I recently talk to Luckyqball of Yogafiyah
ano nga bang napag usapan namin?
read below:
PHS: Can you give us a little preview of your career. i mean introduce yourself to us
Luckyqball: I wasn't always into writing bars and rapping, I was more into slow jams and RnB. as kid, but my older family friends got me into Wu-Tang Clan, listening to all that cursing and raw energy blew my mind away. I used to write a lot of poetry and songs as a teen growing up in Kalibo, Aklan, when I discovered pool halls, my mind was made up I wanted to be a pool player..lol
and as I flew back to UK for school, I still looked for pool halls, and hung out with loads of filipinos, as there is a massive community in London alone. and within that community I came across Aziatik.
One of the leaders of Lirikong Supremo, him, T-Max and Kyd, this is where I discovered tagalog rap, Delicado (net rap, Yahoo messenger battles, other emcees back home, all that goodness) and my mind was blown. I wrote a hook for Azi one time, and since then, I always got involved with the music and production, and started to write bars, and practice freestyling, eventually I teamed up with Azi on his production team Th1rd3ye productions.
As we started meeting other emcees in the pinoy community, we created a bond with them, and did Pinoy hip hop events around UK, just to let the people know , Pinoy Hip Hop in UK exists, every year there are a new generation of hip hop heads, who love tagalog rap, that don't know its in UK, so we always show love every Barrio fiesta, and do a show here and there outside of the festival.
Eventually Azi started his clothing Company Supreme elements clothing and I moved onto Yoga Fiyah, handled by KyD. Before the transition I've made The Bits and Pieces Mixtape, and the Black Sheep mixtape which I put out there for free, and its on youtube to rip off too.... I SEE the PIRATES
PHS: Can you also link that one to us? So you are more into this internet rap thingy? What it is like to perform from the UK? how do the crowd responded?
Luckyqball: www.yogafiyah.com all the tapes at the bottom by our team.
Internet rap? nah g, I see Hip Hop as my culture! Technology has changed the way the music business is, internet rap was my introduction to tagalog rap, and being filipino by blood made me happy to be part of a really unique Independent label, here in UK.
Luckyqball:
Performing to people in UK? its all the same, from 8 people in a room, to over 5000 people, I just do my best, and drop the peeps some knowledge, and sometimes give them what they want to hear, I was always stubborn starting out not making tracks to please people, always writing tracks to please me, then as I have crafted over the years, I've learnt to mix what I like to what is appealing to my audience. My team rap in tagalog! I don't.... there is always a mixed reaction... some kids love them who ain't even got filipino blood in them, some kids wish they could understand tagalog, to get with the lyrics, cos they love the flow of backy, bangz, jphee and kyd...
some uk born filipinos switch off cos they have no clue of any tagalog vocabulary
and then you have the filipinos from back home, who just arrived to live in UK trying to get my ass to rap in tagalog... its a madness....
all in all, we have had support from Philippines thanks for the internet, and also our local pinoy community.... But only recently have I been pushing my music more part time from my work, in fact I see my music as not only my passion because of my culture, but also my part time work.
PHS: Can i ask why you didn't rap in tagalog? Just a curious question
Luckyqball: Yeah, I mean I tried, but I was born in London, grew up here and I lived in Aklan for four years, adjusting in the first 2 years learning Aklanon, not deep Aklanon either, so my tagalog was basic, till I got back to London when I was 15, bumping into tagalog kids maybe two years later? picking up the mainland dialect through them again.... the tagalog vocabulary is very deep, I don't understand every word, imagine asking a guy in tagalog who isn't deep in vocabularyb on english to write english bars? i'm still crafting, maybe in future, i'ma put out some tagalog rap too
PHS: Thats nice, i just ask because I've seen foreign rap artist trying their very best to adapt the language too just to reach out for other people no matter if the language is perfect or not.
do you have plans of coming here in the philippines? and perform here?
other than your group do you plan to have collabos as well?
Luckyqball: I do, at the same time, I have priorities, that need to be sorted out here in UK, but I will never forget that pinoy culture
I don't mind collabing with anyone, but most of the time, people that I've worked with in the past don't finish up on their end, funny you ask, I'm working on a collaboration mix download freebie as we speak
PHS: Is this mixtape up for grabs? how do you sell your craft i mean do you gain from it?
Luckyqball: I actually have a track on bits and pieces where i drop four bars in tagalog, its just to point out I can rap in tagalog, but it just wouldn't sound great
PHS: I know the feeling your a bit perfectionist and that not a bad thing.
Luckyqball: I have a current project called Always on the table, which will be available on online distribution in the near future, it should be up on i-tunes, amazon, deezer, spotify.... so hold tight for that
PHS: In your own opinion how big is your market lately? And so a your fan base?
Luckyqball: The other collaborations mixtape is a secretish project cos, I just want it to be ready rather than hype it up before i tell people about it... collaborations can be tricky when people don't stick to deadlines.
PHS: hahaha i get that.
Luckyqball: I've always seen myself as the Joker of the pack of cards in Yoga Fiyah, my team stand out more as far as the filipino rap audience.
Only recently have I been pushing more on making projects, as Performing isn't enough for people I come across, at festivals, and open mics.... I feel my fan base are the fans of Yoga Fiyah as a teamat the Moment I'm yet to see my personal fanbase, but I reckon I can fill a regular event with 50 people of my followers. at a show
Hence why I am pushing more collabs outside of my Yoga Fiyah team recently.
PHS: Who leads this yoga fiyah?
Luckyqball: Kyd is the production leader of Yoga Fiyah team, when we work on projects, he leads the way, but at the same time, he allows us to work on our personal projects.
PHS: Kyd is good he establish a name from himself. So to wrap it up, what can you say to people who follows you, support you.
Luckyqball:
Well to all those who support me, KEEP supporting, keep purchasing music I am starting to sell, and you will see loads more tracks for free download, I'm not gonna change for just the money.
Tell your friends about me, your friends friends, and talk about my tracks on social media, push it on facebook, twitter, all that goodness.
I have a projectcalled Always on the Table (#alwaysonthetable)
which will be distributed on online download stores in the near future, so stay posted with me on
facebook.com/luckyqball
follow me on twitter @luckyqball
and have a view in my life on instagram @lucky_qball
to keep you excited for my music, check out one of the tracks on Always on the Table.
Good Times
purchase the track here if you feelin it
http://luckyqball.bandcamp.com/
don't forget to check out the rest of my team on
www.yogafiyah.com
plenty of freebie downloads there too, and links to our past work.
ginawa ko narin ang kayang PHS card.
PHS: Thats dope thank you sir! wanna add your shoutouts
Luckyqball: First and foremost, My label and label mates Lirikong Supremo, who have always been about the Hip Hop culture first and foremost, Azi, T-Max, Kyd.
My Team Yoga Fiyah, JE Beats, Christian Chase, Fourty Winkz, the current beatmakers I am working with.Manila Fresh Productions (Kid Cras) for working on my lates project Always on the Table, and hooking me up with dope visuals for my videos.
All those I am collaborating with right now, and my whole London network.
The Hip Hop Nation throughout the globe, all the loyal L.S fans, Yoga Fiyah fans, all those watching my movement.
The UKFighting game community, my gaming team MashOnPad, and the Fate of Four loyalists.
PHS: Thank you sir, your time means alot.
Luckyqball: And you to PHS thanks my dude.
I have moved onto a whole vision, and I want you to be part of
it, please show some support for my music and ambition, and
check the link please.
http://igg.me/at/luckyqballvision
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