Baptismo is a 14-track experimental hip-hop debut of Baguio-Olongapo based rapper Prolet, who’s also 1 out of the 3 active members in 1kiao. Prolet is one of those rappers where they paint a picture with stanzas written on paper. He modifies those metaphors into something he can weaponize in performances.
Prolet doesn’t set any personal boundaries, he lets the world turn while he and his comrades shout louder in the back. The verses he spit don’t imply a heavy burden nor are they written for granted, but rather it channels dense spoken words in 14 tracks. There’s nothing that can silence the voice, not in the dark it cannot resist.
His words slice off the necks of the enemy – the enemy in question is the force of oppression continuing to push the people off to a downtrodden state. However, Prolet and many other outspoken rappers push back harder with sharp lyricism usually performed in one long verse. Many would argue that the verses may sound monotonous but the beats add a ton of personality to Prolet’s active prattling.
The production style of each track are stylized splices of snippets of protest songs and sample packs coming from indigenous groups. Usually, the 1-minute interludes in between the longer tracks feature one of the most jarring production work in recent memory. It’s raw, rough, and has the right amount of edge to refine the unorthodox approach.
Make no mistake, Baptismo is an admission to the national struggle. A sonic invitation through the usage of harsh beat switches and spitfire flows. Hair-raising in its most engaging, militant in its most striking. It’s an album worth manifesting by rage and organization: a project worth giving action, turning words into rightful wrath.
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