Rap foursome behind Dalaga no longer indie

MANILA, Philippines — Vocal about its roots as an underground rap act, the four-dude local group Allmo$t finds itself officially graduating from indie status after meeting the entertainment press last Monday as signed artist of a household record label. The meet-up was just a couple of hours before an earthquake jolted Luzon, including Metro Manila.

That now-all over social media earthquake had nothing to do with the group earning news spaces in mainstream media. It’s them being taken in by Viva Records that made them newsworthy. Thanks to the song Dalaga becoming the latest viral hit made possible by the Dalagang Pilipina social media challenge that may have tickled the obsession of netizens to play cute in front of the camera. 

Moreover, the mainstream label affiliation emphasized the triumphant climb of the group from obscurity.

“Nabuo po ang group namin sa community ng underground artists. Galing po kami ni Russell sa indie rap scene sa Olongapo,” shared Crakky who is largely behind the writing of the song Dalaga — the latest hip-hop hit that has had captured the groove of the listening Filipino public.

The two other members, Clien and Jom, have roots in Italy and Canada, respectively. That makes their chemistry more interesting — the fact that they have different backgrounds. Music turns out to be powerful enough to link them. Truth be told, they record songs without being in the same room. They just e-mail song files and ideas.

Allmo$t, its name said to be thought up for a couple of hours, had been formed practically just last year. All is for their encompassing musical tastes, the word itself a nod to the “almost perfect” way the group got together as they claim it, and the dollar sign being added for mere style.

Crakky came out with the idea to write a song “para sa Pilipina.” Russell explained further and offered his take as to why it became a hit, “Di baduy pakinggan yung kanta kahit paulit-ulit yung hook,” he said. “At para sa mga dalagang Pilipina ito sa buong mundo (This is for all the Filipino ladies in the world).”

Dalaga, as of this writing, has more than 40 million views on YouTube and 12 million streams on Spotify. Viva announced that it is producing an official music video for the song.

The label is counting on the group’s apparent “innate skill to create catchy tunes.”

“Natutuwa po kami sa nangyari sa grupo dahil na rin sa experience namin as part of a hip-hop community in Olongapo that’s underground,” informed Russel.

Jom, obviously the youngest among the four, was not around during the presscon as he is still busy finishing his school. All working members let go of their jobs to focus on their newfound fame and career path.

More often a viral hit is something never expected to become one. The traction off their breakthrough track is not an exception.

It was a sweet victory for the members of Allmo$t having been just one of the struggling acts satisfying themselves with whatever public exposure made possible by a social media platform called LOCAL. They seem to deserve it anyway as their diverse voices blend quite better than other rap groups recently gaining grounds. They only needed that hook, yeah.