ILL-J's Album and Launch info.

I hope you guys are checking out ILL-J's brand new video below.  His official launch will be held at 77 Bar on May 29 (Friday). 77 Bar is right along Kamuning street, right next to the Petron gas station. (Literally next to Petron on kamuning). 

Feel Good, Real Good, No Problems:]

Suabe...

Ain't Nuthin Changed

Hip-Hop done correct!!!

The Aquariuss/ AMP Blvd Manila Launch!

The Hip-Hop Preacher

I hope this inspires you guys! Props to Eric Thomas.

Beep Beep!

Ever heard the expression "My mellow" in any rap song before?  I guess it refers to your "homie", but more specifically the one you roll with and the friend you keep in your inner circle. (I guess). The man in this feature is my mellow, my ace, and he is indeed mellow in character.  Mild mannered DJ Excaliber, or more affectionately known as "Beef" in his hood, is a hybrid skater/DJ/and producer. Honestly, he's one of the most hip-hop friends I have. He skates and scratches everyday plus he owns a thick library of vinyl records. I owe him greatly for supplying super scratches on the last 3 projects I produced.  I'm telling you, I love my hood of Las Pinas.  Beef's hood is just 15 minutes away from my house making collabs a done deal in no time- leaving ample time to chill at his humble studio filled with high-powered gear or just s*oking out.  Pretty soon, he'll have his own coming out party. This dude's got the best beats you've never heard. For now, he has to put in work in Japan to make a living. Here he is to talk about his love affair with 3 crafts he can't live without.  I forgot to ask him "Ba't parati kang nakatawa?!".   

DJ beep. Hip-Hop has 4 elements... Why did you choose DJing?

Nung bata palang ako gusto ko ng maging dj.. dati sa zipper ng pants ko ako nagprapraktis magscratch o kaya sa hologram cards nakakatawa pero totoo..

DJ Beep. How have your travels to Japan helped your skills and DJing?

Halos lahat ng natutunan ko sa japan

DJ Beep. Tell me about the people you have met while in Japan. 

Lahat sila hardworking sa mga craft na ginagawa nila mapa dj,mc,bboy,skate

DJ Beep. Is skating a bigger part of you than DJing is? Or is it the same?

Skateboarding is a bigger part of my life.. kung hindi ako nagskateboard siguro hindi din ako magiging dj.. pero dont get me wrong i love dJing like a husband loves his wife..

DJ Beep. Tell me about your best experiences while skating, and how much of Hip-Hop is involved in skating...

Everytime i skate is a best experience..and hiphop music set my mood parang mahirap mabuhay kung walang skateboarding at hiphop music kasi its a part of my life..

Tell me about your worst experience while skating...

Pinalayas sa spot dahil trespassing kame, raidin ng mga pulis un skatespot nun kainitan ng issue sa alabang boys, makipag batuhan ng bote sa mga gangster tsinelas dahil galit sila sa skater,nasabihan ng (whats up! trasher basurero..) nabalian ng balikat, naoperahan sa tuhod,nabagok pero un ang challenge sa skateboarding pagkatapos mo madapa kailangan mo tumayo para magskate ulet

DJ Beep. You are not only a DJ, you are also a producer as well. Tell me more about your style and what kinds of beats you like.

My style is a traditional hiphop,jazzy mood, puchy beats that i learned from(chrizo magnifico!)

DJ Beep. Among DJing, Skating and Beatmaking- Sino bestfriend mo sa tatlo?

Lahat best friend ko pag stressed sa gf nagiiskate teraphy ako, pag pagod nako pero stressed paren dj ang ginagawa ko at bago ako matulog para maganda ang gising kailangan magawa ko un beat na naririnig ko sa isip ko (pero ngayon break na kame ng gf ko pero gagawen ko paren un lifestyle ko)

How important are girls?

Pinakamagandang creation ni god ay babae.. sobrang importanteng inspiration sa music di lang sa music pati sa buhay.. =)

Kailan ka babablik?

Naku hindi ko pa alam kung kelan ako babalik may trabaho kasi ako magiipon ako pambili kotse para pogi..

Hip-Hop Yo Hip-Hop Yo!

Let me take you to school. Kindergarden to be exact!  Thank you Teacher Lucky, straight from Hong-Kong, for taking time out from her regular class to have her students to do something for hip-hop:]

Side note: Please do not engage in "tsismis".  Me and Lucky are just friends! Peace!

A New Era of Hip-Hop Artist Responsibility.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Hip-Hop is dead. Nas boldly stated this on his very album title and yet out of stubborness or denial, some choose to say otherwise. On my part, I believe the man. I also believe that if anybody chooses to say otherwise, words will never suffice. Until tangible results turn the tides in favor of hip-hop, it shall remain dead. At best, it is in a coma.

How did our dearly beloved Hip-Hop suffer this predicament? Some would lay blame on radio, TV, and magazines for killing it slowly in favor of other genres. Others would argue that Hip-hop didn't die, it just evolved into something new. Whats your argument? Please don't say Hip-Hop is alive "just because". That is just not good enough.

Hip-Hop, ironically, is life to me- and life is what you make it, right? To me that entails that Hip-Hop is what you make it too. In the Philippines, I loath the fact that for more than a decade, the argument was if the genre ever existed at all. Forums upon forums on the internet would all be dedicated to hating camps or bragging about who got next. In the midst of all the commotion and "take over" talk, the output of music from our genre remained scarce. It is apparent to me that nobody got next, and nobody truly has bragging rights. Nobody has shit to show for, really. (Save for maybe a few). Everybody wanted to spend their precious time squawking. Forums upon forums would then rant about how we aren't played on the radio. They would argue bullshit about mainstream vs. underground. Yet, in the midst of this commotion was still a weak musical output. Everybody has a bright idea but only few exert the effort necessary for us to feel it.

Hip-Hop only died because the artists involved in it either took their own sweet time trying to find the "perfect timing" to release their shit- or they were using that time unwisely to brag about something they don't really have. On top of that, many of us believed that doing shows and bringing everyone together was the ultimate solution to the problem. For a while, it was. The community showed that we all can get along (to a certain extent) after all. Year after year, however, people started performing the same songs over and over again. Proof that even with our forces combined, we are still the same lazy artists.

When Francis M passed away, I knew Hip-Hop suffered yet another crushing blow. After he died, people swore they wanted to make music and albums to continue what he did so well during his whole career. Tribute this, dedication that... but after a month, we're back to square one. People don't seem as touched by hip-hop as they were during the month of March. Folks, it is not whether you do a Francis M tribute or not that is noble. If you want to live out the full Francis M experience, then at least look at what he stood for. This man was the king not for any other reason other than he outworked each and every one of us. We have nothing on him in terms of musical output. He had the ability to release 3 albums before we could even release 1. He was the most responsible. He locked the T-shirt game as well- his products were well out there in the streets. If you have the nerve to make 1 Francis M tribute song and not have plans to follow in his example, you'd be doing his influence a disservice. Please don't miss the point. Make no mistake, Francis M is most remembered for his music more than his eat bulaga appearances or even those Ninja Kids days. How could we, who are not kings, still afford to be lazy?

To my peers, I urge you to release your products whether it be albums or other merchandise such as shirts and other memorabilia. It is tough but nobody is going to save this genre except for us. Keep doing shows but don't engage in war without bullets. Make sure your songs are fresh. Do whatever you want in your regular lives as long as you do something contributory to hip-hop as well. Our breakthrough is NOT going to come from foreign soil. It is going to come from us and us alone. I know you guys well. I know how many products my camp has released while your newest shit is dated 2006-2007 at best. I'm not saying this because I feel I'm the shit nor do I intend to bash anyone. I'm saying this because I'm tired of my shit. I want to hear your shit. Your listeners want more. Just like how you anticipate Nas or Jay-Z's new release. You'd get on the net as soon as you hear that its out. If it doesnt come out, you get let down, right? Just imagine how many people you've let down for years. You are not too big for this. I do not know why most of you believe that 1 album can carry you for 3-4 years.

Right now, I am sick and tired of doing this Hip-Hop thing. It's the same shit, different day/week/month/year decade. Not too many of y'all are responsible enough to come up with something new. Your swag, words, and entire being are riding on something you did years ago. Irrelevant, to say the least. Your reasons for procrastinating just cost you years you will never have back. Hip-Hop in the Philippines is getting dry. We haven't heard from so many of you in ages! Music is life (No music/ No life). Hip-Hop is dead simply because we failed to make enough music for it. We had other plans, obviously, and in the process we irresponsibly forgot we all played a role in keeping it alive. It is time to usher in a new era of artist responsibility. There is no other reason for its demise. Get your mirrors and start looking!