Marco Basinillo during one of his Fliptop battles. | Photos from Basinillo
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Cebuano Fliptop emcee and rap artist Marco “Pen Pluma” Basinillo wants to prove that there is more to the local rap music than meets the eye.
The 26-year-old aspiring rap artist, who is also a veteran of rap and fliptop leagues, shared to CDN Digital that his passion is more than the trash-talking and insults that people see on viral videos.
For Basinillo, who is from Barangay Tejero, rapping and fliptop is a type of poetry and art that serves as an outlet for self-expression.
“Well, the art behind rapping and fliptop serves as our outlet to express ourselves – aspirations, ideologies, experiences, etc,” said Basinillo, who is currently under label companies Shaman Ubec, Villadoggs, and Tresmarap.
“Mostly, others misconceive fliptop as a common name for a rap battle. To make things clear, it is Fliptop Battle League – a professional rap battle league reigning not just in our country but around the globe (the most viewed rap battle league),” said Basinillo who discovered his love for rapping at 15.
Basinillo started building his name by joining local poetry shows where he recites his original poems until he started joining pocket rap battles held in alleyways and bars around Cebu.
Until he joined the larger competitions, such as Gubat and Ahon, where he faced fellow fliptop emcees and engaged in fierce but highly entertaining rap battles.
Marco Basinillo during one of his Fliptop battles. | Photos from Basinillo
Like most local rap artists, Basinillo idolizes famous Pinoy rap artists such as Gloc 9, Loonie, Ron Henley, and Mike Kosa.
For many, fliptop, or rap battle, seems very intimidating, given that each emcee needs to be as creative as they can in beating their opponents with their ‘poetic’ insults and trash-talking. But there is more to that, according to Basinillo.
Basinillo made it clear that fliptop and rap battles are more than just insulting their opponents on stage. People love to watch rap battles to listen to the emcees’ creative bars that have various interpretations rather than insults.
“It’s more than just insulting and trash-talking your opponent. You’re there in front of a large crowd showcasing poetry in a different dimension. I fell in love with rapping, most especially in Fliptop because you can perform in the most creative way possible, regardless of what element of rap you’re using. Ultimately, you inspire others to live their dreams of becoming a rap artist and prove them nothing is impossible,” added Basinillo.
He also pointed out that the country’s rap music and hip-hop scene contrasts the Western hip-hop scene, which highlights the artists’ lavish lifestyle and their conflict with other artists.
Instead, the local rap music and hip-hop scene tackle more about the biggest issues in society.
“Hip-hop and rap are very popular and very influential to our youth. Mainly because many popular rap and hip-hop artists in our country started from the streets. They represented the mass and the youth and aspiring rappers. On social media, you can see a lot of young rappers spitting bars about various issues and themes to show their love for rap and hip-hop,” he said.
He said that the hip-hop scene in the Philippines is a movement to make everyone conscious of the real problems of society.
“Our hip-hop scene is far different than others. It’s a movement that we artists trying to do. We speak about the biggest issues in our society so everyone becomes more aware of them. Of course, it’s my passion because it’s one of the few things that makes my passion keep burning. Even when I’m saying I am tired of rap, I cannot deny to myself that I love it and no one can stop me from doing it.” – Marco “Pen Pluma” Basinillo
He added that Cebu’s rap music and hip-hop scene is growing, thanks to the local artists and community that continues to promote the genre amidst the pandemic.
“We’re growing bigger and bigger! Shout out to Rapollo for strengthening the hip-hop community in Cebu,” said Basinillo.
Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Basinillo strives to continue his career in rap music, hoping that he and his crew will release more albums and join more rap battles soon.
“During the lockdowns, I continued writing rap verses on my laptop, mostly unreleased tracks and I watched old Fliptop videos. I always kept myself updated with the latest happenings in the local hip-hop scene and on my co-artists,” said Basinillo.
Lastly, he believes that the future of rap music and hip-hop in the country will grow bigger in the future, considering there are a lot of potential artists who are discovered through rap battles like fliptop.
/bmjo
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