Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Too Phat Launch Invite

After two years of internal strain and rumours of a break-up, Too Phat looks set to squash all doubts with a whopping double album. Izuan Shah, The Star checks out the fuss. Malique and Joe Flizzow are back. Together as Too Phat, the rap duo - regarded as Malaysia's undisputed kings of hip-hop - are gearing up to reclaim their place with their fourth studio album. It is becoming their tour de force in a decade-long career of illustrious hits and regional success. Malique, who came under entertainment media fire last year after retreating from the spotlight due to a host of personal problems, is back. He has a lot to say and prove alongside chief collaborator Joe Flizzow (who had a solo career spin last year). Rebirth into Reality, a titanic double-disc hip-hop opus, contains 30 tracks (15 on each disc). It will be available from Sept 27 under the group's long-time label EMI. A first for Too Phat is that Rebirth will also be released under Kartel Records, its own imprint that already includes local hip-hop favourites Phlowtron, KLG Sqwad plus a list of newcomers. Too Phat is back, bigger and better than ever. For mainstream noise, the appearance of Siti Nurhaliza on the track Dua Dunia is bound to make the crossover news. An English version of the track called Million Miles is also tipped for regional success. Holding down the beats on the decks is Too Phat's long standing deejay T-Bone; other cameos and guest collaborators throughout the two discs include V.E. and Yasin, Indonesian dangdut queen Inul Daratista, Filipina R&B/ pop star Kyla, Taiwanese rap outfit Machi and Thai superstar emcee Joey Boy. Modelled loosely after OutKast's two-disc monster Speakerboxx/ The Love Below and Nelly's double opus Suit/ Sweat, the Too Phat rappers will each have an album of their own - Malique handles the Rebirth side while Flizzow rolls the rhymes on Reality. The black/ white, dark/ light theme of the album promises to excite - it is set to reveal the duo's more serious, pensive and unabashedly honest side. The new material will likely see Malique and Flizzow at their most creative and uncompromising best. Too Phat also becomes the most prolific Malaysian hip-hop outfit with four albums to their name, once Rebirth is unleashed. The video for the album's first single Snap is slated to premiere at the official album launch on Sept 22 at Zouk Club, KL. Most of the material on Rebirth is self-produced by Too Phat - with other producers (Illegal, Jae Chong, Yasin, Carlo Nanny and Navin) tightening up the loose ends. The album took nine months to complete. "This album will reflect a Too Phat that's definitely more mature, both as performers and as business people. We all feel it's the best album they've created so far," said Too Phat manager Raimi M. Yusof. In classic hip-hop idol tradition, the boys have also been branching out with their own clothing line - Phat Caps. Spirits in the Too Phat camp are on the up and this whopping double album is a concerted effort by the boys and their team to make a huge impression. "We're looking at another five good years of Too Phat as major players on the performing stage. I feel that there's enough classic material in these two discs to carve that space for them, before they go behind the scenes and into producing (other hip-hop artistes)," he added. If there was one homegrown act to overshadow Mawi mania this year, then Too Phat is our best bet.

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