Music was always for me. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to make music. I suppose that's why I didn't realize how quickly everything happened for me once I was finally able to pursue the same. It was something that I envisioned virtually all my life and I had big, big dreams...but maybe it happened all too fast and all at once.
My latest track titled Disarray produced by Chrizo explains exactly why I went on a 5-year hiatus from what was once a life-long dream. I hope this track can inspire those that have stepped away from music to get back on it and be relevant to anyone that's been through it.
VITO CREW LISTENING PARTY
For the benefit of the farmers of Hacienda Luisita
FREE ADMISSION!
PLAYING UNRELEASED ALBUMS BY:
People's Future, Duende (Gap & Nimbus9) and RBTO
ALSO MUSIC FROM: R&R, JedLi the Mr. E, Rh Xanders, Similar Objects, Meros One, JDG, August Wahh, June Marieezy, Raw Mf
FEATURING
Poetry by the members of the community of Hacienda Luisita
5PM FLEA MARKET (Donate any amount to participate!)
FREE SKATE and GAME OF SKATE!
Vito Crew is giving away a skateboard and RHIPSTOP has some goodies for the winner!
To join Flea Market or for inquiries: 0915 452 3503
"I feel very happy and blessed, to just even have the fanbase that I do have...and if this is where it ends or if this is the pinnacle of it all, then it's more than I could really ever ask for..." - Hopie
Last month, we were graced with a semi-impromptu visit from the immense Bay area-based Hip Hop force - HOPIE. Having left as a child and before any point of recollection, this trip served as her first real bonding experience with Manila. While newcomers tend to go through the standard culture shock, the petite femcee seemed to find her footing from the moment she stepped onto Philippine soil. She was able to speak our native tongue (though she swears her "accent is f*cked up"), soak in her surroundings, and get down with the music scene for sure.
The Hip hop in Her, Cafe808 and Soulsonic TV were fortunate enough to connect with this talented lady in a 3-way collaborative coverage of her stay here. In our sit-down interview with her at Kerplunk Studio, we were able to pick her brain on her growth as a fresh artist with Diamond Dame to her true self with Raw Gems to her being"a rappin' ass person" that plans to keep putting out music. Before hitting the booth with a heavy-duty performance of "Trunk (Remix)", we proceeded to cover an array of topics with Hopie about who she is down to the core, her thoughts on being a female in a male-dominated industry, her dream collaboration, etc. Most importantly, how she felt right at home with her roots.
"Sexy is being you" - Hopie
Special thanks to Soulsonic TV, Cafe808, Kerplunk Studio, DJ Umph, DJ D'Tech and DJ Jena
Every time I'm asked about our scene and artists to look out for, I find that The Mighty Miscellaneous remains on the top of my head. I've followed this diverse group for awhile now, though at times, they seemed to be more suitably described as mysterious than miscellaneous. Seldom did they have gigs, responses from members as to when their album would be done were often ambiguous, etc. I suppose part of the appeal may have been the unknown; but as a fan, I always yearned to hear more, see more, and experience more. See, I'm sure music heads will feel me when I say that once I experience an artist's music - when I get in that zone - I am a fan for life. Now, over a decade deep and with a great deal of growth and hard work, Misc is prepared to serve their fans and like their performance set-up, they are ready to get live.
In anticipation of their album titled "Almost Done" (pun intended), the crew launched their first single and video "CTRL+ALT+DEL" last February 29, 2012. Backed up by class acts and surrounded by their friends, fam and fans; Cubao X was The Mighty Misc' house and they brought it down.
Chillitees warming up the crowd
Chillitees started off the night with something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blues. From hits off their past albums like "Paikot Ikot" to their latest "Why" to freaked tracks like Bill Wither's "Use Me"; this Pinoy Soul band brought it like always. So there may have been a few changes with respect to members (B Surge of Iconic on bass & Alay of Makopa on drums), but Uela Basco on vocals and Dan Gil on keys kept it essentially...well...Chillitees. Good stuff.
ILL-J reppin' the Golden Era
To keep it moving and to set the mood for the Golden Era of Hip hop, ILL-J too, had a medley of his own. With industry hits like Nas' "The World is Yours" to Mastaplann's "Way of The Plann" to a megamix of ILL-J w/ SVC and solo tip singles; he had the crowd nostalgic and at ease. After giving props to those that paved the way like Francis M. in unreleased track "A King is Born", he had DJ D'Tech loop his music to bring on-board Aero & RJay of LDP for a brief freestyle sesh. In effect, homage to past, present and future MCs.
Before Misc hit the stage, the crowd tuned in to the first viewing of their "CTRL+ALT+DEL" video directed by Syke. I was unsure of whether I was going to mention this, but I figured it was a funny tidbit for the evening. Initially, there were some technical difficulties on the system that was going to play the vid and Misc member C.Lo/Delphi broke the ice by saying "Well, that's a MAC. Can't CTRL+ALT+DEL that shit!" After a minute or so, however, the program was back in business. The video was a simple depiction in B&W of the ultra tight crew in what appeared to be their Misc Mobile, just doing their thing as usual and jammin' to their anthem. It was very anti-glamour, but represented a lot more for true Hip hop heads.
Thereafter, their set opened with the heavy boom and bap of DJ Umph's MPC and you could almost feel everyone's chests thumping along to the beat. From there on out, the crowd was treated to a consistent mix of breakbeat, boom bap, and jazz fusion Misc music in the form of tracks like "One Step", "Lounge Logic", "Speech" and "Keep Rockin'". Naturally, they closed it out with the evening's title track "CTRL+ALT+DEL", but a flipped version that induced collective cries of delight.
Who's house? It's The Mighty Miscellaneous' House!
If Miscellaneous' music was a celebration of Hip hop then Indie.Nial's DJ set at the end of the night was in keeping with the tone with a seamless mix of 90s East Coast gems. There's really not much more that needs to be said about his set beyond the fact that it was on-point.
Mr. Soulsonic, ILL-J & Rye giving Indie.Nial their stamp of approval
The CTRL+ALT+DEL single/video launch was a definitive high in Hip hop. That night stood as a forecast on more highs to come in the musical journey of DJs Umph & D'Tech, Tibbz, C.Lo/Delphi and Switch - The Mighty Miscellaneous - specifically, the release of their full-length album. A portion of their journey is "almost done", but I'm confident that we can expect a lot more from these guys who are innately and passionately Hip hop purveyors. Thus, they are never finished, and that's great news for all of us fans.
Just got word from my cousin Jason that his girl Gavlyn dropped her very first music video. Fam bias and favors aside, I am proud to promote her, because she is hands down one of my favorite femcees at the moment. She's got something special going on that is essentially Golden Era Hiphop/Boom Bap aka my. type. of. SHIT.
Check her out straight reppin'. Man, this made me miss SoCal.
Earlier this month, we were fortunate enough to have one of the premiere [Pinay] femcees, Hopie Spitshard, hit us up for a performance and special guestings. It made me proud to not only see how innately connected she was with local hip hop and her roots in general, but to hear from her how impressed she was with the scene. In her words: "The Manila music scene is live for real".
Dropping soon right here are excerpts of an exclusive video and written interview with Hopie, which is 1 part of a 3-part collaboration/coverage courtesy of The Hiphop in Her, Cafe808 and Soulsonic TV. The radio interview already aired on Cafe808 www.sarisarisounds.com and you can also watch out for Hopie's Manila performance coverage on Soulsonic www.ssonictv.blogspot.com.
Okay, my Hiphop heads, in case you didn't hear...we can anticipate another exciting visit - Mastaplann and Bambu are coming home! Obviously, Mastaplann has always been and always will be a massive part of the Filipino Hiphop world. Shoot. They are pioneers, a household name and you can't dismiss these guys when speaking of Hiphop over here. They made their way home 2 years ago and that 2 years was a long enough wait. Mabuhay MP! Now, speaking on behalf of many, a lot of us have also been following the works of their homeboy and extremely gifted MC, Bambu. Much like Hopie, this will be his first time to perform out here and to check out what we've got going on, so we plan on showing him that we've got it going on right?
Happening on April 14, 2012 tentatively at B-Side, is Mastaplann and Bambu's Homecoming. More details TBA so remember to keep checking back here for more info.
Don't think that in the wake of all this excitement for Balikbayans, I've forgotten about our homegrown talents. Never that. In fact, a lot of us have been patiently waiting for this next event happening as early as next week. On Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at Pablo Cubao Expo is the official single/video launch of CTRL + ALT + DEL by The Mighty Miscellaneous. Naturally, TheHinH will be there to cover this momentous occasion in Hiphop. See you all there.
When love and hip hop heads collide. Can't complain, because love suits some of my favorite DJs really well. Download these dope mixes and get it right tonight!
"Loving you is like a song I replay, every 3 minutes and 30 seconds everyday..." - Lauryn Hill
PMX (Positive Motivating Force): A Lovesounds Mix by DJ Arbie Won The Bedtraveler...oops, I mean the Beatraveler:
"...the sheer energy and delight that erupted between artists and audiences is what completed the magic of the night..."
Photo Credits: Isi Laureano For Play4Serve (production of Sandwich & Imago)
You never know what to expect at a LockedDown gig. Or let me rephrase: you can expect great camaraderie and music from all walks of life, but any other expectations are truly that of positive ambiguity. In other words, full of pleasant surprises.
That being said, the Play4Serve event at Escobar, CubaoX did not disappoint with its diverse lineup of artists and an appreciate, open-minded (and eared) crowd. Don't get me wrong, the initial reaction for those with rock preferences was to clear out whenever a hip hop artist came up. However, when they would hear something unlike the commercially known sound, I would see rockers bobbin' their heads and rejoining the action. That, my friends, feels really good to watch and experience in 2012.
ILL-J and D'Tech
While the whole night was remarkably passionate in everyone's unique crafts, I thought I'd summarize my personal picks for the evening's highlights.
Firstly, it was a real treat to see ILL-J perform after a bit of a hiatus with DJ D'Tech (of The Mighty Miscellaneous) backing him up on past and present tracks. Giving homage to Nas and Mastaplann then warming up the crowd with classic SVC single "My Homies" to his own "First Wifey" and "Feel Good"; his medley sparked up a little something for everyone. The crowd definitely took a liking to unreleased track "A King is Born", which gave tribute to The King of Rap Francis M. and other Filipino heroes.
Secondly, and speaking of Filipino heroes: RAIMUND MARASIGAN. With Imago. With Pedicab. With Gaijin. Then my personal fave, with Sandwich. Not to mention his jam session on Miscellaneous' set where he joined in on the boom and bap of DJ Umph's MPC. He is a rock legend, but here's a little trivia for ya: he's a huge Beastie Boys fan and he produced 1 of the first tracks for SVC when they chose to go independent for their All Natural album. Not only is he well-versed in so many musical elements (drums, guitars, vocals, etc.), but also in so many genres (hip hop included). Basically, I believe Mr. Marasigan's musical talents have the Midas touch, because everything he touches turns to gold. It was amazing seeing him display his multi-talents throughout the night. That's passion right there.
Pedicab
Gaijin
Imago
The Mighty Miscellaneous x Raimund Marasigan
Sandwich bringin' down the house
Thirdly, The Mighty Miscellaneous kills it every time. I've never seen any flubs or lack of power in a Misc performance. What made the Play4Serve set different? As mentioned before, music vet Raimund Marasigan jammed with them (he actually rapped the CTRL+ALT+DEL hook on his sesh with Sandwich too), but the surprises didn't stop there! Member Tibbz, who we usually see playing the live instrumentals on his MPC, got back on the mic that night for a heavy, unforeseen verse. Factor all that into their solid foundation as a unique, live hip hop group, and there was no way this set would not end up on my list of highlights.
The Mighty Miscellaneous
Lastly, I can't really explain the feeling of discovering new talent. Not that this group was new, per say, but new to my ears. Straight out of Baguio, came a bonus set from Sky Dive Academy. With their big band + brass section blaring and intellectual rhymes coloring up the instrumentation, it's no wonder why Raimund Marasigan was so eager to have everyone listen to this crew. Big ups!
It was the sheer energy and delight that erupted between artists and audiences that completed the magic of the night. The Play4Serve: LockedDown x Daily Grind Session was just what I needed after the Christmas-New Year break, which sort of put music in the backseat for me. Regardless of how present music was in each individual's lives, though, it seemed like they all needed it too.
It's been a minute, I know. This time of the year is really just INSANE. Don't get me wrong, I have every intention of updating y'all on what's been going on once the dust settles, but at the moment, so much is happening that when I do have the odd moment to be idle, I'm not even sure where to begin.
You see, when I write an article, I get so wrapped up in my words that, at times, I take hours just to come up with 1 post. I guess you could say I'm a bit (okay very) OC when it comes to writing. I don't like putting out anything half-assed, so to speak. That being said, I wanted to remind my readers about a few things. While it may seem quiet on here when I'm not coming up with articles, don't forget to check out the "MUSIC" and "VIDEOS" sections on here as they are constantly being updated with the freshest sights and sounds out there. Also, I will be adding an "EVENTS" section so that I can just drop some details FYI in lieu of pre-event coverage. Lastly, if you haven't added The Hip hop in Her on Facebook yet, get on it! Quick updates are on there.
Now, before I go, I'd like to drop a little teaser info: THE LADIES ARE WORKING ON SOMETHING BIG. I won't tell you which ladies just yet or what this is for, but I can tell you that FEMCEES are cooking something up and it's gonna be HOT.
"...since I base a lot of music on life...life drives me to express through music..." - Dannu
Dannu's debut solo album Virgo Summer (which dropped early this year) gave us the chance to experience a season of laid-back vibes with an intelligent and analytical yet straight-forward individual. Nevertheless, this poet's talent sure as hell ain't seasonal and has been keeping fans musically fulfilled for years. The Visionaries MC and co-founder provides TheHinH with an in-depth look at his journey through Hip hop and what continues to drive him.
The Hip hop in Her (TheHinH): What drives you to keep making music when you've already achieved so much?
Dannu (D): I don't feel like I have accomplished half of what I am capable of...but since I base a lot of my music on life...life drives me to express through music...and that's the drive....life.
Rockin' the crowd at Paid Dues
TheHinH: What would you say was the turning point for you in becoming a hip hop artist?
D: When I moved to LA from SD in '92, I told my parents I was moving up to go to college (which was true as I enrolled at Long Beach State), but in reality it was to be closer to the bigger music scene there...and I dove in.
TheHinH: Who were your first music icons? What role did they play in molding your personal music style?
D: Music icons I have plenty - from Smokey to Michael to Prince to Rakim, KRS, Kane....even Grover Washington...too many to name....my style is defined by the style of music that is in front of me to paint on...
TheHinH: How important is it to have experienced being in a crew?
D: It has its pros and cons, but the biggest thing to me was the diversity of the people. We learned to become a family of music and understood what we could ultimately give to the world....and that was LOVE no matter what your background was. Musically, we pulled each other's strengths and refined them to fit in our sound.
TheHinH: How about maintaining crew even when you're on the solo tip?
We all understood that ultimately we were a crew, but as the albums stacked and the fans began backing our crew, it went from crew to group...and we ALL know that the fans back the group more than the solo joints. As musicians though, we needed to do solo joints. It's healthy. Some needed to do it more than others...but that's life.
The Visionaries
TheHinH: The Visionaries have worked with an impressive roster of heavy hitters like Nas, Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and the like; who else would you like to collaborate with?
D: On most of our albums or solo albums, we always had at least one song that had several MCs from old school to current groups. I would love for the Visionaries to do a song or album with the Beat Junkies with our lyrics and their DJ and Producer skills. If it was a master producer album, I would like to see what we can do with Premier or Dre or my favorite band The Roots.
The Legendary Roots Crew and The Visionaries on wax? There are no words for how sick that would be.
TheHinH: You're considered a veteran artist. Which new school heads impress you the most?
D: Blame One isn't considered new school to me, but his time is coming so check for him....there's a few others from LA and SD, but lets keep it simple.
According to Dannu, Blame One's "time is coming". Here's a lil' somethin' somethin' for those that don't know this fresh MC.
TheHinH: How connected are you with your Filipino ethnicity? What's the most "Pinoy" thing you can share about yourself?
D: Wow dat's a berry weirdo question, you know, did you know dat I was trying to be on da wow wow wee but I only got da wow wow wubsy? LOL. Seriously, I am a very proud Pinoy and several years ago, to show my pride, I was inducted in the Apat Na Alon Tribe aka Mark of the Four Waves tribe and had a tribal band on my right forearm. My parents are from Baguio and La Union Rosario so trust me when I say I have been a proud Filipino since I was younger. I understand the Ilocano dialect, but need to learn Tagalog. My cousins are Pangasinan...I love my Pilipino community! Manny Pacquiao is my hero and I hope to do songs with other artists down there.
Proud Pinoy - his logo even has a map of The Philippines in it
TheHinH: DJ Rhettmatic [fellow Visionaries member] made it out here for The Do Over: Manila. Any plans to visit the motherland?
D: I have been wanting to go back for awhile now. Maybe you can bring me and Rhett back someday!
TheHinH: Though the Virgo Summer sun hasn't set for us avid fans just yet, what can we expect from you next?
D: Ahhh Virgo Summer...I guess people want agressive battle lyrics nowadays...I'm working on things now, but we shall see if I will release another album. At this point, I am making music for the love of making music and will continue to do so. Thanks! [f]
Debut solo album still available on iTunes, www.accesshiphop.com, www.fatbeats.com, etc.
Growing up, I always used to feel like I could rightfully call myself an artist's "biggest fan" when I not only knew their music, but also little tidbits about their personal lives. It may sound shallow, but I used to feel extra special sharing rare trivia with friends that were fellow fans. Okay, so times may have changed and thanks to the internet and reality TV, even the biggest stars tend to share details of their lives to the point of over-saturation. Nevertheless, I still thought it'd be fun to gather a little somethin' somethin' from some of Pinoy Hip hop's most-loved MCs and Producers*.
It's fun to be able to take a trip down memory lane with people you admire - being able to discover what makes them tick, what they were about before they did music or perhaps what they currently do aside from music. I suppose it can help a listener understand why they follow these personalities on a deeper level.
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Read on to learn quirky things about these top cats:
Type Slickk of Mastaplann
Type Slickk - Mr. Resourceful
In all the years that I've been involved in music (20+ years), I've never owned a Technics 1200 turntable. Even though I started off DJing, I could never afford a 1200 back in the day. I'm pretty resourceful though, so I was able to make do with whatever cheap turntable I had at the time; I was even using my little sister's Fisher-Price knock-off turntable to scratch and I made it work. Granted, the only battles I had were against the belt-drives. Funny thing, right before we went back home in 1990 to start on the whole Mastaplann journey, I was about to buy a used 1200 from a friend, but we left and my brothers ended up buying it. Now, they're world-class DJs with the group Handroidz...everything happens for a reason right? Throughout the years, someone I knew always had a 1200 so I never felt the need to actually buy my own. Anyway, right now, I have a "vintage" SL-1400 with knob-style pitch controls and the speed seems to fluctuate whenever it feels like it. But again, I make it work. I think I got it from my brother. I'm pretty sure I'll get a 1200 one of these days. I'll let you know when I do (laughs).
JedLi of People's Future
JedLi aka Mr. E - Church!
I used to sing in the church choir back in the day and that was one of the first things that influenced me to make beats.
Gloc9
Gloc9 aka GOLEM
My nickname nung bata pa ako ay Golem. Not sure why, binansag lang sakin ng Uncle ko (laughs).
Ruby Ibarra - Eclectic Ear!
Ruby Ibarra
One things that people may not know about me is that I have a very eclectic taste in music. My "gritty" raps truthfully don't reflect my taste in music as a listener since I like to bump anything from Wu Tang Clan to Backstreet Boys to Nicki Minaj to Phil Collins!
Switch of The Mighty Miscellaneous
I am Filipino-Japanese and my Oba-san (grandmother) made me watch the classic 1988 animated fantasy film, Tonari No Totoro everyday. It's my favorite cartoon movie of all time.
What people may not know, is that in the early to mid-90s, I was part of a [grunge] garage rock band called The Ill Advised where I actually played a little bit of everything.
Chrizo - Rock On!
Knowa Lazarus of Q-York
Knowa Lazarus - Won the battle vs. Asthma
I was born with Severe Asthma and was told by doctors I'd never be able to play sports or be an athlete. I'd play basketball and run everyday, coughing up from my lungs with my inhaler. My lungs eventually got strong enough and I overcame my illness after a few years of persistence. Yuoy!
Aero.
Aero. - Cookin' something up
I enjoy cooking and I plan to take up Culinary Arts - MC also means Master Chef!
Rjay of LDP
I never stop writing songs!
Rjay aka The Deranged Poet - Lyrics 24/7
ILL-J
ILL-J - Started with "The Man in The Mirror"
I'm a frustrated Rn'B singer, but I can dance just like Michael Jackson (laughs)!
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*There will definitely be a continuation with other amazing hip hop stars when more answers come in...
