If the hip-hop collective 8 BALLIN’ hasn’t been on your radar yet, here’s another reason to pay attention to their music. With their latest single, “Fancy,” out now on all music streaming platforms, the group is proving to be one of Def Jam Philippines’ most promising young talents. Their song is a collaboration between the members of the collective. It was produced by Luigi “zp3nd” Tamayo and recorded at the Double RR Studio.
8 BALLIN’ says that they composed “Fancy” with an old-school, chill vibe to reflect the story of a young woman who is, in their words, “swabe kung gumalaw.” Her smooth moves, they say, reflect her “go with the flow” personality that consistently stands out. “We came up with a party vibe [for this song],” they tell us in Filipino, “but it is also chill.” The sonic mix will engage listeners in how they speak about their topic through rhyme.
8 BALLIN’ want people to ease into their music, they say, and “Fancy” fits into their musical trajectory by emphasizing a mix of old-school and new-school hip-hop. They add that their arrangement for this song fits well with what they aim to do with it. This fits in, they say, with the kind of ideal place where one hears it: in a classy club where one will be “speechless” upon hearing the song. In other words, one is likely to put down their drink and stop chatting once the song comes on.
The group says that they have been listening to a lot of R&B songs lately from different artists, and they feel that the energy they draw from that fuels a song such as “Fancy.” They are excited to bring their energy to a live event in June, where they promise a “wild performance.”
“Fancy” is yet another sign that 8 Ballin’ is ready to make an impact on the diverse world of Philippine music.
ABOUT 8 BALLIN’
Bigger Than Music: 8 BALLIN’ is the New Hip-Hop Icon to Watch Out For
Highschool friends Vincent, Harris, Cedric, Joesel, and Emmanuel (now more popularly known as PRAY, R!S, cXy, Supboi K, and Juan-E, respectively) often got together to enjoy music. Their love for Hip-Hop and R&B led the five friends to form a group in 2018. They called themselves 8 BALLIN’; ‘8’ came from PRAY’s birth date, July 8th, while ‘Ballin’’ is inspired by their favorite radio producer at that time, Metro Boomin. A year later, Albert, Jimm, Paolo, John, and Kurt (more known as Schumi, Jhymn, ego, Lvx, and TEEN, respectively) joined the group when they met during senior high school. That time, these ten friends enjoyed their days making music, not realizing that they were creating something for the future.
It was August 2020 when Def Jam Philippines discovered the group’s genius after spotting them on YouTube. After several discussions, fast forward to June 2021, 8 BALLIN’ has released their now-signature track, KNOW ME. With 7 million views in just one week since its release, the music video has been viral because of its earworm lyrics and beat. The experimental approach to the song is a combination of a West Coast beat and a rapping style called Slime that is often heard from the music of Young Thug, Gunna, Lil Keed, and other international artists.
This breakthrough has once again opened the deal with Def Jam Philippines. The group was offered a 360 artist deal and an eight-song catalogue that includes their trending song, KNOW ME.
“We usually create our songs on the spot. As a group, we tend to forget how our melodies sound, so we record it at the same time it was written. Any changes or additions will be set on another day.”
8 BALLIN’s sound is heavily inspired by hip-hop groups they look up to. Locally, they are big music heads for Ex-Battalion, 727 Clique, and Bawal Clan. Another influence driver for the group is music from international artists like Wu-Tang Clan, BROCKHAMPTON, Beast Coast, and YSL.
With exceptional rap and song writing skills, 8 BALLIN’ has the potential to be the next Ex-Battalion. Fans love their youthful and cool personalities that reflect in the creative energy they input into their songs. But what sets 8 BALLIN’ apart from other hip-hop groups is their bond–they are friends first before they are a musical ensemble.
Their solid friendship of more than ten years is rooted in the town where they came from and take pride in—Angono, Rizal. As artists from the Art Capital of the Philippines, it is 8 BALLIN’s dream for the town to be known for producing musical icons as well.
“8 BALLIN’ aims to change how hip-hop influences a whole nation. We want to be known as the game changers, risk-takers, a DIFFERENT BREED entirely. And we aim to use our sound as a language that we speak to move people’s minds and hearts to inspire, because that’s the best thing a human being can do.”
8 BALLIN’ promised their fans something “bigger than music.” In their own words, “they can expect that we will shake the culture anytime soon, so stay tuned!”