“Buzo_Omp” is a five-track project conceived during the pandemic. “It doesn’t feel like a direct translation of any of his influences at all.” “I think what stood out to me the most is how they’re mostly melody driven and flow dependent,” a friend told me about Kurimaw’s music. Catchy snippets from each track could easily make it into the next viral TikTok dance-a possible factor to the success of all music tracks from here on out. While an ear for lyricism is still very much present in Kurimaw’s music, melodies anchored by a good hook reign supreme.
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But in ‘Wasakulap’ (and more so in his newly released debut solo project “ buzo_Omp,”) Kurimaw undertakes a stylistic shift that breaks free from the current soundscape dominating the mainstream charts, as if to say that the fringes can create something better. The song’s hook is as infectious as the video is visually arresting.
He first caught my attention with the release of his music video for ‘Wasakulap’ in late 2019. Top by Wednesday, bottoms by Season Pass. Soon after, his friends decided to craft their own, releasing tracks via YouTube and Soundcloud while immersing themselves further into the community. It was there that he witnessed a vibrant hip-hop scene at the cusp of blowing up. Brav, as his friends call him, dabbled in graffiti before his friends took him to local hip-hop gigs at Cubao Expo and Tomas Morato. Kurimaw, like many of today’s rising artists, began as a fan before taking the jump to create their own tracks. In the absence of physical events due to the pandemic, online communities brought together by music review blog The Flying Lugaw as well as interest groups Peenoise Music Chartposting and Mumble Rap Tawi Tawi have nurtured and amplified a rising crop of artists, including 25-year-old hip-hop artist Kurimaw. WIth local hip-hop in particular, there’s a very frenetic energy fostered by loosely-knit hip-hop circles that has been continuously bounced around since the early 2010’s. Even in this era of streaming where popularity is data-driven and song discovery is left to curated playlists, there’s a huge underbelly of talent left in the fringes as they’ve escaped - or been pushed out - by the streaming algorithm. In the Philippines, hip-hop artists by the likes of Skusta Clee and Matthaios have made strides by breaking into the mainstream, with Matthaios making the list of most-streamed local artists in 2020 according to their Spotify Wrapped report published at the end of last year.īut that’s not the reason why it’s an exciting time to pay attention to hip-hop. This sort of strategic response led to hip-hop taking the top spot in streaming charts for 2020. Drake, Solange, and Playboi Carti, to name a few, have successfully adapted to this new format by releasing projects with a high quantity of songs running for under two minutes. Hip-hop as a category is geared towards today’s streaming era, which rewards shorter songs with more opportunities to be played on repeat.
It’s a very exciting time to be a hip-hop fan.
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