HipHopDX Asia conducts its worldwide premiere of the first-of-its-kind cypher project “The Regionals” today (September 2) with its first installment, “The Regionals: Philippines.”
The project brings together some of the biggest and rising hip hop stars in Asia together with critically-acclaimed producers from the West, with three editions produced for the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taipei this year.
“The Regionals: Philippines” features rap stars JRLDM, Arkho, Mhot, Jon Protege, and Loonie going in on an !llmind beat exclusively produced for the project. The five rappers tag team in a track that highlights the cultural, linguistic, and social impact of the local hip hop scene, with verses in Tagalog, Bisaya, and English.
Filipino cultural references are also sprinkled in the track, such as Loonie’s tribute to Filipino rap OG Francis Magalona, who passed away in 2009. Francis Magalona, also lovingly referred to as “Kiko” (a Filipino nickname for Francis), is credited as one of the most influential personas in shaping Filipino hip hop. Loonie raps, “Salamat Kuya Kiko, kami nang bahala muna rito” (Thank you Kuya [an honorific for ‘older brother’] Kiko, we’ll take care of things here).
The Taipei and Vietnam editions of “The Regionals” are slated to release on September 23 and 30, respectively. Follow HipHopDX Asia for more updates and exclusive features on the project’s artists and producers.
Watch the premiere of “The Regionals: Philippines” here:
Listen to “The Regionals: Philippines” on Spotify here: