In case you missed it, we’ve been working with the Malaysia Book of Records to obtain official certification and crown Malaysia’s fastest rapper.
This project started out as a follow-up to the first season of Rojak Daily’s ‘Showdown’ series.
In the local hip hop scene, whether among industry professionals or fans, everyone has different assumptions and opinions on who is the fastest rapper around. But no one has ever confirmed that because, well, nobody really kept count.
So, the team decided to collaborate with like-minded partners, Pulse Soundworks, Keep It Local Entertainment and Roshan Jamrock, to brainstorm for ways to track down talented local rappers who are not only fast but skilled and creative.
That’s how a brand new season titled ‘Showdown: Fastest Rapper’ began.
We also managed to rope in Reefa, one of Malaysia’s OG hip hop artists who has been active since the late 90s, to be part of the show.
Who better than getting one of the country’s most versatile emcees to host this special competition?
The Making
So here’s what went down. We called for a nationwide search on our social media platforms for local rappers to submit their entries under the hashtag #ShowdownFastestRapper.
The team had a blast going through all the submissions and we narrowed down to a talented group whom we think have what it takes to take part in this competition.
The ones who made the shortlist were later called to attend an audition session to allow a better and clearer evaluation.
And that was how we made it to 21 finalists who come from different parts of Malaysia. Yup, 21!
The Game
This is where the real adventure begins.Each episode of ‘Showdown: Fastest Rapper’ features three rappers who were each given four unique beats to pick from, each with a different tempo and metre.
After selecting their preferred beat, they were required to submit their original lyrics to be approved by the panel of judges before competing.
The lyrical content and estimated rap speed based on the lyrics were taken into account.
Next, the rappers were then given one week to rehearse and perfect their raps before the official recording.
During the recording, each rapper was given three attempts to perform their best round. The judges then selected the best two rounds for each person and calculated the number of syllables per second in both rounds.
For more information about how the actual calculations work, you can read about it here.
If you’re still confused, don’t worry. The leaderboard will be updated accordingly at the end of each episode, so you will have a better idea on who is leading then.
The Finale
At the end of it all, the top three with the fastest scores will automatically qualify for the Finals.
The finale will see three of the fastest rappers battle it out for the throne. Once the winner is chosen, finally, the Malaysia Book of Records will present the official certificate and crown Malaysia’s fastest rapper!
Are you excited? Follow us on this journey as the first episode of ‘Showdown: Fastest Rapper’ premieres on Friday, 21 June.
You will see it first on our YouTube channel, so subscribe to us and stay tuned for new episodes every Friday!