8 BALLIN’ has a new single, and the hip-hop collective says that it is their way of going back to where they started. With every member dropping bars on “Showtime” to a beat that evokes hip-hop’s classic era, this new single highlights how the group has grown musically while not forgetting its beginnings. The single is now released on all major music streaming platforms under Def Jam Philippines. It was produced by Luigi “zp3nd” Tamayo, who also helped with the music.
8 BALLIN’ says that “Showtime” highlights their lives as artists wherever they make or perform, from their homes to studios to live events where their talents shine. It is an appreciation, they add, of the journey “from being a nobody to being a somebody.” This appreciation, they say, also extends to the audience they have built over the years.
The collective says that the boom bap style that distinguishes “Showtime” has been easy to work with, as it was foundational to their hip-hop origins. At the same, they found it challenging to incorporate their current styles while making the song. Their goal here was to make the song, in their words, “cohesive and contemporary.” It is a testament to their talent that this song is definitely worth a listen.
As “Showtime” aims to be a “showcase of 8 BALLIN’ and its members, the song is a seven-minute tour de force. The collective assures listeners that it is worth the time to experience their effort. “You can hear and feel that every artist in the song did their distinct style and approached it differently,” they say, “Unity and diversity are one of our strengths, and you can expect to hear them in this song.”
We asked 8 BALLIN’ to imagine where they could hear “Showtime” play. What came to mind was that it could be a sync (a musical cue) on a series or film, much as Shanti Dope’s “Amatz” appeared on the Disney+/Marvel Studios series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. If a song like this that displays rising Philippine hip-hop talent makes it that far, then 8 BALLIN’ are ready for the big time.