In the Philippines, hip-hop artists by the likes of Skusta Clee and Matthaios have made strides by breaking into the mainstream, with Matthaios making the list of most-streamed local artists in 2020 according to their Spotify Wrapped report published at the end of last year.īut that’s not the reason why it’s an exciting time to pay attention to hip-hop.
Even in this era of streaming where popularity is data-driven and song discovery is left to curated playlists, there’s a huge underbelly of talent left in the fringes as they’ve escaped - or been pushed out - by the streaming algorithm. WIth local hip-hop in particular, there’s a very frenetic energy fostered by loosely-knit hip-hop circles that has been continuously bounced around since the early 2010’s. In the absence of physical events due to the pandemic, online communities brought together by music review blog The Flying Lugaw as well as interest groups Peenoise Music Chartposting and Mumble Rap Tawi Tawi have nurtured and amplified a rising crop of artists, including 25-year-old hip-hop artist Kurimaw. Kurimaw, like many of today’s rising artists, began as a fan before taking the jump to create their own tracks. Brav, as his friends call him, dabbled in graffiti before his friends took him to local hip-hop gigs at Cubao Expo and Tomas Morato. It was there that he witnessed a vibrant hip-hop scene at the cusp of blowing up. Soon after, his friends decided to craft their own, releasing tracks via YouTube and Soundcloud while immersing themselves further into the community. Top by Wednesday, bottoms by Season Pass. He first caught my attention with the release of his music video for ‘Wasakulap’ in late 2019. The song’s hook is as infectious as the video is visually arresting.
MATTHAIOS ICONIE FREE
Matthaios iconie facebook free#īut in ‘Wasakulap’ (and more so in his newly released debut solo project “ buzo_Omp,”) Kurimaw undertakes a stylistic shift that breaks free from the current soundscape dominating the mainstream charts, as if to say that the fringes can create something better. While an ear for lyricism is still very much present in Kurimaw’s music, melodies anchored by a good hook reign supreme. Catchy snippets from each track could easily make it into the next viral TikTok dance-a possible factor to the success of all music tracks from here on out. “It doesn’t feel like a direct translation of any of his influences at all.” “I think what stood out to me the most is how they’re mostly melody driven and flow dependent,” a friend told me about Kurimaw’s music. “Buzo_Omp” is a five-track project conceived during the pandemic. The story goes like this: Kurimaw and more than a dozen or so of fellow artists were left to their own devices a day after performing in an out-of-town gig - the same day travel restrictions were set in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
0 kommentar(er)
