Written by Aqil Nasri
2019 was a breakout year for most indie artists in the industry. Bands like Masdo and Pastel Lite have finally found and settled in their crowd. No doubt that the recent indie uprising has affected the large following that these bands have been getting in the past year, with some getting millions and millions of views and streams. This is a remarkable feat, a true milestone in a supposedly underground area where even most mainstream Malaysian songs, with the large amounts of sponsors and assistance, still aren’t able to attain those numbers.
However, indie isn’t the only genre that’s popping off right now in the Malaysian music scene. Another genre has been slowly creeping up on them, one that has been getting more and more support over the past years. A genre that I’m sure everyone knows, and one that I predict to be next year’s trend for the Malaysian music scene. That genre is…
Rap
K-Clique
The rap game in Malaysia has evolved in such a rapid manner nowadays that new and upcoming rappers are popping up like wild mushrooms everywhere. So much so that I can bet you that 1 in every 10 Subang kids out there will have some aspirations to become a rapper (if he isn’t one already).
From the formation of DefJam SEA, amongst our own meteoric rise of local hip-hop groups, 2020’s going to be a strong year from the genre, and it has already been picked up by now well-known rap group, K-Clique. Hailing from Sabah, the group started as an indie rap group but has recently transitioned into the mainstream because of the successes that they’ve been getting in the past year. Like em or hate em, there’s no denying their escalation to fame, bolstered by the undeniably fire tracks and mounts and mounts of local support.
But let’s not forget the women who are helping this rise. Female rappers like Zamaera and Bunga have consistently pushed the bar upward and beyond what was thought possible, with Bunga shattering the stigma that you have to be of a certain image to rap. Clothes don’t make the person, but the skill.
Bunga
Other than that, 16 Baris is an entity that has been widely recognized by millions of fans nationwide, be it whether they are a fan of rap or they just like seeing the concept and style that the videos produced. Born from the mind of Joe Flizzow back in late 2017, the show has grown exponentially since it first began, and has since become a platform for rappers, new and old to show what they’ve got. This simple but ingenious concept has managed to capture the love that people have for rap, reigniting the flames of pure joy and ecstasy when they see their favourite rapper appearing on one of the episodes.
Not satisfied with just doing online shows, the 16 Baris group hosted a showcase back in April 2018 at The Bee, Publika, that they severely underestimated. Instead of expecting a crowd of only 400 people to come, a mass of 5000 people flooded the venue, even breaking the main doors of The Bee due to overcapacity.
16 Baris Showcase at The Bee, Publika
It doesn’t matter if we’re late to the rap game, or that the Westerners have done it first. Much like any other genre, rap is a mere vessel for people to express themselves, along with the associated fashion and lifestyle choices. And what makes it all the more interesting, is seeing how our local brethren bring their twist into it.
The reason why I personally think that rap will overtake the indie music scene in 2020 is because of the massive amount of support that it’s been getting from all the major local brands and people as well. Indie may hold the hearts of the local scene at the moment, but rap will dethrone it, and take over to become the number one genre in Malaysia.
Next year can’t come fast enough.
