Nescafé's first-ever Palistuhan winner

Eljohn Rivero drew the loudest cheer as he won Nescafé Iced Coffee’s first-ever Palistuhan Rap Challenge.

“I’m thankful. I did not expect to win as I’m more of a rocker than a rapper. I joined the competition just for fun,” says Rivero, who is a blind high school student from Quezon City. Apart from his P30,000 cash prize, Rivero was a recent special guest in the popular BrewRats radio program for winning the Palistuhan.

The Palistuhan Challenge’s test of rapping wits brought together some of the best amateur rappers in and around the metro to finally settle who’s the most listo of all.

“We wanted to bring the Palistuhan rap battle to the youth and give them a chance to showcase their rapping talent. This would also test their pagkalisto and see how quickly they can think on their feet,” says Leanne Jacinto, Nescafé Ready-to-Drink consumer marketing manager for liquid beverages.

All the 12 finalists lived up to the task as they garnered praise from both the audience and endorser Ramon Bautista for their performance.

“I was impressed by their rapping skills. They were all very good, almost as good as me,” says Bautista. The self-proclaimed master rapper hosted the exciting event along with his BrewRats co-hosts DJ Angel Rivero and Tado.

Aside from some solid impromptu rapping by the contestants, the Palistuhan Rap Challenge also featured some dance numbers from UP Manila’s Street Dance Group and Indayog Dance Varsity. Rap artist Gloc-9 performed his own masterful rap repertoire that included his latest hit single, Lando. Amidst the sea of rap music, Kamikazee ended the night with its rock sound.

The audience was also treated to a surprise appearance by Master Balagtas, Bautista’s rap “mentor” in the Nescafé Iced Coffee TVC.

The finalists of the Palistuhan Challenge went through several rounds of one-on-one rap elimination. They were given 30 seconds each to showcase their rapping skills and outshine their respective opponents. The challenger who receives the loudest applause from the crowd will then advance to the next round.

As the number of contestants was narrowed down to three, the deciding round challenged the finalists in two successive freestyle rap battles. The first part had the contenders rapping one by one, followed by a free-for-all rhyme fest that tested their creative skills to the limit.

After the intense rap battle of the final round, the three challengers initiated a group hug as a sign of goodwill.