THE “City of Smiles” has no shortage of stunning hip-hop talent, but only the best in “beats, bara, buga” can be crowned Visayas rap royalty.
Coming from its successful 1st qualifier round in Mandaue City’s Cartel Studio where rapper DAP was proclaimed winner, the Off The Chest regional rap competition now moves to Bacolod City where six local rappers will compete for multiple cash prizes and a lucrative recording deal.
Bacolod’s The Palms, one of the trendiest hubs in the city, will be hosting the second qualifier round on October 5.
Local hip-hop enthusiasts will be in for a lyrical odyssey from some of Bacolod’s rising rap talents, namely Rhon, RLVNT, and Psyke from Dopestarr; and Kael, Slade, and Jerran from Boombapan.
Billed as a showcase of rap skill and pride, the grand finalists from the Cebu and Bacolod qualifiers will meet face-to-face for an all-out battle at Bacolod’s annual Masskara Festival on October 26 – where only one rapper can emerge victorious.
Off The Chest’s competition set-up is one-of-a-kind. Its innovative format focuses on the rappers’ lyrical skills and overall musicality, a refreshing change of pace compared to the arguably more well-known “Fliptop” rap battle format.
The competition takes inspiration from rap “cyphers” where a group of rappers perform together on a single track with each rapper having their own dedicated section in that performance.
This competition format presents a unique challenge to the contestants as they must flow to the beat of the track without sacrificing their narrative audacity nor their personal authenticity.
The team behind Off The Chest has brought together some of the hottest names along with the pioneers of local hip-hop to cement it as a certified can’t-miss event for any self-respecting hip-hop afficionado.
BRGR, awarded 2023’s producer of the year by Pills.ph and Local PH, will be producing all the tracks that the contestants will be performing.
Bryan Ermac (a.k.a BMAC), known for his appearances in Spotify Kalye X, Sea Games and Ironman, will be the feature host for all Off The Chest events.
The judges’ panel will also be comprised of locally renowned hip-hop pioneers who have paved the way for the culture of hip-hop to flourish in the regional scene. These include the likes of Mastamine, a popular emcee from Bacolod City, and Trestan Pacia, a renowned producer and manager in Cebu.
Local rap and hip hop have long since been growing in the Philippines since the 1980’s with rap battles driving a strong resurgence of the genre in 2010.
The Visayas region has recently become a hot bed for hip-hop events such as the aforementioned Spotify’s Kalye X in Cebu and Urban Gathering in Iloilo City.
Bacolod’s Masskara Festival itself is regarded as a venue for event goers to watch the country’s most popular stars and hottest acts appear on big stages all across Lacson Street in Bacolod City. (PR)