Sup. You guys can call me Royal. I'm from Vancouver, Canada. I started this blog called Asian Rap Worldwide. This is a site where you can read about Asian rappers, listen to Asian rap songs, watch Asian hip hop music videos.
If you want to be featured send in your MP3s, YouTube videos, and mixtapes. For all other inquiries by all means hit me up through email.
Philippine election is near, just few months away. Everybody are taking their stand, choosing their candidates carefully and supporting those candidates whom they believe is the best to lead the country. A nation with more than 90 million people and is composed of more than 7,100 islands is now gearing up for the country’s first automated election. Even hiphop crews, rappers, producers, singers, artists are taking their stand to be part of the Filipino nation’s democracy. D-Coy, Artstrong and the rest of their crew are also taking their stand in support of the candidacy of James Layug (Magdalo). Check out the video.
The music video for Go Hard by Drew Deezy, Nump Trump & Thai Ngo is out. Its pretty decent MV. The video was directed by Tha Razor from 454 Films.
On a non sequitur note: When I first saw Drew Deezy, I immediately thought that he looked like someone familiar...but I couldn't quite put my finger on who exactly. Now it just dawned on me. Drew Deezy looks just like Big Pun (may he rest in peace) BEFORE Big Pun gained weight!!!
Here's a side by side comparison. You be the judge!
LOLLL! Drew Deezy is actually Samoan, but he does pull off that Latino/Puerto Rican look pretty well with the corn-rows and all.
D-Pryde, a 16 year old Spanish/Filipino rapper reppin Brampton, Ontario has just released the music video of his Youtube Remix of Drake's Forever featuring fellow YouTube stars: Traphik, Dyme-A-Duzin, Dumbfoundead, Prince EA, and Ahmir. The song was released a while back in December 2009. Traphik and D-Pryde both killed it! Hey what do you know?! I spotted fellow Pinoy rapper Mike Swift making a cameo appearance in D-Pryde's scene.
DJ Tony Drake gave me a heads up about a freestyle battle tournament he's setting up for the top 10 freestylers from the DC/Maryland/Virginia area called the March Madness Benefit Battle. The winner of the tournament will get to choose a charity where all the proceeds will be donated to. A-Class will be competing in this tournament as well as another Asian rapper who goes by the name of Blasian.
The event will go down on March 30th at 8pm. In case you aren't in Maryland to watch the battle, the battle will be streamed live on wmucradio.com.
Press release:
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BENEFIT BATTLE- MARCH 30, 2010, 6-8PM
10 Emcees, 1 Winner, All Proceeds Go to the Charity of The Winner’s Choice
COLLEGE PARK, MD – On Tuesday, March 30, “The Blender w/ Miss DJ Gemz and DJ Tony Drake" on WMUC Radio (University of Maryland, College Park’s FM station) will put on one of the biggest Freestyle Battles to ever hit the DMV! 10 of the area's best rappers are coming together to battle it out for a good cause. All of the proceeds from the event will go to the non-profit charity of the winner’s choice.
What separates this battle from the countless other “freestyle battles” in the DMV? Rather than gathering 10 talented artists who will come and perform verses from their songs (which tends to happen at a lot of freestyle battles), all of the artists have been carefully chosen based on their ability to creatively compose bars on the spot based on current events, their competition’s appearance, and any other topic that immediately comes to mind. One emcee will be announced daily via twitter through Dj Tony Drake (@djtonydrake) and Miss Dj Gemz (@missdjgemz), starting Sunday, March 21 until the day of the competition. All of the emcees have a strong battle background and many of them have been featured on Grind Time Now, The World’s #1 Rap Battle, Scribble Jam, and WorldStarHipHop.com.
The event is free, but charitable donations of at least $3 are recommended to go towards the Grand Prize Donation. There will also be free give-aways provided throughout the event by the event’s various sponsors which include: Mcdonalds, EA Sports, Fuse Box Radio, Community Roots, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., (University of Maryland Chapters), BraeonArt, Art Lyfe Entertainment, The BaltimoreScene, Words Beats & Life Inc., Xclusively Yours, and Broccoli City.
If you can’t make it out to the event at the Nyumburu Cultural Center on the University of Maryland’s campus on March 30, it will be broadcasted live on wmucradio.com! That means as long as you have an internet connection you can be a part of this event! Be sure to tune into the "The Blender w/ Miss DJ Gemz and DJ Tony Drake" every Tuesday at 6PM EST on wmucradio.com for new music first and the hottest events in your community.
Hong Kong rapper Geniuz F (formerly known as Future.G), has a new song called 三二七的殺機 which is a follow up to his last song Mo Liu Mic Jo Gor. The beat was done by 魚 and mixed by Hoax.This is a real mellow song. The feel of 三二七的殺機 reminds me a bit of Warren G's early tracks with an authentic HK flavor to it. Looks like Geniuz F really stepped up his flow. I'll be on the look out for more releases from him in the future (no pun intended).
Joe Wong does stand up comedy at the Annual Radio & TV Correspondents’ Dinner (RTCA). Vice president Joe Biden was at the dinner on Obama's behalf, who could not make it. There's something about Wong's vulnerable stage presence that seems to draw people to him. His material is very innocent and "cute". Watch for his debt collector joke. That one's a killer!
Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thailand's current Prime Minister says he is "open to talks" of fresh elections. I think that's what the red shirts are rallying for and throwing their own blood over.
Now the question is, will he have fresh elections?
Chinese premier Wen Jiabao's translator, Zhang Lu (张璐) is now an internet celebrity in China. After translating accurately Wen Jiabao's quotation of classical Chinese poetry, she won the hearts of the Chinese media rose to stardom overnight. She is currently one of the top top search queries of people on China's search engines baidu and google.cn.
Here's some of Zhang Lu's quick-witted translations (via NetEase):
1. “亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔。”
For the ideal that I hold dear to my heart,I'd not regret a thousand times to die.
2. “人或加讪，心无疵兮。”
My conscience stays untainted in spite of rumors and slanders from the outside.
Zhang Lu was born and raised in Jinan and is in her early 30's. In her formative school years her nickname was "class flower". She is also the chief translator for the Chinese President, Hu Jintao.
More pictures of Zhang Lu:
(NetEase)
Not bad, not bad. She looks well-poised and elegant. What's up with the bowl bob cut? I thought that went out in the 60's? Lol, I kid, I kid.
It was announced on Shing02's website that the Japanese hip hop producer Nujabes has passed away in a fatal car accident in Tokyo, Japan on February 26, 2010. He was 36 years old.
Nujabes was definitely one of the best that ever did it. Thank you Nujabes. You are a true inspiration and blessing. Your music will live on. Rest in peace brother.
Today, I have very somber news for the international hip hop community, especially fans of the independent hip hop scene, and those who have followed my career.
We deeply regret the loss of a unique talent and a close friend. Through his soulful music, Nujabes has touched so many people around the world, even beyond his dreams. He was a mysterious character to most as he avoided the public limelight, rarely conducted interviews, so only a few got to know the man behind the signature production. Yet it continued to amaze me how young listeners of all backgrounds learned of his enigmatic name, and expressed support for his music.
As I write now from Japan, I had been leaving him messages the past couple of weeks, trying to get in the studio together, so the news could not have come any more unexpected. Even last week, I passed by his house and called him thinking he was still home.
I met Nujabes around 2000 and as an upcoming MC, I was fortunate to work on tracks such as Battlecry, F.I.L.O, Luv(sic) parts 1, 2 and 3. We had been working on the next trilogy of Luv(sic) over the past year (which we're determined to see through). The last time we talked in January, Nujabes emailed me to wish Jeff Resurreccion, a 19-year old beatboxer who had just passed way from cancer, his heartfelt condolences.
While we continue to respect the privacy of his family, we will work to preserve his legacy, and pay tribute to the body of work, some unreleased, that he has left for us to enjoy. Jun Seba will be dearly missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and fans worldwide.
Snapper feat. D-Coy at The Mosaic Music Festival Singapore 2010
Mosaic Music Festival showcases the music across Asia. It is a 10-day Music Festival ranging from different genres such as jazz, world music, indie-pop, techno, hiphop, rock and more. This year, D-Coy and the Beatmathics represents the Philippines.
Mix the west coast and the east coasts sounds of hip-hop together with that unmistakably fiery Filipino flavour and you have yourself D-Coy and the Beatmathics. Delivering hip-hop like no other, these guys promise a little bit of new school, a little bit of old and a whole lot of fun.
Snapper's spectacle of her ability to merge her passions into her work. Her imagination perplexing STREET FASHION and MUSIC. From Hiphop culture to Asian fashion, her fetish and love for fashion and music began early. Growing up in the City of Angels (Los Angeles, California). In the mid-90's, she was receptive of the whole party scene and distinguish different crews wich portray unconventional attire, influenced by the entire Westcoast Gangsta Rap Music she fell in love with Hiphop.
Now Snapper is studying at School of Fashion and the Arts Manila to extend pursuing and establish the First Female Urban Clothing Line in the Philippines. Working on her SOLO ALBUM entittled "You Can Nevah Fade Diz."
Hiphop heroine will soon ascent in the Hiphop scene with her promising album. Collaboration with Philippines legendary producers and artists.
Anti-government protesters in Thailand - known as the Red Shirts - have spilt blood on the prime minister's office.
They drew it from their own veins, but in the end it was nowhere near the amount they'd promised.
Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay reports
Is it just me or does the pouring of the blood at the gates kinda reminds of you the first Passover as depicted in the Bible? You know, at the time when the Hebrews poured blood on their doorposts so the Angel of Death would passover their house and not kill their firstborn? Yeah I know the pouring of blood for this particular incident has a different purpose, but heh, Passover was the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw it.
The blood that the red shirt are pouring is supposed to be a symbol of the 2006 coup d'etat that ousted the government of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Interesting way to protest... but I think its a bit unhygienic to pour blood, not to mention gross! Let's hope the people of Thailand can come to a peaceful resolution from this political crisis.
The Far East Movement's music video for I Party featuring IZ & DB Tonik was released last week. Its a pretty cool computer animation video produced and directed by Choz Belen. One funky thing about this video is that right in the middle of it, the guy in the video starts trippin out and sees a vampire girl. Let that be a lesson to you kids. Watch what goes in your drink! LOL.
Title: N.Y.F.P. Artists: New York Roots feat. Jaman & Pinoy District Produced by: Paro Paro Beats Directed by: Rolando David Jr. (Dreamz Production/Sigaw ng Tundo) Album: Bago Ang Bagong Luma Album (Coming this March 2010) Check out the original source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHJiq1pgOsc
The first I’ve watched these videos I was laughing;
Can you see in the end they are both laughing;
They’re sick with brains like mad scientists;
At the end of the video all I can do is throw up my fist.
---sorry if my rhymes are lame haha... i just got carried away by the video.
This is the English Battle Category for The First Filipino Rap Battle League. It showcases the freestyle rap talent of some of the finest Underground Rappers in the Philippines. It has both English and Filipino (Tagalog) Categories.Check out the battle.
I remember about 2 or 3 years ago I saw a Caucasian high school kid wearing a black t-shirt with the words "D-City" on it. Up till then have never heard of the term D-City so I was curious and so I asked him what or where is D-City, because I'm thinking, aren't we in Vancouver aka VanCity? What does D-City stand for then? He told me D-City was a hip hop group and he was real excited to tell me about it too. Back then, I was pretty much under the dark about Vancouver's local hip hop scene (I still am pretty much). So I just shrugged off whatever he said.
Then flash forward to mid-February this year and I came across this music video called Feelin Like Whatever. Wow. I thought the song was pretty dope. The lyrics and production are on point. Heh, and what do you know, its done by D-City. Now I know what the kid was talking about! And from Vancouver too? Hey, that's a bonus.
D-City is a hip hop duo from North Delta comprised of Pinoy cousins Spot and Ess. The track Feelin Like Whatever is off their second album The Remedy (2009).
Yoo Seung Jun with Jon Nierrman, the host of Asia Uncut (Asia Uncut)
Any of you guys remember Yoo Seung Jun the Korean singer/rapper that got kicked out of Korea because he wouldn't do the mandatory military service back in 2002? Well, he is now trying out his luck to be a star in China. Yoo Seung Jun is starring in a new Jackie Chan movie that was released last month called Little Big Soldier, which takes place during the Warring States Period in China. Yoo Seung Jun plays the villainous role of "Prince Wen". It really sucks for him that he can't come back to Korea, but hey, finding work in China and being signed to Jackie Chan isn't that bad of a deal.
Yoo Seung Jun also did a little promotion along with Jackie Chan for Little Big Soldier on an episode of Asia Uncut (an English talk show based in Shanghai, China) which aired on February 10th. Yoo Seung Jun does a pretty cool entrance with the dancing with the nunchucks. Wow, he's still got it. The man can really dance! Yoo Seung Jun will be releasing an album this April. I think the album will be Chinese as he's trying to break through the Chinese-language market.
In Kpop news today, Tablo from Epik Hightweeted some nasty messages about allkpop for everyone to see. Tablo is pissed off that allkpop leaked out Epik High's new music video and put up their latest album Epilouge up for stream.
The tweets:
What an EPIK tweets.......!!! I wonder how allkpop will address the situation.
Patrick Macias from CNNGO has interviewed Utamaru, one of the OG's of the Japanese hip hop scene from the group Rhymester. This is a really great read about Utamaru's view on the development of hip hop in Japan and how he compares it with American hip hop.
Rhymester has been part of the Japanese hip hop scene since the early 90's and they are one of the more conscious rap groups that have been rapping about political issues and socio-economic issues affecting Japan. They recently released an album called Manifesto in February and a single called ラストヴァース(Last Verse).
CNNGo: How has Japanese hip-hop changed since Rhymester debuted in the early 1990s?
Utamaru: It's been over ten years since Rhymester collaborated with (U.S. hip-hoppers) the Beatnuts and Buckwild. Back then, a lot of people wanted to emulate American hip hop, so it was a big deal that we got to work with them. But soon afterwards, I started thinking that Japanese hip hop needed to start developing its own style by itself. That feeling became stronger and stronger, and I started moving more in that direction.
CNNGo: After the 1990s, were Japanese kids becoming less interested in Western culture?
Utamaru: That happened too, but it wasn't necessarily the case with hip hop. There are still a lot of people who like American hip hop, myself included. But we needed to stop trying to copy it and compete with it. My generation thought hard about the problem of "How can we, as Japanese people, make rap music?" But the young kids today don't have that kind of issue. Some of them are much more influenced by the Japanese hip hop than American hip hop. Some of the artists in the underground scene, like SEEDA, sell lots of records even though they're not on major labels and don't get much promotion.
CNNGo: Are any of them thinking about targeting the foreign market?
Utamaru: There are some hip hop musicians in Japan have ambitions like that, but they're looking more towards the rest of Asia. To do Japanese hip-hop in America… maybe that's impossible.
CNNGo: Do you think hip-hop made by Japanese people isn't 'real' enough for Americans?
Utamaru: Well, we have to define what's real. Does being real just mean being really poor? If that's what's real, do I need to travel all the way to Rwanda just to rap? (laughs)
Back when I was starting out, I decided to make lyrics that were a reflection of my life and the people who listen to them. After all, that's what hip hop is all about.
Recently, Japan has changed. It's become much poorer than before, and poverty itself is increasing. There are people who live in places with no way to survive and with no hope or expectation for the future. So it's possible to experience a hard life like an American hip-hopper. Of course, there have always been people like that, but society denied their existence. Even poor people would deny that they were actually poor. But now, it's getting harder and harder to ignore. Look at the kind of crime (idol singer) Maki Goto's younger brother committed. He got arrested for stealing electric cables from a construction site to resell them. That's so ghetto! And he himself used to be an idol too!
CNNGo: What's your impression of the current idol scene?
Utamaru: You can't really say "I like idols" out loud in Japan. The only time you could was during the 1980s when idols were popular. But after the 1990s, it became real outsider culture. Now, there's probably more train otaku in Japan than idol otaku. Hardcore male fans are only interested in unpopular idols. They want to feel like, "I'm the only one supporting this girl or this group. Nobody else. Just me." Idol groups like AKB48 and Perfume have gotten so big recently. Their fans are now ordinary schoolgirls. So their original fans have had moved on to try to find even more niche, unpopular idols to follow. So it's impossible for this scene to become mainstream.
CNNGo: What do your fans think when you talk about idols?
Utamaru: Basically, I have two kinds of fans: Those that support me because of my music, and others who know me as someone who talks about pop culture. The two groups don't really mix. Even so, it's not normal in Japan for a musician to follow idols. Everyone thinks I'm weird. One time, I tried DJ-ing some idol music as a pre-show at a Rhymester concert. That was the coldest reception I've ever gotten on stage. I was thinking, "Hey! You guys are supposed to be my fans! Can you at least try a little bit to understand where I'm coming from"?
Wow this is like the meeting of two freestyle monsters: Jin and Timothy DeLaghetto. Who would have known these two would meet and share it with us on YouTube? These videos, by the way, where released on YouTube on February 15th and 16th. How they met though, was really funny. Tim was called down to Carl Choi's office to discuss business. Then all a sudden Jin busts out in the office with a laptop recording himself freestylin to Biggie's Dead Wrong and then he and Tim do an impromptu freestyle back to back.
Timothy DeLaGhetto and Jin vibin' after the freestyle:
Timothy DeLaGhetto has been grinding hard with his YouTube movies and also his music for a long time now and it's really cool of Jin to reach out to another young up and comin Asian rapper. Looks like they'll be doing a collaboration track. I'll be looking out for that.
Ghost Style has a new single out called Love Affair featuring Maggie Hou. This is a nice carpe diem-ish song. I really like the mellow beat and Maggie's hoo-hooin' (or whatever you call it). The music video for Love Affair will be out soon.
And hey, what do you know? Maggie Hou is also a Vancouver girl, having spent her teens and college years in Vancouver.
Matt Brevner has just released a new music video for Culture Shock, a song describing his experiences in Japan, from his debut album Magnum Opus. Nice to see him reppin Vancity in the music video. That gets a big thumbs up from me.
Pepa (from Salt-n-Pepa), has found "love" with chef Tom Lo in her reality dating show Let's Talk About Pep. And daaaaaayum!! This guy is REALLY chinky.
Asian and black interracial dating is still considered a social taboo and them being an interracial couple will definitely turn heads around. Props for both of them trying to date outside the box though. I hope they aren't trying to pull a publicity stunt for TV ratings or whatever. I dunno, do you think they look good together as couple?
A clip of the finale:
Uggggh... I really dunno. But then again I'm not Pepa. It just might be his personality that Pepa is really into.
I just watched the Speech from the Throne and one unexpected thing that Prime Minister Stephen Harper said was "Our Government will also ask Parliament to examine the original gender-neutral English wording of the national anthem." Harper is referring to original version of O Canada which says "True patriot love thou dost in us command". The current (better) version of the anthem says "True patriot love, in all thy sons command."
Let's keep the national anthem as it is. It is Un-Canadian to tinker around with it. It worked for us for all these years and let's keep it at that. If women feel left out in the national anthem, I'm sure atheists, who don't believe in God, and pacifists and conscientious objectors who don't believe in standing on guard for Canada feel left out too. This is Canada. We can't damn please everyone!! Let's not forget that the French version of the national anthem is totally different than the English version:
O Canada! Land of our ancestors, Thy brow is wreathed with a glorious garland of flowers. As in thy arm ready to wield the sword, So also is it ready to carry the cross. Thy history is an epic Of the most brilliant exploits. Thy valour steeped in faith Will protect our homes and our rights Will protect our homes and our rights.
Do you political bigwigs wanna mess with and alter the French version of O Canada too? Haha, that will be final nail in the coffin to make Quebec separate from the rest of Canada for good! I say, screw political correctness. Leave the anthem alone!
Canada may adopt gender-neutral national anthem Wed Mar 3, 2010 5:33pm EST
OTTAWA (Reuters) - "O Canada," the country's national anthem, has included the line, "True patriot love in all thy sons' command," for nearly 100 years.
Ottawa now wants to start a public discussion on whether Canada should adopt a gender-neutral version of the song.
As part of a policy speech unveiled on Wednesday, the minority Conservative government said it would ask Parliament to look at the original lyrics to the anthem.
Those lyrics, penned in 1908 by Canadian poet Robert Stanley Weir, read "True patriot love thou dost in us command." The version in current use was adopted in 1914.
Industry Minister Tony Clement said the government had not taken any firm decisions yet.
"I think the appropriate way to deal with this is through some sort of process where we have historical research and learned discussion," he told reporters.
Michael Ignatieff, leader of the opposition Liberal party, said if the government was serious about boosting women's rights it could have done something more substantive.
One of the first things the Conservatives did after winning power in January 2006 was to cancel a deal the Liberals had struck to provide a national child-care system.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren and Pav Jordan; Editing by Frank McGurty)
Impak from Jug-A-Knot has just dropped a trailer featuring 454 Life Entertainment at the shooting of their music video Go Hard. Be on the lookout for Work Hard Play Hard Vol. 2 coming out soon!
Bambu has just released a new music video for Slow Down off his new EP ...paper cuts.... This track features Prometheus Brown who is also known as Geologic from the Seattle hip hop duo Blue Scholars. This song is real heavy!! Even though the song is called Slow Down, both Bambu and Geologic rap really fast in this one. And the MV is dope!! It features display of Filipino martial arts such as Eskrima or Filipino style stick-fighting. Definitely, check this one out.
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Asian Hip Hop Connect Vol. 2
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