‘Itsumo’ rappers DiCE and K9 are here to stay

CEBU, Philippines — DiCE and K9 are frustrated with some local rappers claiming they want to put Cebu’s rap scene on the map – a feat the duo said they already achieved 20 years ago with their hit “Itsumo.”

As “Itsumo” reached its 20th anniversary this year, it was the perfect opportunity for them to reunite and release their latest single, “In Your Head,” as a reminder to the new generation.

“When K9 pitched me the topic, I found it an opportunity to brag because I had these lyrics in my head for quite a while, I just didn’t know where to put them,” DiCE (real name Wolfren Rosaroso) told The FREEMAN.

“There was this interview by an artist a few years ago, saying they thought they’d put Cebu on the map with their music. I was like, ‘Are you f—g kidding me? With your big bird yellow-looking outfit?’”

In the chorus of “In Your Head,” K9 raps with DiCE: “I say, who put this city on the map? / A lot of y’all hate it but you can’t deny the fact / We put it in your head.”

“We put Cebu on the map a long time ago, back when not a lot of people were into local hip-hop. We’re not saying we did it effortlessly, but we fought for it,” DiCE elaborated. “Back then, it was dangerous to step outside the house just because you liked hip-hop since the punk and hip-hop scenes didn’t get along.”

K9 (Miguel Calina) added: “We worked our asses off and it was all organic. These new guys shouldn’t be such show-offs. Everything’s already served to them. They don’t have to kick the door down anymore.”

The duo isn’t discouraging newer rap acts from the blustering nature of hip-hop, but they advise newbies to stay in their lane.

“Go ahead and brag. But don’t act like you’re Magellan discovering the Philippines and say, ‘I did that first.’ If you’re going to start claiming something, stick to it. But don’t brag about something that’s already been claimed,” DiCE said.

“We’re not trying to gatekeep,” said K9. “Just respect the ones who came first because we respected those who came before us.”

Reunion

It’s almost 20 years since DiCE and K9 last worked together in the studio. K9’s departure in 2005 reformatted the duo into a group called MOBBSTARR, which included DiCE, his wife Hi-C, and Garvie.

“When K9 contacted me earlier this year, it was perfect timing because I was itching to do music with him again,” said DiCE, adding that the message he wanted to convey with “In Your Head” didn’t fit MOBBSTARR’s musical direction.

Over the course of their three-decade career, the duo witnessed the shift in the music industry’s reliance on radio stations to streaming platforms to garner a hit.

“In our time, when you decided to become a rapper, your first instinct was to rap in English because if you rapped in Tagalog or Bisaya, your market was automatically pang-masa. Our algorithm back then was radio stations. You didn’t hear Y101FM play Cebuano or Tagalog songs back then,” DiCE said.

Radio played a key role in “Itsumo” becoming a hit in Cebu. It was a watershed moment for DiCE and K9 as their song got airtime on Y101FM, a station that had previously played Western artists only.

“They didn’t play local songs back then, especially not in their top ten. So it was huge. Apl.de.ap’s song was #1 for two weeks, and then we slowly climbed the charts to the top spot. We were #1 for four weeks and the first local artists to do that,” DiCE said.

“Itsumo” was originally a filler track on their sophomore “MOBBSTARR” album, created with a Japanese instrument K9 found to replace another track they couldn’t use due to an uncleared Tracy Chapman sample.

It became an accidental hit when K9’s brother, a DJ at Monster BT105.9 that time, played it, and the station was flooded with calls from listeners requesting to hear it again.

The song’s success in Cebu caught the attention of Y101FM’s sister station in Manila, which wanted to play it for their audience ahead of their competitors in the capital. This later translated into a nationwide hip-hop hit.

But the overnight success wasn’t all flowers and rainbows. They both found it difficult to cope with the sudden fame in Manila. From endless interviews to performances, the pressure began to take its toll.

“I didn’t want to talk to anyone because of the language barrier with Tagalog, and I had my own set of friends back in Cebu. Our old manager told us we’d be in Manila for a week, but we ended up staying much longer, and I got depressed,” DiCE said.

Back then, K9 had just started a relationship with his girlfriend (now his wife), struggling with the abrupt long-distance dynamic, unsure when he would return home. He wasn’t alone in his agony as he also witnessed DiCE and Hi-C crying, unsure when they could return to Cebu to see their daughter.

At the peak of “Itsumo’s” success, K9 decided to leave the group before they could finish their commitments in Manila.

DiCE recalled, “When K9 left, I was disappointed but I understood him because a part of me wanted to go back home too. There were a couple of gigs where he’d turn his back and face the wall while performing.”

Their former manager suggested suing K9 for contract abandonment, but didn’t go through with it. “They could have done that, but they loved me and we were basically siblings, so they never put a rope around my neck,” K9 said.

From The Anthill Mob to MOBBSTARR

DiCE and K9 have a long history, from once being rivals to becoming lifelong friends. In the ‘90s, they belonged to rival gangs: DiCE was a Blood, K9 was a Crip. Members from opposing gangs in the same room was as volatile as mixing oil and water.

“At that time, hip-hop was all about competition. Instead of appreciating someone’s skills, the reaction was always, ‘F— this guy. I can do better,’” DiCE said.

K9 admitted his early disdain for DiCE stemmed from jealousy. “I first heard his group at that time in ‘95 or ’96 at my sister’s show. I hated him because his group was so good at what they do.”

After a few misunderstandings that included a violent encounter between their former gangs, a mutual friend eventually introduced them, and K9 joined DiCE’s group, Anthill Mob – the same crew he once envied.

“When I saw K9 perform, I was amazed. It was rare to see kids do ciphers so well, and he excelled at that. Instead of hating him, because we had a shortage of good rappers,  I realized I needed him in my camp,” DiCE said.

Their initial animosity faded. “DiCE looked intimidating, but when we met, he turned out to be a nice guy. What I liked about his group was that they sounded like a West Coast group even though they never went to the States,” K9 shared.

Together with another member Pain in the Neck (Kris Villarino), they evolved their sound from West Coast gangster rap to East Coast’s conscious rap style, distancing themselves from gang culture.

“Pain was wary of gang violence, so we sharpened our pens and started writing more intelligent rap as they did on the East Coast. We didn’t want to die, we just wanted to make music,” DiCE explained.

When Pain left the group in 2001 to pursue filmmaking, DiCE and K9 continued as a duo, releasing their albums “Mobbmusic” and “MOBBSTARR.” Hi-C and Garvie later joined them, forming a trio named after their sophomore album when K9 departed.

A ‘thank you’ to fans

DiCE and K9’s reunion won’t be a one-off thing. They plan to continue releasing new music, with “In Your Head” being just the first of many. However, fans hoping for a full album or at least a mixtape will have to settle for single releases for now.

“We’re taking it slow. We don’t want to waste time making an album with only four good songs and the rest are fillers that a label asked us to include. We also have work and family. Everything we put out should be quality,” DiCE said.

“Rest assured, we plan to release new songs regularly. Everything’s so fast-paced now, so we hope to put something out every month,” K9 added.

The duo is also planning to shoot a music video for “Itsumo” in Japan this October as a thank you to the fans who’ve stuck with them from the beginning. While some have suggested they re-record the song with proper Japanese pronunciation for its anniversary, DiCE prefers to keep the original, saying its amateurish delivery of the language in the chorus is part of the song’s charm.