The new sound of Pinoy hip-hop

With the demise of the sounds of F4 and its ilk, there has been a quiet but determined search among local music lovers for new sounds that will dictate the coming trends. Well, it looks like one has been found and surprisingly, it is hip-hop spiced with a Japanese spin. You must have seen the video and heard the song. You also probably thought it was an import from Japan. It is not. The tune is titled Itsumo, which means "always" in Japanese and it is from the album Mobbstar by Dice & K9, a famous group from Cebu that has now invaded the airlanes of Manila.

Dice & K9 is made up of Dice Rosaroso who is also the album producer; Miguel Salinas known as K9; Hi-C or Honey Rosaroso, who is married to Dice; and teen-aged rapper Ivan Maningo who calls himself Trapp. Because it is Dice and K9 who set the tone of the music, the group, despite the other members, is known as Dice and K9. They were all previously involved with other groups and have done recordings in the past but it was as Dice & K9 that they finally hit the big time.

It started when Dice decided to record with K9 for his own indie label, 6000 Goonz. Dice came in as only a guest in the recording. That partnership resulted in Bounce, which became a big hit in Cebu. After that K9 became Dice and K9 and acquired two more members Hi-C and Trapp. More hits like Scenario, Like That and Can You Feel Me followed and it was not long after this that they were discovered and brought to Manila by Warner Music.

Well, Dice & K9 scored big on its first time out in the big league with Itsumo and a lot of people are actually wondering how this happened. The Dice & K9 mix is very commercial. They make strong grooves as in Contrajuz, write lyrics that echo nursery rhymes, 2 Da Beat Yo’ rap with youthful nonchalance, Shake and then bring a distinct sweetness into the package with Hi-C’s vocals, Bestfriends. The wonder of it all is that while these guys rap in English, the total effect is still hip-hop Filipino style.

It would have been nice of Bounce or any of the group’s early hits had been included in Mobbstar because that will give us an idea of how their sound evolved. But they are doing very well with the album so there should be no reason to complain. The other songs in the album are Good Wayz,Vaporz, That Old Feeling, Whoa! De Ja Vu and two cuts of Itsumo including one they call the Nightstand Remix.

Do you think Itsumo will generate a demand for real Japanese hip-hop music? Not likely and I hope not. Do you think we will be able to stand getting a deluge of Nihongo rappers! Not that there is anything wrong with them. It is just that during these crucial times in the music industry we can really do better with too much foreign competition. But then, one cannot really tell what will happen after Itsumo, what with the eternally trendy Pinoy ever on the lookout for whatever is new and seemingly stylish.

D’Supah Search

Meanwhile, if you have dreams of becoming a star or, let’s be exact here, a Supahstar and to appear on MTV, then join the D’Supah Search. MTV, the TV network and famous music channel is in search for what they call the Supahstar. Auditions have already been held in Cebu, Davao and Baguio and the next stop is Manila. This will be held at the SM Megamall Building A atrium on Saturday, Aug. 28. Registration starts at 10 a.m. There will be two audition rounds for those who make the grade. One will be held on Saturday and there will be another one on Sunday, Aug. 29. Twenty finalists will be selected from Manila.

The contest is open to male and female non-professional artists aged 18 to 25. One million pesos worth of prizes and incentives are at stake. These include an exclusive recording contract with Warner Music Philippines, a grand launching concert, the release of the winner’s CD and of course, the ultimate high for any aspiring talent, a music video that will be played on MTV. Casting directors who I guess decides on who’s in or out are Andrew E., Radha and Tim Yap. Hosting the event are MTV VJs and comedian Tim Tayag.