PINOY HIP-HOP

Filipino hip-hop or Pinoy hip hop (also known as Pinoy rap or Filo rap) is hip hop music
performed by musicians of Filipino descent, both in the Philippines and overseas,
especially by Filipino-Americans. This article focuses first on Filipino hip-hop in the
Philippines, and secondly on that in the US.

The Philippines is known to have had the first hip-hop music scene in Asia since the
early 1980s, largely due to the country's historical connections with the United States
where hip-hop originated.

Rap music released in the Philippines has appeared in different languages or dialects
such as Tagalog, Chavacano, Cebuano, Ilocano and English. In the Philippines, Francis
M and Andrew E are cited as the most influential rappers in the country, being the first
to release mainstream rap albums.

In the US, apl.de.ap of The Black Eyed Peas, Chad Hugo of The Neptunes and
N.E.R.D, Hodgy Beats of Odd Future (OFWGKTA - Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them
All) and MellowHype, and Geologic of Blue Scholars are cited as the most successful
Filipino-Americans in the hip hop industry.

History/Origins

The Philippines was a colony of the United States from 1898 to 1946. American culture
had a profound impact on that country, influencing government, social institutions, and
musical tastes. Disco, funk, and Motown soul music, popular on American military
bases, found their way onto local radio stations. Eventually, so did rap.

During the 20th century, many Filipinos immigrated to the United States in search of
better jobs. Filipinos and their families in the United States continued to share music.
Filipinos and Filipino Americans would trade rap albums, tapes, and CDs back and forth
across the Pacific Ocean, either in person or through the mail.

The towns and barrios surrounding the numerous American military bases that were
scattered throughout that country such as Clark Air Base in Angeles City and Subic Bay
Naval Base in Olongapo 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.
THE BEGINNINGS OF PINOY RAP

In 1980, the earliest rap recording came from Dyords Javier's single "Na Onseng
Delight" released by Wea Records. That same year, pioneer Vincent Dafalong released
the album Okay sa-rap, with singles "Ispraken-Delight", and " Mahiwagang Nunal".

Groundbreaking hip hop films such as Wild Style (1982), Breakin' (1984) and Krush
Groove (1985) were influences. In 1982 local breakdancing crews like the Angeles
City-based Whooze Co. 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, 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. 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.

Also in the 1980s, former Ronnie and Breakkiller Jaron Castro 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, the area from which they hailed), later to be renamed the Bass Rhyme
Posse. They are known as the pioneer of Pinoy hip hop.

MAINSTREAM POPULARITY

The genre soon entered the mainstream with Francis Magalona's debut album, Yo!
(1990), which included the nationalistic hit "Mga Kababayan". Magalona (widely known
by the aliases Francis M, The Man from Manila, and Master Rapper), a former
breakdancer from 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.

More stars followed in Magalona's footsteps, including Pia Arroyo whose ("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"),
Bass Rhyme Posse ("The Bass Rhyme Posse"), Denmark a.k.a. Mr. Bayag ("I'm Markie
D.!"), Michael V. ("Maganda Ang Piliin"), Rapasia ("Hoy! Tsismosa"), Marcelo ("Di Ka Ba
Marunong Umayaw"), M.C.M.C. a.k.a. The Triggerman ("Ayoko Na Ng Pangit"), Rapi
Boys, and MC Lara, who released a self-titled album.

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.
Early innovators of the style included DJs Carlo Yalo, Noel Macanaya, Rod "DVS"
Torres and Omar Lacap among others.

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.

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. The other two
members are Filipino-American, Ronald Jamias a.k.a. Ronski J and the Tausug born
Ben Mohammad a.k.a. Brother BM. The group was initiated via an International Rap
Competition sponsored by VIVA records and was held at the Music Museum in
Mandaluyong. Andrew E emceed the program.

Mastaplann was also another group that did all their music in English. The group had 3
DJs and 2 MCs. The MCs were known as Type (Johnny Luna) and Tracer One (Butch
Velez, brother of famous actor Vivian Velez).

They released 3 albums that went multi-platinum. The group was formed in 1992 in the
Philippines, with original group members Butch Velez a.k.a. Tracer One, Johnny Luna
a.k.a. Type Slickk, Disco Mix Competition DJs Sonny Abad, Noel Macanaya a.k.a. DJ
MOD, Lopie Guzman a.k.a. DJ Ouch (also of 89.1 DMZ-FM & RSL Sound & Lighting
Company), and managed by Jesse Gonzales and DJ GILBY. 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 Lopie 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.
The pioneering Pinoy hip hop act Bass Rhyme Posse 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." becoming the genre's first rap group to
release a record.

1992 marked a turning point for Pinoy rap with the release of Francis M's influential
second album, Rap Is Francis M, which is highly regarded as one of the greatest Pinoy
rap albums ever.

Ushering in a socially awoken wave not seen in the Philippine music industry since the
heyday 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 Praning", political corruption and instability in "Halalan" as
well as the detrimental effects of a colonial mentality to Filipino culture in "Tayo'y Mga
Pinoy".

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. 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; as well as in the U.S.-based hip hop publication The
Source (May 2004).

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 Pangit" and "Makati Girl" (as done by Norman B. of Bass Rhyme
Posse; 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" was the first to spawn a plethora of
response records from other rappers in the country, such as Michael V's "Maganda Ang
Piliin". 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. 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.

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. 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.

1994 saw the emergence of another rap group, headed by a female balikbayan from
New York. The group called 4 East Flava consisted of 3 homegrown rapistas - Von
"Mack" Padua (who was molded by Martin "The Bronxman" Magalona and now with the
group Pinoy Republic), Bernard "P-Slick" Santiago, and Paul "Shorty" Navarro, 2 DJs
(DJ Edge and DJ Mec), and Jug "Honeyluv" Ramos, hailing from New York who was
known as "the rose among the thorns". They brought out the hit "Check the Hood" (used
for a shoe commercial) which was misunderstood as a diss towards Mastaplann.

The same year, going against the wave of radio-friendly rap tracks that dominated at the
time, the group Death Threat, founded by rappers Beware and Genezide, 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).

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.
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, Jaymie "Baby" Magtoto and her 1991 hit single "Eh! Kasi Bata" was an early
example of Pinoy kiddie rappers. The single was also included in the soundtrack for
Jaymie's motion picture debut of the same name released later that year.

The 2000s saw the resurgence of grade school rappers in Filipino hip hop. 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 on Alpha Music and
at eleven years of age, became the youngest Filipino rapper to release a full rap album.

The rise of Philippine hip hop scene in 2000

In the new millennium, Filipino hip-hop rivalled Pinoy rock's traditional popularity
amongst Filipino youth. Artists who are currently active and have released both rap
albums and music videos in the Philippines since 1990 include: Andrew E, Denmark,
Francis M, Beware, K-OZZ, Micheal V. and Gloc-9. Other popular rap artists and groups
of the 2000s included: 2 High, 6 Signs, 7 Shots Of Wisdom, 8th District, Anak Ni
Bakuko, Lawiboi, Apokalipsis, Artstrong, Bass Rhyme Posse, BB Clan, Black Pro,
Blanktape, Boom, Brownstyle, C-4, Candy Cousart, Chill, Chinese Mafia, Circulo
Pugantes, Cris Asero, Cypha-Sis, Dagtang Lason, D-Coy, Deceivious, DFT,Defuca
Zapata, Down Earf, Dugong Pasay, Dugong Ponebre, EHP, El Latino, Flipz, Fungzoi,
Genezide, Ghetto Doggs, Gio Alvarez, Grounded, H-Bom, Heaven Scent, Hidyas Clan,
Hi-Jakkk, IPK, Jawtee, John Rendez, Johnny Krush, K-9 Killaz, Kain @ Abel,
Karayama, Katuga, Kawago, KFS, Kruzzada, Kulay, Kut-5 Trilogy, Lady Diane, Legit
Misfitz, L-Smith, Lyrical Assault, Madd Poets, Mastershock, MC Lara, M.C.M.C., Mega
Force Crew (formerly known as Grand Assault Tribe),D.O.P.E. Rekordz, Akuma,O.G.
Sacred 1, Scan aka Kalibre, DMJ, Mike Kosa, Mike Swift, Godswill, Mista Blaze,
Misteazas,Nuztradamuz, OBLAXZ, Quickie, Rap Asia, Razzamanazz, Renegade
Souljaz, Sakit ng Sucat, Salbakuta, Seedz, Sly Kane, Sun Valley Crew, Syke, Urban
Flow, and Verbal Sativa.

In 2000, rap group Mastaplann released a third album through BMG Records, under the
new sub-label, Francis M's Red Egg Records, entitled Mastaplann.com, a 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.

Since 2004, the Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards has been held annually in Metro
Manila. The show is reminiscent of The Source Awards in the US. Gloc-9, considered to
be the fastest rapper in the Philippines and former member of the rap group Death
Threat, held the title for Best Rap Artist at the awards show for four consecutive years,
from 2005 to 2008, achieving mainstream popularity and releasing successful
commercial albums every other year. Like the American hip hop industry, music videos
have become an important trend (even containing small cameos from different Filipino
rappers) and air on TV channels like MTV Philippines and MYX. Despite Metro Manila's
powerful position over the music industry, rap groups in the south have started to gain
their own share of popularity, like Dice & K9 a.k.a. Mobbstarr from Cebu City with their
first hit single "Itsumo" in 2003,Thavawenyoz from Davao City with their debut album
Hubag in 2005, and Zambo Top Dogz from Zamboanga City, known for their
Chavacano rapping in the songs "Noticias" and "Conversa Ta". It is also not uncommon
for Filipino-American artists to perform live, sell records, and win awards in the
Philippines while living in the States, for example Pikaso from San Francisco, California
who won the Producer of the Year award in 2008.

In 2002, Carlo Maniquiz and Nick Tuason, together with the assistance of FUBU's
headquarters in New York City, established the FUBU Philippines clothing line, opening
up several stores in the Philippines. In promotion of the new franchise, Francis M
released a compilation album showcasing new local hip hop talent as well as two
volumes of Tha Rappublic of the Philippines series, which featured young unsigned
Filipino rap artists that were discovered through the nationwide talent search of the
same name (including groups Crazy as Pinoy, Kamandag ng Marikina, and the Stick
Figgas). Francis M would also go on to form his own clothing line in 2006 called Francis
Magalona Clothing Company (FMCC) which are sold at his own branches of stores
called Three Stars & a Sun. The F-Word was an album Francis M was rumored to be
working on in 2008 to follow his last album from 2000, but leukemia and other health
problems interfered later that year.

The popularity of artists such as Dice & K9 a.k.a. Mobbstarr (Singing the popular
combination of Japanese and English Pinoy hip-hop single, "Itsumo"), Pikaso,
Audible,[25] and Krook and J.O.L.O., who primarily use English lyrics in their tracks, has
given way to the ongoing divide between Tagalog lyricists and English lyricists. With
English tracks dominating the airwaves, several Tagalog-based emcees have felt a sort
of bias in the Philippine music industry, which favors artists who use English rather than
Filipino. The conflict over language became evident in the 2004 Black Eyed Peas
concert in Manila in which rapper Mike Swift's Tagalog-based track was cut short
halfway through the song due to the "English Only" policy enforced by the event's
organizers towards Black Eyed Peas' opening acts.

Rap group Salbakuta, under Andrew E's Dongalo Wreckords, recorded the track "Ayoko
Ng Ganitong...", which contained lyrics partly attacking such "English Only" Pinoy rap
artists.

In 2006, the group Stick Figgas, runners-up in Francis M's Rappublic of the Philippines
talent search, released their debut album Critical Condition under joint-release with Dice
& K9's 6000 Goonz imprint and Francis M's Red Egg Records sub-label, which, amidst
critical acclaim, sparked a resurgence and renascence of sorts in Tagalog rap. The
Stick Figgas relied on clever punchlines, creative lyricism and intricate rhyme schemes,
re-introducing a technical poignancy that has been absent in Tagalog rap since B.B.
Clan's first album Mabanges. This rap style has arguably inspired the current generation
of Tagalog rappers to place much more emphasis on multi-syllable rhyme schemes,
punchlines and metaphors than before.

In 2009, after the death of Francis Magalona, independent rap label and production
emerged in the local rap scene such as Wika Records of D-Coy and PR Records and
Entertainment (as owned by Von Padua of Pinoy Republic), Pikaso's Hustlin Records,
Longevity Records and Turbulence Records, Young JV's Doin' It Big Productions. Pinoy
hip hop fashion has also emerged such as Pinoy Republic, Turf Clothing, Rapista
Clothing, Boss Balita and Wika following Francis M's clothing line FMCC.

2010 - FlipTop battle league and indie hip hop scenes

The influence of the original rap battle leagues in the West – Grind Time Now (U.S.),
King of the Dot (Canada) and Don't Flop (UK) – all founded in 2008, inspired the
creation of other battle leagues around the world, FlipTop being one of them, in 2010.
This local rap battle competition typically involves both parties (either 2 rappers or 2
duos) hailing mudslinging words and rhymes at each other, who are then judged at the
end based on a number of factors including flow and use of insults/punchlines and
audience impact. The one with the most votes from the judges is declared winner.
Some popular artists who participate in FlipTop include Loonie, Smugglaz, Abra, Dello,
Zaito, Bassilyo, Batas, BLKD, and Sayadd. Due to success of FlipTop, many amateur
and other rap battles arose such as Sunugan, Bolero Rap Battles, Bahay Katay, etc.

During the late 2000s up to early 2010s, some Filipino rap artists began to concentrate
and incorporate homosexuality issues into their songs. In 2009, indie rapper Dagtang
Lason released a song called "Nagmahal Ako ng Bakla", a song about lads who prefer
to love a gay because of their disappointment with girls. The song became popular
among teens, internet cafés and the jejemon culture at the time.

In 2012, Gloc-9 released the song "Sirena", in which the music video features a gay
person from his childhood to teenage years being abused by his father.

Also in 2012, Abra released "Gayuma", which features a man who is in love with his
partner, but it turns out the partner is a gay, which the man realizes later on after being
given a potion.

Today, local rap artists (mostly from the underground) start to create modern fusion and
style in their songs by incorporating turntablism, hardcore hip hop, chopper, dubstep
and various styles of EDM released by independent record labels such as Blind Rhyme
Productions and Dongalo Wreckords, among others. In 2013, indie hip hop group Juan
Rhyme Brothers signed a record deal under Alpha Records.

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. Several annual contests such as the Fête de la
Musique, the Blazin' Freestyle Battle and PR's Rap Mania are held annually within the
Philippines specifically aimed at showcasing such talents, often drawing masses of
undiscovered, amateur Pinoy "rapistas".

Artists representing other elements include b-boy crews such as The Battle Krew (TBK),
Funk Roots Crew, Soulstice Crew, Air Grounds Crew, Tru Asiatik Tribe (TAT) and The
Balikbayan Tribe (BBT); "grapistas" such as Flip-1, Bonz, Ripe-1, Dope, Chas-1, Meow
and Xzyle, and graffiti crews such as Samahan Batang Aerosol (SBA), Pinoy Bomber
Crew (PBC), Pinoy Style Insight (PSI), Day Night Bombers (DNB), Katipunan Street
Team (KST) and Crime In Style Crew (CIS), as well as beatboxers Christopher Oreo
a.k.a. BoomBuster and Cool MC Norman B (of the Bass Rhyme Posse).

Beatbox
Beatbox is another element of Hip-hop, Xam Penalba a.k.a. The Bigg X represented the
Philippines at the Beatbox World Championship last May 29–30 of 2015 at the Astra
Kulturhaus Berline. He is a member of the Philippine Human Beatbox Alliance and
beatbox group Microphone Mechanics with members G-Who, Leaf, Mouthfx and
Abdhul.

Filipino-American hip-hop

Filipino-American hip-hop culture bases its historical roots in the Filipino American,
Latino American and African-American neighborhoods along the West Coast,
specifically in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego. 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. 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.

Since the 1990 Census, Filipino Americans have made up the second largest Asian
Pacific American group in the United States (after Chinese Americans), 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, 3-Style Attractions, Ultimate Creations, Sound Patrol, Soundsation,
Sound City Productions, Kicks Company, Images, Non-Stop Boogie, Imperial Sounds,
Unique Musique, Nite Life Sensations, Rok A Long 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. 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, DJ Dynamix (born Dave Refuerzo) Sound Patrol established 3-Style
Attractions a widely known mobile DJ crew in the Bay Area, and DJ D-Styles (born
Dave Cuasito), who in 1987 established the mobile DJ crew Sound City Productions.
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' 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, because 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.[33] 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.

In 1986, DJ Nasty Nes (of Rap Attack fame) of Seattle launched the specialty show
Fresh Tracks on Seattle's 1250 KFOX introducing the first ever hip-hop radio station on
the West Coast. He would later go on to serve as the DJ for pioneering Seattle rapper
Sir Mix-A-Lot.

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 from 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. Kalifornia Noize Terrorists' Paul Sirate, better known as
P-Kid emerged from 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.A.'s Pharcyde. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, pioneering Filipina rapper Lani
Luv (born Melanie Cagonot) 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.

Now deceased (Dream was murdered in 2000),he is considered by many to have been
one of the greatest and most influential graf writers whose 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.

Although generally associated with the West Coast with individuals and groups such as
Blue Scholars and Native Guns, Filipino American hip hop is increasingly represented
by emcees in other regions, from East Coast performers such as Q-York hailing from
Queens, New York, (currently residing in the Philippines) to Midwestern groups such as
Chicago's The Pacifics. West Coast rapper/producer hailing from Los Angeles, Sevenes
who is one of the top versatile Filipino Hip Hop emcee and known for his track "Lakas"
which is known to be the first Tagalog rap to feature on an American TV show NCIS:
Los Angeles. Maryland's Gagong Rapper crew gained fame in the early 2000s by
flooding the internet with their home-recordings and heading the underground sub-label
Sandamukal Records. L.A.'s Grupo ni Berdugo and Sunog Baga, under F.O.B
Entertainment, has recently been making names for themselves, the latter being signed
by Andrew E's Dongalo Wreckordz and opening up for Gloc-9's L.A. show. Hailing from
San Jose, California, Yung Rizzo of Fly High Records, is one of the hottest up and
coming rappers from his region. Currently he is working on projects that include singles
featuring mainstream artists The Jacka from Mob Figaz and Mistah F.A.B., as well as
his first studio album, Back of My Mind which is planned for release in 2014.

Even further north of the American border in Canada, Filipino hip hop has established
an active scene, with the likes of Montreal's New Elementz, Vancouver's conscious
rap-tandem The On Point Collective, the veteran emcee Jae Spillz, Filipino rapper
ONE3D, and the hip hop power label Cashtown Records; home to a variety of artists
including the underground Tagalog emcees Franchizze One and Lyrikal Abstrakt, or
Dos Armados, who went on to form their own label subsidiary, Southeast Cartel.

Rise of the turntablists

By the 1990s, hip hop artists of Filipino descent (particularly turntablists like Q-Bert, Mix
Master Mike, 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, as well as the inventions of the "crab scratch", "tweak scratch", "strobing",
and furthering the development of "flare scratching".

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. 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.
Many other notable DJ champions from other countries around the world such as
Canada, Australia, Japan and Germany have also been of Filipino descent.

Other notable DJs include DJ Kuttin Kandi (the first woman to place in the US finals of
the prestigious DMC USA competition in 1998)[49][50] and DJ Roli Rho (1999 East
Coast regional DMC Champ/1999 & 2000 Vibe Music Seminar Champion of New York
City's 5th Platoon), DJ Icy Ice of Los Angeles' KDAY 93.5 FM, DJ E-Man of Los
Angeles' Power 106 FM, DJ Marlino a.k.a. da5footafunk of San Diego's XHITZ-FM
Z90.3, DJ Enferno (2003 US DMC Champ/2003 1st runner-up DMC World) and DJ
Geometrix of the Trooperz Crew, both from the Washington DC area, and DJ Manila Ice
(2007 DMC US Finalist) and DJ Jester a.k.a. the Filipino Fist, both from Texas. Another
longtime 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 longtime
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. 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".

Some groups, like San Jose, California-based Sons of Rebellion, also unify several
communities through their music as they represent the Filipino American, African
American, and Muslim experience.

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.
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 Stop the Killings event utilized the power of hip hop to expose the numerous
amount of killings done to innocent people in the Philippines. 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 (Allan Pineda Lindo)

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),
"Bebot" (Monkey Business), and "Mare" (The E.N.D.) which not only contain Filipino
(Tagalog) lyrics but also native Filipino musical elements. Pineda has also founded his
own record label, the Los Angeles-based Jeepney Music, to help discover and promote
Filipino hip-hop talent from both the United States and the Philippines.

"The APL Song" not only contains elements of Tagalog and Filipino elements, but the
track itself according to video producer, Christina DeHaven, represents Allan Pineda
Lindo's view of the Philippines when he travels back for the first time since he was 14
years old.

In the English verses of the song Allan Pineda Lindo describes aspects of Filipino life
back home which is seen in the lyrics, "How would you feel if you had to catch your
meal, Build a hut to live and to eat and chill in, Having to pump the water outta the
ground?". The shifting between Tagalog and English can be interpreted as showing
both languages as equal or in an equal hierarchical relationship to one another which is
especially important having included another language than English in American Pop
song, even though English is one of two of the Official language of the Philippines.

Notes and references

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Murray, Jeremy A.; Nadeau, Kathleen M. Pop Culture in Asia and Oceania. Google books. ABC-Clio.
"History of Pinoy Rap". Retrieved 2014-01-26.
 "Bass Rhyme Posse Bio". Geocities.com. Retrieved 2006-07-02.[dead link]
"Francis M". Pinoyrap.com. Retrieved 2006-07-02.
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"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-07. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
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"Caroustar of the Month (July 2004) Andrew E". carouselpinoy.com. Retrieved 2006-01-20.
Death Threat
pinoyrap.com
Eh kasi bata on IMDb
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a Free Mind Archived 2016-02-08 at the Wayback Machine.
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AUDIBLE | Gratis muziek, tourneedata, foto's, video's
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[2][dead link]
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NOiSE
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P-Kid (listed under the category B-boys/girls) is the same person as Pikaso (Mr. Sirate), listed under the category Producers
The Dream Kontinues - Media Archive
The Dream Kontinues - Media Archive
The Dream Kontinues - www.dreamtdk.com Archived 2012-03-01 at the Wayback Machine.
On Point Collective | Gratis muziek, tourneedata, foto's, video's
[5]
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[6]
Southeast Cartel
Invisibl Skratch Piklz: Biography : Rolling Stone
[7] Archived July 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
Davey D's Hip-Hop Corner: The New Source For The Hip-Hop Generation Archived 2008-11-18 at the Wayback Machine.
"Brooklyn College | DJ Kuttin Kandi: Performing Feminism". www.brooklyn.cuny.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
Mike's Old Stuff (2015-08-24), Kuttin Kandi at 1998 DMC US Finals, retrieved 2016-08-29
D, Davey (2003-05-30). "Bay Area rap artists build bridges across racial lines". Mercury News. Archived from the original on
March 3, 2016. (offline as of last access, see )
Stop the Killings MP3 Downloads - Stop the Killings Music Downloads - Stop the Killings Music Videos - Stop the Killings
Pictures - MP3.com[permanent dead link]
STOP THE KILLINGS Benefit Show
"LeBron awed by court mural". Joaquin Henson. The Philippine Star. August 28, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
Devitt, Rachel (2008). "Lost in Translation: Filipino Diaspora(s), Postcolonial Hip Hop, and the Problems of KeepingIt Real for
the "Contentless" Black Eyed Peas". Asian Music. 39: 1–8. JSTOR 25501577.
Vicente, Rafael (1988). CONTRACTING COLONIALISM: TRANSLATION AND CHRISTIAN CONVERSION IN TAGALOG SOCIETY UNDER EARLY SPANISH
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Chad Hugo Photos - Chad Hugo News - Chad Hugo Information
[8] Archived October 19, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
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External linksEdit

Pinoy Hip-Hop The online portal for hip-hop music and culture in The Philippines!
Rapista.PH The Philippines premium source of Pinoy Rap & Hip-Hop news and updates covering and supporting the underground since
2007. One of the Philippines most respected underground Hip-Hop movement
Rapista.Blogspot.com The Rapista Blog - Blog about Pinoy Rap and Hip-Hop
PinoyRapRadio.com 2012 - The station is dedicated to hip hop music and underground rap artists
Pinoyrap.com Informative Filipino hip-hop website
Pinoyrap.Info 2011 - Informative Filipino hip-hop website
Sampling 101: Funky Cold Medina x Andrew Ford Media at Rapista.PH
Manila Times Article
"Hip-Hop and Critical Revolutionary Pedagogy: Blue Scholarship to Challenge 'The Miseducation of the Filipino'" by Michael Viola
"Filipino American Hip-Hop and Class Consciousness: Renewing the Spirit of Carlos Bulosan" by Michael Viola
"1st Annual Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards" titikpilipino.com February 19, 2005. Retrieved December 25, 2005
"Tales of the Turntable: Filipino American DJs of the Bay Area" Hip Hop Slam February 25, 2002. Retrieved December 24, 2005.
"Featured Promoter, Dancer, and all-around contributor to the Hip Hop Community" onecypher.com Retrieved December 25, 2005.
"Filipino DJs of the Bay Area-Why Are They So Successful?" Rap Dot Com Magazine/July 1994 Reprinted and re-edited in October 1995
Retrieved December 24, 2005.
"History of Pinoy Rap" pinoyrap.com Retrieved January 20, 2006.
"Writing Is My Life-by Mike Dream" Retrieved December 25, 2005.
Filipino Rap - Hiphop Community
[9] - About Loonie's life
[10] - Top rappers