Somewhere between but not exactly like Brockhampton and Odd Future are Kartell’em, 10-member hip-hop outfit that represents the best of being young now
Our older cousins have witnessed the notorious rap versus metal beef in the mid ’90s and the rise of gangster rap in the early 2000s. Our generation also witnessed the globalization of “Pinoy” rap in the mid ’00s, the relevance and impact of the FlipTop Battle League, and recently, our Asian neighbors being an instant superstar in the entire archipelago.
Hip-hop in the Philippines right now has skyrocketed, not like five years ago where everyone was tuning into rap segments in noontime television and anticipating the next local rap battle video. Now, record executives are eyeing who’s the next Gloc-9 or Loonie or Al James, and whoever may have changed the game in the past few years. But there is this one group in local hip-hop in particular that manages to break free from the cliches and stay at the heart of the underground. A group that stands out of the novelty bling rap, the hardcore trap bangers, and even audience pandering lyricism.
Make way for Kartell’em. This 10-member collective of rappers, skaters, and graph artists are tagged as “the future” in social media. Their online cyphers is evidence of their lyrical skills, and their live performances emit a different kind of energy. Their position in the rap scene today is occupied by their organic talent in skating, graffiti, and rapping.
“This” meaning them: a generation of kids who are pushing forward the next iteration of “what’s next.” The millennial generation—our generation—are either fresh from graduation or off to their nth job as ambitious, individualistic, and vocal go-getters, if stereotypes hold any water. As for Gen Z, they’ve learned from our mistakes: with a new set of inspirations to draw from, a myriad of opportunities left open, and the fountain of youth to their use, they’re free to do what they please. And what they did is work together, collaborate, link up, and build.
”This is the future. Kasi this is based on everything that we’ve heard. Lahat ng nagawa na, influence namin ‘yun lahat. Ito na ‘yung next generation”
This is what we learned while kicking out with the boys of Kartell’em. Meeting them in person felt like you were meeting up with your friends after work or school. This was on a Sunday, and almost all of them were mellow. All because they just performed in two hip-hop events the day before. Each member was being themselves by sporting beanies, T-shirts that are actually merch from other small local clothing lines based in Makati, five panel caps, and unclean high-cut shoes. These folks aren’t the flashy types we’d mostly expect from the typical hip-hop artists.
Kartell’em consists of 10 members, with most of them based in Makati and a couple from other cities like Pasay and Quezon City. They got their name from “cartel,” a word with street cred but also a word that reflects their way of exchanging and producing music they are making for everyone.
They got their name from “cartel,” a word with street cred but also a word that reflects their way of exchanging and producing music they are making for everyone
This collective of skaters, graph artists, beat makers, and street smart poets met around early 2012 because of their fondness for skating around the blocks of Makati. Their own interest in the same culture they loved blossomed in a hangout in one of their friend’s house, and shortly after a quick freestyle session, Kartell’em was born. Don’t let this group fool you though, they find themselves more in common in the way they operate their own image online.
They’re different and they’re bringing you a different kind of product. Some say the group works like a boy band similar to Brockhampton, or their collective efforts are hyperactive like Odd Future. But as they said, none of them aren’t really aiming to copy paste whatever hip-hop group today is doing. What they’re looking forward to doing is breaking the wall, shattering boundaries, and uniting all different classes. All by being themselves.
These members in Kartell’em incorporate a different feel whenever they rap and produce cuts. The first out of these 10 members is Waiian, the most active in the group. He is first and foremost a rapper then a skater, then a graph artist. He just released his most acclaimed solo EP titled “Stranded in Hawaii “just last year. Following the release, he started getting noticed by other hip-hop veterans for his use of dual languages in a track, his storytelling, and themes about many other living conditions in Makati.
The second member, Ne7in, is the mixing engineer of the group. He is the most vocally present and does most of the job to make the product come clean.
The third and and arguably the one with the most powerful voice in the group, Yorko. He admits he was a metalhead in his earlier days, listening to Slayer and Judas Priest, then later on started listening to Tyler the Creator. The loud man screaming inside him is now the man that he really is for the expression and the benefit of the group.
The fourth member, Sica, was a hardcore punk until his first year high school where he first listened to Tupac Shakur. He immediately let him influence his music to channel the more socially conscious rapper in him in his solo material.
The fifth member, Wayvier, was raised in Laguna. He moved to Makati around his first year in college where he witnessed violence in the streets. This in a way inspired him to speak more or rather made him express his feelings of the city in an upcoming solo mixtape called “I Came From The Subs But Delighted With the View of the Urbs.”
The sixth member, Ruiijikun, the main producer for the entire group, has released a beat tape and is looking forward to working with many other producers in the local scene.
The seventh member, Nickname, started out by listening to bands like Secondhand Serenade. The reason he got into hip-hop was his co-worker who started freestyling during breaks; he was astounded by the way he was able to convey a story in his lines. Nickname has also expressed his qualms about how braggadaccio is still somehow prominent in hip-hop. He said that those rappers only got what they have, whatever bling they have is what they wanna rap and nothing substantial in return.
The eighth member of the group, O’Neen, moves around in the group but is constantly in low-key mode online. He raps like he’s in attack mode. Arguably the most versatile rapper in the bunch.
The ninth member, Aftermatt, is the most laid-back member out of all the 10 members. He’s also planning to release a solo project. So far his plans for the project was to take influence from Earl Sweatshirt, a very grim part of rap we’re looking forward to see in the future.
The 10 and the newest member, JWuds, is a 17-year old recruit, making him the youngest in the collective. Sica, brought him into the group to explore more music. At first, he used to write formulaic love songs but for now he has brought his songwriting in another direction.
These neophytes didn’t really have the same interests growing up. Each and one of them started out having different musical inclinations. And that’s okay as this unites the group even more. This call for diversity expands their taste, and these folks are hungry for more. When performing live, they all channel a different energy that they themselves can only produce on stage.
When a boom bap track is playing, they get set on their more lyrical and reflective side, like their track “EJK” for example. There are four rappers who take turns to present their own style—Aftermatt presents an angry 16 bar that contains lyrics about the injustice while Yorko uses the double-timing rap tempo to express their anxieties of the current administration.
When a trap banger plays, Kartell’em shows a dynamic and a more hyper side that would get a crowd to move a lot more. “No Wi-Fi in Hell” is a prime example of their other and more energetic style. Wayvier goes back-to-back battle of bars with Oneen. They showcase versatility with a haunting but catchy hook in their arsenal.
After performing, the crew calmly go off stage. They rest and cool off for a while by heading outside the venue. They smoke and chill by the gutter while the rest of their friends who came over do skate tricks by the street. They laugh at their live clips being documented in a smartphone by one of their crew mates in the graffiti scene. Waiian and a few of his friends find the nearest karinderya while others like Yorko and Nevin attempt to do tricks while they got time to kill.
Kartell’em represents the current DIY movement (music production, events, and even promotional material) in the underground scene today; a rare practice that we don’t see in the surface of all things
With their mixtape recently released, Kartell’em are taking the first step of many to reach a wider audience. Kartell’em represents the current DIY movement (music production, events, and even promotional material) in the underground scene today; a rare practice that we don’t see in the surface of all things. This age group of late teens and twentysomethings used to be the spectators, watching their idols on stage, and right now, they aren’t a household name just yet but they are potentially bringing hip-hop back to the future and to the past not only at home but in the entire world.
One rapper copies another for fame, and a movement retrieves the questionable actions in the past; sadly this is a reality we need to move on from. The past is past, the present will wait for their answer, and people like Kartell’em can pave the way for our generation’s future. Without a doubt, only Kartell’em can only tell time for how madly unique, conscious, and open they are. Which makes them ultimately stand out from the rest.
Interview by Elijah Tim Paguio Pareno and Lex Celera
Art direction by Bryan Sochayseng
Photography by Morris Mueller
Grooming by Mikki Malonzo
Assisted by Boris John Garcia, Sebastian Almirol, and Shawie Serrano