What is FlipTop?

FlipTop is the First Filipino Rap Battle League, popularly called FlipTop or FlipTop Battles. It is the Philippines’ premier rap battle contest joined by underground and amateur rappers. FlipTop is sometimes described as a modern day Balagtasan, where two rappers are pitted against each other in a battle of acapella rap.

In most competition formats, FlipTop has 3 rounds per battle and the winner is determined by a panel of judges. Rappers are allowed to write the lyrics of their fliptop lines.

Founded on 6 February 2010 by Anygma (Aric Yuson), FlipTop gained prominence through video-sharing site YouTube. As of November 2011, all videos uploaded on its official YouTube account “fliptopbattles” gained 107 million views and is the third most viewed and sixth most subscribed channel in the Philippines.

Though it has an English-language conference, the FlipTop Battles are popular for its use of Filipino in its lyrics. Though delivered in freestyle, lyrics are loosely structured and rhytmic.

FlipTop lyrics are commonly spiced with Filipino vulgar and cuss words since, like most rap battles in other countries, the common aim between competing FlipTop rappers is to debunk each other’s notions through insults and expletives.

Among the prominent FlipTop rappers is Loonie (Marlon Peroramas), who has released his debut album The Ones Who Never Made It. The FlipTop style of rapping was also incorporated in the musical William by the Philippine Educational Theater Association.