Saturday, April 26, 2008 Dice and K9 makes it in Manila, plans US tour By Jill Rusell Delmar Beltran
"FROM the streets to the stadium."
This is how members of the hip-hop group Dice and K9, also known as Mobbstarr, define their struggle to break into the Manila music scene after throbbing their techno-pop music at busy streets and bars in Cebu.
After being warmly accepted in their hometown, Dice, Hi-C, and Klumcee (new member), the trio making up the group, were able to win the hearts of people in Manila and other provinces in Luzon.
Dice hoped that by choosing to have their music as their "bread and butter," they have become more professional and treasure their work dearly. The bubbly and dynamic guy added that what they used to treat as past time and hobby has now become their immediate source of income.
The trio prefer clothes that fit, a far cry from the typical oversized shirts and ultra-low baggy jeans associated with hip-hop people. The three, however, became famous not for their wardrobe but for their hip-hop music, which blends with pop and techno.
"Eargasmic," the title of their newest single, is set to flourish in the local club scene. It is included in their latest and fourth studio album dubbed "Time Space Rhythm Starrs"--a collection of songs from the spontaneous and out-of-the-box beats and music of the group.
"Our newest album is different primarily because of Klumcee's input and creativity. Every album is a concept album. It is never similar to the previous album. This album sounds a lot more technical and futuristic this time," Dice said.
The group started with Dice and K9 as the original members. Then, Hi-C and Trapp were featured in the hit song "Itsumo" that went on to become popular not only in the Visayas and Mindanao but also in Luzon. It was also considered as the big break for the group as the single made it into hit charts nationwide.
However, after releasing their second album "Mobbstarr", which was also the name chosen by the group when Hi-C and Trapp joined, K9 decided not to do the third album "Dice and K9 Mobbstarr: Tha Journey." K9 instead decided to come home to his family in Cebu and do something else for himself.
Trapp, after several years with the group, left for the US. Klumcee, who is not new and strange to Dice and Hi-C, jumped in. He has been jamming with the group in their tours and shows in the past.
Klumcee, belonging to a family of band vocalists and surrounded by friends who are also musicians, still has a hard time coping with hip-hop music discipline.
"My family and friends influenced me to perform in a band. My parents and my siblings used to be members of bands," Klumcee said.
The group's lovely vocalist Hi-C described their new co-member "as talented as K9 and as cool as Trapp." Dice added that Klumcee is like a "fusion of K9 and Trapp."
In 2006, the trio had a two-week tour in Japan and performed in Yokohama, Yokosuka, Atsugi and Tokyo.
The three have not stopped experimenting with and composing songs that spontaneously come out of their free and artistic minds. Dice said that in the creation of their new album, it was great that the three of them have one vision and taste for their genre of music, and they have courageously produced a new sound not limited to one particular beat.
All of the songs in their newest album were made by the three at their own studio. Their album was produced by Dice's label 6000 GOONZ and released under a new maverick label, Upperhand Entertainment.
As to the acceptance of hip-hop music in the country, the group said there are many fresh and talented hip-hop artists who need support and exposure. "The only thing they had to work on is a song that everybody will accept and enjoy," the group said.
Dice and K9 Mobbstarr will soon launch a nationwide album, bar, and campus tour. Likewise, the music of the trio is expected to hit the US scene as the group is planning a concert tour around 10 states by September or early next year. Trapp might perform in some of these shows.
Moreover, Dice said the group is also preparing to launch a clothing line called 6G Swagger. He enthusiastically added that he and Klumcee are now working with their album entitled "Monks Not Dead". Hi-C, at the same time, disclosed that she will make a solo album tentatively dubbed "Fountain of Youth."
