PILIPINAS REPRESENT Filipino-American rapper Ez Mil (center) with American hip-hop legends Eminem (left) and Dr. Dre (Photo Shady Records)

After the viral performance of Filipino-American rapper Ez Mil on the Wish USA Bus and his recent signing to hip-hop legends Eminem and Dr. Dre’s labels, there’s no arguing that hip-hop’s influence on the Philippines has helped bring it to international acclaim. But how did hip-hop come to be so popular in our culture?

The earliest known origin for Pinoy rap can be traced as far back as when the Sugar Hill Gang brought rap into the mainstream in the US with “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979 after George Javier, brother of the late Apo Hiking Society member Danny Javier, came up with a parody song titled “Na-Onseng Delight.” It is considered the first known rap track out of Asia, making the Philippines the first to dabble in hip-hop music among its neighbors.

WHERE IT ALL STARTED George Javier, brother of Apo Hiking Society member Danny Javier, is often credited for his track ‘Na-Onseng Delight’ being the first rap song from Asia

As the rap scene in the US started to grow, much of its influence was brought here by stationed US troops in the American military bases such as the Clark Air Base in Pampanga. The genre would be quite popular among the youth as many started their breakdancing groups to dance to the music.

Pinoy rap reached new heights in the ‘90s after Francis Magalona released his debut album Yo! The album was well-received with tracks such as “Cold Summer Nights” and “Mga Kababayan (Fellow Countrymen)” becoming hits. Other artists would then follow in Francis M’s tracks and release their own songs such as Andrew E. with “Humanap Ka ng Pangit (Look for Someone Ugly)” and Michael V. with “Maganda ang Piliin (Pick Someone Pretty),” written as a response to the former. More artists and rap groups would emerge in the following years prompting the decade to be called the “Golden Age of Pinoy Hip-Hop.”

THE KING OF PINOY RAP Francis Magalona brought hip-hop into the mainstream with his debut album Yo!

By the early 2000s, rap had become a mainstay in the local music scene as artists such as Gloc 9 continued to churn out hits for people to enjoy. While many found that local rock and rap had a sort of rivalry going on at the time, groups such as Parokya ni Edgar would find ways to integrate it with their music with tracks such as “Bagsakan (Knockdown).”

In the 2010s, rap battles found prominence online after FlipTop, a professional rap battle league started by Anygma, gained millions of views from its freestyle rap battles. In these battles, two rappers try to outperform each other while judges take note of their creativity, verses, and audience appeal before giving the final verdict.
Much of its format is reminiscent of the Balagtasan format, a type of debate done through verse named after the father of Filipino poetry Francisco Balagtas.

IT’S DOPE Marvel’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier series featured ‘Amatz’ by Shanti Dope when its main characters visited the fictional nation of Madripoor

Today, Filipino hip-hop has cemented itself as one of the most popular music genres to hit the nation. Its influence has even started to reach a global audience, with tracks such as Shanti Dope’s “Amatz” even being heard in Marvel’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier series. While there’s no telling how far Filipino hip-hop will evolve in the future, it’s certain that its influence is strong. It’s here to stay.