In a panel moderated by Rolling Stone Philippines Media Channels Editor Sai Versailles, FlipTop founder Alaric “Anygma” Yuson and photographer Geloy Concepcion talked about social media becoming a large factor in their success as artists.
The panel, which focused on artistic expression and building a community, saw both Rolling Stone Philippines Voices honorees describe the cultural landscape they had to navigate in the beginning and how they manage to carve their own paths. Concepcion shared how getting into street art in the beginning brought him to different places, where he discovered new communities before eventually finding his way to photography.
Both Yuson and Concepcion bared they motivation in pursuing community-centric art: photography and hip-hop. For the FlipTop Battle League founder, it’s the hope that wider audiences will continue to understand the cultural impact of championing the pool of talent the scene has.
“Sobrang na-enjoy ko to. Tapos parang gusto ko lang is sana ma-enjoy nyo rin. Sana ma-intindihan nyo kung bakit nae-enjoy,” Yuson says. “‘Yung north star ko is magpakilala pa lalo ang local talent, underground talent ng hip-hop through battle rap or hip-hop music and battle rap as a competition, formal competition.”
Concepcion, whose practice is rooted in community engagement through anonymous confessionals that he then turns into personal photographic records, connection is still at the center of his art.
“Human connections talaga ang maghahanap [sa ‘yo]. Mag-ke-crave ka talaga nun. Kahit sabihin mong gano’n ka ka-independent, gaano ka ka-cool or walang hiya,” Concepcion says. “Hanggang ngayon, ‘yun ‘yung nagdadala sa akin para gawin ko ‘yung iba’t ibang projects na ginagawa ko.”
Finding their Crowds Through Social Media
Concepcion recalled how his most well-known project, Things You Wanted to Say But Never Did, was a product of social media bringing the project to different places. He credits his online following for platforming his work, and opening new opportunities previous unavailable to the relatively unknown photographer that he once was.
Concepcion says, “‘Pag hindi ka represented ng galleries or hindi ka nagshoot para sa mga sikat. Talagang medyo imposible na mailabas mo ‘yung gawa mo. Kailangan mong i-justify sa kung sinu-sinong tao ‘yung kapangyarihan ng gawa mo para lang mapakita mo siya sa napakaliit na space.”
Yuson, meanwhile, sees social media as a major contributor to hip-hop culture’s ability to amplify voices, citing its democratizing effect to platform talents who would otherwise have gone unnoticed if it were through the conventional channels of distribution.
But in the same breath, he warned of the perils of focusing solely on an online presence: “Even within the scene itself, people would have their own opinions of how things are supposed to go within hip-hop, within battle rap,” Yuson says. “Up to this day, I’d say, [hip-hop] is still a victim of a lot of misconceptions, a lot of misinformation.”
On the Value of Community
Concepcion revealed that his breakthrough project Things You Wanted to Say But Never Did was supposed to be a send-off before quitting photography for good. Eventually, the project became a space where thousands of other people joined in and shared their own stories. As long as people related to his struggles as an immigrant, he already considered it a win. A community had already formed through that shared sense of vulnerability.
“Baka ‘pag kinunan ko ‘yung sariling kwento ko as a father, as an immigrant, at least merong makaka-relate sa akin,” Concepcion says. “Kahit isang tatay lang na sabihin niya, ‘Uy, parehas kami nang pinagdadaanan ni Geloy.’ Ayos ‘yun. Panalo na ako doon.”
Yuson believes that to truly enjoy an art form like hip-hop on the ground, there has to be a community that can maintain peace and order despite its differences.
“Hindi end goal ‘yung community, pero in a way, almost prerequisite rin siya or kailangan mo rin siya,” Yuson says. “Kailangan may order tayo para ma-enjoy natin ‘yung art form ng battle rap or hip-hop music.”
Deep into the conversation, Concepcion posed a question to himself and to other artists: are they ready to cultivate a community? He advises aspiring creatives to nurture that community by immersing themselves in the audience’s level.
“‘Pag may nangyayari na makikipag-sagupaan ako sa mga comment section, sinasabihan akong, ‘‘Wag mo silang patulan. ‘Wag kang bumababa sa level nila.’ Hindi, taga-dito ako sa level nila,” Concepcion says. “At home ako dito at may pag-usap ako sa kanila na hindi ako nag-i-immerse. Taga-dito ako. Ito ako, nandito ako sa community.”
Yuson then brought up the importance of understanding the real intent behind fostering a community in the first place. For him, it all boils down to what artists are trying to achieve, whether it’s for fame or for the service of others.
“Parang ano ba ‘to? Pang-kulto lang ba siya? O pang camaraderie lang ba?” Yuson says. “Talagang babagsak lagi sa intention o paninindigan kung bakit mo gustong gawin to.”
Yuson founded FlipTop Battle League in 2010. The organization would dedicate itself to the preservation of the art of Philippine hip-hop, more specifically, the modern written battle rap format. The FlipTop YouTube Channel has now amassed over 8.49 million subscribers as of writing, making it one of the biggest battle leagues in the world.
For 16 years, Yuson had fostered a community of artists and fans both in the league and the hip-hop label he co-founded, Uprising Records. Rappers like Bambu De Pistola, Batas, KJah, and many more have found their home in the label.
Concepcion’s most viral work to date, his photo series Things You Wanted to Say But Never Did had anonymous users send their private confessions online, which he then pairs with a film photograph he shot himself. After receiving approximately 300,000 messages and publishing more than 3,000 posts, Concepcion turned his series into a best-selling book, Things You Wanted to Say But Never Did: A Photographic Journal to Process Your Feelings. The success of the book had also led him to build his own merch line Bad Days Are Temporary, open a photo studio in Quezon City, and eventually present a solo photo exhibit at the Ateneo Art Gallery last April.
Rolling Stone Philippines launched the Voices issue at Uma Nota, Shangri-La The Fort in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. The event gathered together honorees who have best exemplified the creative community and are championed as being the voice of their disciplines. The honorees include journalist Atom Araullo, drag artist Marina Summers, Rappler’s Pia Ranada, FEATR Media founder Erwan Heussaff, Concepcion, and Yuson.
Rolling Stone Philippines’ Voices Issue is now available for pre-order on Sari-sari Shopping and in major newsstands soon.
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