Fliptop

Transcript of Fliptop (by Mawel Virtucio)

 

FlipTop : The First Filipino Battle League History Popularly called FlipTop or FlipTop Battles, is the Philippines' premier rap battle contest joined by underground and amateur rappers. FlipTop is sometimes described as a modern day Balagtasan, where two rappers are pitted against each other in a battle of a capella rap. Founded on 6 February 2010 by Anygma (Aric Yuson), FlipTop gained prominence through video-sharing site YouTube. As of November 2011, all videos uploaded on its official YouTube account "fliptopbattles" gained 107 million views and is the third most viewed and sixth most subscribed channel in the Philippines.
Though it has an English-language conference, the FlipTop Battles are popular for its use of Filipino in its lyrics. Though delivered in freestyle, lyrics are loosely structured and rhytmic. FlipTop lyrics are commonly spiced with Filipino vulgar and cuss words since, like most rap battles in other countries, the common aim between competing FlipTop rappers is to debunk each other's notions through insults and expletives. How is it Played? FlipTop is not just an ordinary rap battle. It is a battle among two individuals insulting each other through rap. In FlipTop, you are free to say anything. You can say explicit curse words as much as you want. But you have to follow several rules in fighting in a FlipTop battle. First and foremost, your statements should have rhyming words in their endings. If you have any plans on fighting on a FlipTop battle, make sure you know a lot of words so you can say many verses without breaking the most important rule. Second, you have to think as fast as you can. In a Fliptop battle you are given one minute each round to say everything you can. Once your time is up, it is your opponent’s turn to tease and insult you. Usually, there are three rounds in a FlipTop battle. After the three rounds, the judges will state their opinions and vote for the winner. The guy with the most number of votes wins the battle. But what if the judges can’t decide? They can vote for an OT (Overtime). In OT (Overtime), each sides were given another minute to say anything they can. After both sides said their statements, the judges have to pick one and later on Anigma, the host, will declare the winner. Divisions Ahon Hukuman Barako, Bara ko Sunugan Dos Por Dos Fliptop Dos por Dos Tournament Is the division where 16 team are fighting to be the Champion. Each team has 2 pairs, each battle has 3 rounds and 3 mins. per round. Different places per battle, example is Orani Bataan and B-Side, Makati where the Semifinals and Finals is performed. The Champion will get freebies and 250,000 and will be crowned as the King of Dos Por Dos tournament of Fliptop Battle History. Dos Por Dos Tournament ( SemiFinals) Dos por Dos Tournament (Finals) EMCEES/ MC / Rappers BLKD (balakid) Tipsy D Target Harlem Juan Lazy / Juan Tamad Smugglaz Abra Zaito Dello Loonie Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages Eventhough filled with risk and flagrant language; it seems that the videos were successful in educating the masses both on a hip-hop-cultural level and on a commonsensical level. Anygma and the FlipTop crew were basically able to achieve their goals of improving skills and hip hop community, hands down. After the heavy punch lines and bombardments of words, astonishingly, emcees remain friends...that is respect. Disadvantage The only disavantage to this game is they curse through raps and insult its opponent which should not be recognized over the popular youtube and internet networks as there were minors who might influenced with these activities, nevertheless, its better than drug addiction.

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Fliptop History (Interview on Anygma as The Father of Flip Top in the Philippines)

How did Fliptop start?

It was as simple as applying some format from America to the Philippines. We’ve had battling ever since also in the Philippines, but when Grind Time was shown—the American league, probably the biggest in the world too—and when their format, the concept of it was introduced to the greater public, I picked up on it. I applied it here.

How did you put it all together, from inspiration to execution?

Grind Time they have the exact same format, in the sense that, it’s free battles on Youtube. In a sense, you cut out the middle man, you don’t even have to look for someone to air this or think about making a DVD and selling it. Profit is really not the priority. 

I’m aware of the talent here in the Philippines. I just put two and two together, like “So, if we have this kind of talent, what would it take for it to work?”

Would it be wiser to divide the Filipino and English conferences? Would it be wiser to have these many divisions all around Manila? Like, would it be wiser to go with this or that? We just went with whatever works in the Philippines.

It’s an entirely different paradigm. I don’t even market anything, and that’s not to be cocky or anything. All we have is one Facebook, one Youtube, and one Formspring. I just go online, and answer questions, or post a poster if there’s an event coming up.

When did this start?

Our first event was in February [2012], if I am not mistaken.

Are you the sole organizer of Fliptop?

Well, I guess, with the logistics and everything, and the actual organizing, yeah, I do majority of the work. I have some partners too, the cameraman, Kev, and DJ Umph from Miscellaneous, who is like my second-in-command. He takes the footage and edits it.

Of course, I get a lot of moral support, and brainstorming help from my camp from my homeboys and everything.

Are you an emcee as well?
Yeah, yeah I’m an emcee. My crew is AMPON, and Talksic Ways. AMPON has been my camp ever since. Talksic Ways, we got together like a couple years ago, which is made up of several AMPON emcees and two cats from Audible, Protégé and Liquid.

Fliptop is getting pretty big with some of the videos reaching a million views already. Did you expect that it would get big this fast?
I knew it would get big, just not this fast, maybe 50,000 views overall for all the videos.

Why do you think it’s such a hit?
Well, who doesn’t want people insult each other? I think it’s pretty innate in most Filipino males, from grade school and high school, you know, in the parking lot, you guys just insult the hell out of each other, just saying all types of shit.

There’s that, and then, I guess it also comes into play the fact that as a race, the Filipino is known to be non-confrontational, you know what I mean.
So when they see these rap battles, they have something to aspire for, in a sense that, like “Hey, I don’t get to do that on a daily basis, but here, these guys are fucking insulting each other, and then right after, they’re friends.”

Speaking of insulting each other, have any of the guys gotten into a fight, after a match?
No, no, probably the closest thing to that is calling the next cat out after a battle. Like some guy hears a punch line for him, he’s like “I’m going to battle you in the next battle.”

At the end of the day, these guys are still friends. I’m sure they hold their own hidden grudges against each other, but like, whatever, that’s their own problem.

What do you say to the people who comment that you’ve judged a battle wrong?
When people say that Fliptop has made a wrong judgment, they’ve got to break it down and say like “Yeah, it’s just this one judge who made a mistake, like, I don’t agree with his judgment.” You can’t generalize and say “I think it’s wrong, all the judges are wrong, therefore the entire Fliptop is wrong.”

And people have said that. They say like we rig shit. We don’t even have time to rig shit. It bothers me once in a while.

How do you match people up? 
If I think it’s a good match up, I propose it. It’s really democratic. I ask both parties like “Yo, what do you think of this battle?” If one of them doesn’t it, then wala. Both sides must agree on everything.

They’re free to agree on “money down,” trade t-shirts if they want, if they want it to be unlimited time. I just propose it, and if they’re both down with it, then it happens.

So there are prizes when you win a battle?
Lately, it’s been a tattoo, and we’re looking at the shirts. Monetary, so far, not yet. People haven’t stepped forward yet with the money down or whatever.

Can you give us a picture of how these rappers prepare for a battle? Is all of it freestyle or are the lines written?
It’s a common misconception that all of it is freestyle. People think it’s all freestyle, but in one battle league for instance, Smack, people weren’t admitting yet that they actually prepared these lines. They were still trying to claim it was freestyle, but I have a good feeling most of it was written.

As an emcee, shit like that is impossible. If you tell me like all of that is freestyle, that’s bullshit. Commonly, battles are a mix of freestyle and written lines.


In an openly written battle league, like Grind Time, emcees who can’t even freestyle are allowed to join battles if they just think that they can come up with a couple of insults. Anyone can join, but I’ll tell them off, if I don’t agree with it, like “Yo, I think that’s fucked up, you’re kind of bastardizing what we’re doing.” There are still a certain criteria that emcees have to meet.

At the same time, some of the battlers in Fliptop though haven’t assimilated themselves to Fliptop’s openly written format. I tell them “Yo, you know your opponent in advance because you’re supposed to prepare for him.”

Of course, if you forget your written lines, then you’re forced to freestyle. So freestyle is still really, really important. If you can’t, people will hold it against you, and go like “You’re just one of those guys who prepare their shit. You haven’t paid your dues and shit.”

You have to do everything hiphop, you know.

What’s the best line you’ve ever heard?    
I don’t know man. That’s too many. I’d have to consider all the battle leagues in the world.

(Credits to http://fliptopbattlephilippines.blogspot.com)