & Quaizy Ileon. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) There are plans to revive the project either in another radio dial & if nothing else it can broadcast online.
Music samples
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"Duelo" Sample of Pamilia Dimagiba's "Duelo" from their 1997 album Broke-N-Unsigned. The record marked the re-emergence of the socially-conscious emcee in Filipino Hip Hop.
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Notes and references
External links
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