CEBU CITY, Philippines – A battle is brewing within the horizon at a casual fight zone the place solely the fiercest bars, rhymes and the lyrical chutzpah can out-spit, out-flow and outmatch all others.
From Cebu’s rising hip-hop scene comes six native rappers who will battle it out for a number of money prizes and a profitable recording deal at OFF THE CHEST, a rap competitors that offers a platform to rising abilities and rising voices in regional hip-hop.
Mandaue’s Cartel Studio, one of many metropolis’s go-to hubs for excellent hip-hop music, shall be internet hosting the 1st qualifier spherical on September 22. This already guarantees native hip-hop lovers a number of the most lyrically imaginative, emotive and fiery bars to return out of the Cebu rap scene.
The competitors then strikes on to Bacolod Metropolis at The Palms which can host the twond qualifier spherical on October 5.
Billed as a showcase of rap talent and satisfaction, the grand finalists from the Cebu and Bacolod qualifiers will meet face-to-face for an all-out battle of ‘beats, bara, buga’ at Bacolod’s annual Masskara Pageant on October 26 – the place just one rapper will emerge victorious.
One-of-a-kind
OFF THE CHEST’s competitors set-up is one-of-a-kind. Its revolutionary format focuses on the rappers’ lyrical abilities and total musicality, a refreshing change of tempo in comparison with the arguably extra well-known “Fliptop” rap battle format.
The competitors takes inspiration from rap “cyphers” the place a gaggle of rappers carry out collectively on a single observe with every rapper having their very own devoted part in that efficiency.
This competitors format presents a singular problem to the contestants as they need to circulate to the beat of the observe with out sacrificing their narrative audacity nor their private authenticity.
The staff behind OFF THE CHEST has introduced collectively a number of the hottest names together with the pioneers of native hip-hop to cement it as a licensed can’t-miss occasion for any self-respecting hip-hop aficionado.
Rappers representing Cebu are $ho, Daledo, and Tituz from Cartel Collective, DAP, Matriz, and B Wayne from BSK. Whereas Rhon, RLVNT, and Psyke from Dopestarr and Kael, Slade, and Jerran from Boombapan shall be representing Bacolod.
OFF THE CHEST
BRGR, awarded 2023’s producer of the yr by Capsules.ph and LOCAL PH, shall be producing all of the tracks that the contestants shall be performing.
Bryan Ermac (a.okay.a BMAC), recognized for his appearances in Spotify Kalye X, Sea Video games and Ironman, would be the characteristic host for all OFF THE CHEST occasions.
The judges’ panel can even be comprised of domestically famend hip-hop pioneers who’ve paved the best way for the tradition of hip-hop to flourish within the regional scene. These embrace the likes of Mastamine, a well-liked emcee from Bacolod Metropolis, and Trestan Pacia, a famend producer and supervisor in Cebu.
Because the 1980’s, native rap and hip hop began to develop within the Philippines with rap battles driving a robust resurgence of the style in 2010.
The Visayas area lately grow to be a sizzling mattress for hip-hop occasions such because the aforementioned Spotify’s Kalye X in Cebu and City Gathering in Iloilo Metropolis.
Masskara Pageant can be considered a venue for occasion goers to look at the nation’s hottest stars and hottest acts seem on massive levels all throughout Lacson Avenue in Bacolod Metropolis.