Written by Elijah P. The year is 2024, and we’re currently at a stasis in how culture perceives sampling as a taboo subject and interpolations as a dubious activity in songwriting overall. Regarding the aforementioned topics, Shaira’s “Selos” made an impact by sparking a discourse on interpolations, while massive critics of the song bombard comments […]
Tag: Hip-hop
EP REVIEW: Yung Masa – MY KARMA RAN OUT
Written by Elijah P. Being a jack of all trades can take you somewhere, especially when you can balance out the dynamics of being a producer and a songwriter. These particular skills are something to masterfully juggle throughout your entire career span. Moreover, up-and-coming rapper and songwriter Yung Masa takes on the challenge of balancing […]
TRACK REVIEW: koi. – Balingkinitan
Written by Elijah P. Dancehall’s time in the 2020s may be at its last legs with the rise of jersey club and drill still taking over the race of hip-hop’s production trends, koi takes it a step further by implementing a twist to it: sung wholly in Tagalog. Well, for the entirety of afrobeat and […]
TFL’s THE 23 FILIPINO TRACKS OF 2023
Every year, something monumental happens in the music scene, whether it would be an army of alt-kids taking over a mall show, a rapper taking over the country by storm on Tiktok or a DIY venue at the verge of crumbling after two shoegaze bands. Genres have multiplied into bubbles, ecosystems emerge as newer venues […]
TRACK REVIEW: RB Slatt – Pahna
Written by Elijah P. RB Slatt is part of the vanguard of young r&b/electronic/rap producers blowing things out of the water with their string of singles and remix that are influenced by several internet genres from the 2020s. Lambasted by the mainstream hip hop community for their looks and execution, RB Slatt could care less […]
TRCK REVIEW: ASIDE BOONDOCK ft. JustRaw – SOUFSIDE*
Written by Louis Pelingen This up-and-coming hip-hop collective hailing from Argao, Cebu is one to keep a close look on. Turning everybody’s heads this year with “Smoke Naka?” and its boom-bap production, loopy choruses, and slick flows, it’s easy to find yourself vibing to their hazy brand of hip-hop. These attributes lend true once again […]
TRACK REVIEW: Jeff Grecia – Elevate
Written by Elijah P. I have a proposition for all local hip-hop listeners: close your eyes, listen to Jeff Grecia’s “Elevate” and imagine a time in 2017 when Al James exploded in the scene and somehow spawned imitators in the scene to the point there was no turning back. Jeff Grecia’s “Elevate” takes the worst […]
TRACK REVIEW: O $IDE MAFIA & TUS BROTHERS – CRASHING
Written by Elijah P. The internet has long existed to demystify many different art forms. From showing its bare bones to even revealing what is there and what makes the material in the first place. In music, there’s an ongoing debate whether or not an unfinished track with little to no final mixes made by […]
TRACK REVIEW: Hev Abi – WELCOME2DTQ
When it comes to a territorial takeover, Hev Abi does it in the most sinister way by inviting you to 1103 aka South Triangle, Quezon City. Beginning in the Memphis Rap influenced production to the modern-day ominous trap house presence, Hev Abi is looking forward to taking the entire region by storm this year. “WELCOME2DTQ” […]
TRACK REVIEW: P4blo – baka magalit boyfriend mo
Written by Elijah P. The concept of “girlbestfriends” or “boybestfriends” in the year 2023 might be a ludicrous rap theme for older listeners. For those out of the loop, think of it as a zoomer litmus test of infidelity – an archaic concept that traces back to the time when infidelity is still pretty much […]