Esplanade Foreword February: BASEFOREWORD ft OCK curated by Rauzan Rahman
BASEFOREWORD features local hip hop performers, OCK, Elementical Fury, Syed Mahdzar (Bushmen), Komrad, MC Raja, Mr.Boo, DJ Ollie’Des, Sounds of Fai, Writer’s Block, X’Statix and Rauzan Rahman.
About the artists
Ollie’Des
A legend, an OG and a people’s DJ amongst his peers for almost two decades, Ollie’Des has moved thousands of people with his turntable skills and record selections, delivering his best at every performance.
Having spun in the loftiest clubs in Singapore and Southeast Asia, not only has Ollie’Des made a name for himself, but has put Singapore hip hop on the map.
Sounds of Fai (S.O.F)
With his crazy antics and high energy sets, S.O.F’s music flows from his beats. Hip hop, trap, twerk and future bass music are his weapons of choice. Few words can describe the lengths he will go to please his crowd. S.O.F has come a long way and is still at it, keeping the party going till dawn.
Mr.Boo
A versatile emcee and “hype man”, Mr.Boo has shared the stage with some of the best DJs in the Singapore party scene. He has emceed for international DJs like Tha Trickaz, DJ Cash Money, Stanton Warriors, Oliver Twizt and Eskei83, to name a few, and in the clubs and festivals all over the world. He is also the official “hype man” for Siloso Beach Party.
Rauzan Rahman
Rauzan Rahman is a music producer and songwriter who has gotten recognition in the Singapore entertainment scene with his video works, performances and music production values.
Starting out as a child entertainer in television, Rauzan acted in many popular television shows such as Kids United and KLIK!. Besides his acting experience, Rauzan also broke into the Singapore hip hop scene as a rapper/music producer, producing music for artists within the region.
Writers’ Block
Writers' Block is a newly formed rap collective whose members share the same passion and interests in music. The group was formed as a way to allow each member to express their creativity without censorship. Influenced by Wu Tang and Mobb Deep, Writers' Block aims to strengthen rap culture in Singapore while spreading their passion and love for music.
Yung Raja
Yung Raja is making waves in the English and Tamil music scene via hip hop, raising the bar for Asian rap.
Fariz Jabba
Fariz Rashid, also known as Fariz Jabba, is a 21-year-old recording artist. His style is a mix of colourful ’90s and the current new school sound. Fariz draws inspiration from Chris Brown, Aminé and Frank Ocean. He aims to be an all-round performer that can represent Singapore.
Komrad
Anyone familiar in the hip hop scene in Singapore and Malaysia would have heard of the duo, better known as Komrad. As rappers, producers and lyricists, the duo works together to bring their individual style and skills. With J Boy working as the source of fusion music and Fariq completing the combo in the form of blistering tongue-twisting and melodic rapping, Komrad has not stopped working on their music and continues to work with various artists around the region.
In late 2008, the duo performed together for the first time in KL Hip Hop Fest in Malaysia. They have since worked with renowned artistes and producers including D’Navigator and Malique of Too Phat. Their first single Jatuh Hati Di Kuala Lumpur took the radio stations by storm as they were named X-plosive Artiste of the day by X-FM. Their next two singles, Harapan and #Goje, were on local radio charts for more than 10 weeks.
They were signed to Mediacorp in 2011 and have appeared in media and newspapers. Komrad has worked with Zain of Ruffedge, Nurul Wahab and Shabir. They are curently signed with Sony Music Malaysia and Singapore.
X’Statix
X'Statix is a rap group comprising of Azrael, Shino & Influent. When they came into the Singapore Hip-Hop scene in the early 2000s, they went against the grain of the mainstream sound of that era and presented a raw form of beats and rhymes. X'Statix is one of the pioneering acts that layed the foundation that formed an independent HipHop coalition/label called The.XS Collective.
Syed Mahdzar (Soul Rebel)
Syed Mahdzar is no stranger to the local music scene. From his days playing bass in hardcore band Stompin’ Ground in the late 1980s, to being the lead vocalist in the Bushmen in the late ’90s, he has done numerous studio recordings, given countless live performances, and has shared the same stage with local and international artists and bands.
Elementical Fury
ELEMENTICAL FURY is legendary in the late ’90s hip hop scene in Singapore. Anyone who has heard of them or their songs knows that they are the real deal. Their lyrics speak of real stories and carry messages of positivity and unity.
Incorporating their love for the four elements of hip hop in their mission and vision, these five exquisitely talented emcees with uniquely distinctive styles show us how it’s done.