Uprising announces new Pinoy hiphop albums; Unibersikulo battle rap league coming

Uprising announces new Pinoy hiphop albums; Unibersikulo battle rap league

by rick olivares

Uprising Records announced new albums that should be out soon.

The independent hiphop label that, in six years of existence, has been nothing short of prolific. Run by Alaric “Anygma” Yuson, Uprising announced albums from Kartel, General Santos native Tatz Maven, and Juss Rye.

To date, Uprising has released 17 albums from hiphop and/or rap artists, as well as DJs and producers, from all corners of the Philippines. “We’re an independent label and we’re more than proud of our output from varying artists all across the Philippines,” said Yuson. And before the year ends, they’re looking to be add three more albums to their discography.

In recent years, albums from local hiphop artists from all over the archipelago have received better acceptance and recognition as well as sales. “There are many, many factors of Filipino hiphop gaining more and better recognition,” postulated Yuson. “The words, verses, and lyrics are something that more and more people can relate to or find inspiration in. The level of creativity has really taken off…” 

“And the beats and music are downright nasty,” chimes in pioneer DJ and producer, Arbie Won.  

Uprising is doing its part also by taking great pains in professionalizing their releases. All of them are pressed by the country’s lone compact disc processing plant, FAS. “It’s definitely a bigger investment, but we really want to give all the releases a stamp of quality as well as authenticity,” emphasized Yuson. “People say that in the age of streaming, a physical release might be impractical. But we seem to have done well on the strength of word-of-mouth and hand-to-hand.”

The runaway best-seller is rapper BLKD’s 2015 release, Gatilyo, with UMPH, that to date has sold some 800 copies.

DJ Arbie Won, the man behind the popular Treskul Records & Café, also released the single from his United Freestyles Vol.3, “Trapper Keeper” featuring former Narda vocalist Katwo Librando on 7-inch vinyl through his own Treskul Records.

“To be a part of Uprising is an honor,” said the DJ. “It is good to contribute to the music and the development of hiphop in the Philippines through physical formats.”

One time, a foreigner digging for records at Treskul Records and Café that is next door to Uprising Records’ Boni Avenue office, walked in – intrigued about Filipino hiphop. “He didn’t understand Tagalog but he bought a bunch of cds anyways,” recalls Yuson.

The label’s titles are also available in Japan through Disk Union. Hiphop fans in the USA and the United Arab Emirates have also picked up the albums. 

“There’s a misconception that Uprising is mostly a political label, but that isn’t accurate” clarified Yuson. “Our artist roster is from all around Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao, and everyone has different styles, sounds, and beliefs. It’s not even an Uprising against anything per se… Maybe an uprising within (and not against) Filipino hiphop? We just try to put out what we consider to be… simply, good Filipino hiphop.”

Through the years, hiphop has long branched into a variety of sub-categories such as political, social, hardcore, and even horrorcore, to name a few – and Uprising also represents these many different styles.

Yuson will also be busy with the world-renowned FlipTop Battle League.

This coming August 10, the latest edition of the world’s most-viewed rap battle league (their videos have gained over 1.4 billion views on YouTube), titled Unibersikulo 7, will be held once more at the TIU Theater at what’s now known as Makati Central Square (formerly, Makati Cinema Square).

“We have two more FlipTop events outside Manila that we have lined up, before our last 2-3 events for the year,” summed up Yuson. “I think it’s a second Golden Age for Philippine hiphop and we at Uprising and FlipTop are glad to be a part of it.”

Interested fans can check out the Uprising discography through their office, Baraks, Treskul Records at Boni Avenue and Ali Mall, the BranDead shop in Munoz, Merch District branches, online distributors, and through the label’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/uprising.ph.

Discography: 

1.   KJah – Sa Gitna ng Prusisyon 

2.   Bambu – 5 AM in Manila EP 

3.   Arbie Won – United Freestyles Vol. 3 

4.   Zaito – Ganti ng Patay 

5.   BLKD x UMPH – Gatilyo 

6.   KJah – Ang Gantimpalang Idinaan sa Wika 

7.   Emar Industriya – Industriyalismo 

8.   Illustrado – Illustrado 

9.   Apoc – Loob ng Kabaong 

10.Serenata – For my Daydream Dalliance 

11.Plazma – The Impaler EP 

12.Tweng – Proyekto Sikmahi 

13.KJah – Kamao ng Kanakaloo EP 

14.Kemikal Ali x Arbie Won – Bukas Uulan ng mga Bara 

15.Kregga – Karo’Mata Epe 

16.Dhictah x KMG – Lalim at Karimlan 

17.K.M.G. – Underneath the Cranium Beat Tape 

Upcoming Projects: 

Kartel – LP 

Tatz Maven – LP 

Juss Rye – 90Nice