FUNG ZOI: Coming at Ya Loud and Lewd
Hip hop upstarts Fung Zoi talk about proper placement of opinions and pocket monsters
By Lionel Zivan S. Valdellon

published on PHILMUSIC.com October 21, 2000

The first time I heard them, was at the Hard Rock Cafe, during the launch of El Latino's album "Young And Dangerous". The duet of Tyrone and Ryan (aka RGA) opened for El Latino -- entertaining the audience with commercial rap songs that combined racy humor with pop culture. Their song "Pokemon" poked fun at the entire pocket monster fad but also ventured into the realm of the lewd, with lyrics like "Pokemon maliit, Pokemon malaki..." Judging by the crowd's immediate reaction, this was truly a hit song.

Where'd these guys come from?

I met with them last September 1, 2000, at Kenny Roger's Roasters in Glorietta, Makati to dig up some of the dirt on the duo while chomping on succulent chicken.

Turns out the Fung Zoi idea was initially Tyrone's. As far back as his elementary days, he was making up rhymes for fun. By the time he'd reached high school at Makati Hope, he was entertaining classmates, teachers and even parents with humorous raps during school variety shows. He adds: "Pero limited din ang pwede kong gawin, kasi alam mo naman, Christian school. Tapos stage namin ay nasa loob ng church." But even then, his path seemed like it was set. After 2 years of doing the variety shows, he was banned because of a lyrical slip. "Nadulas ako at may lumabas na bastos... Ayun! Banned!"
___ Tyrone was originally supposed to join Andrew E's camp but decided he'd finish his marketing degree first. By the time he graduated, other ideas floated in his head. A solo career maybe. Self-funded recording. Blatantly commercial rap songs. He started recording the first song of what would become the Fung Zoi debut album. And then he met Ryan last December 1999. A partnership was formed.
___ Ryan on the other hand, was from the hip hop underground. He'd been a former breakdancer for Urban Flow and one of the initial members of Pamilya Dimagiba although he confesses now he wasn't too active. From his elementary days when he discovered rap via his brother's tapes of LL Cool J, Run DMC and 2LiveCrew (and performed "Mga Kababayan Ko" because a teacher made everyone in class perform) he'd come to know hip hop as a no-compromise art form. So what's he doing now rapping about "Pokemon"?
___ He says: "Noong una, ayoko nga gawin yung mga kanta namin. Ang gusto kasi ni Tyrone, commercial. Pero, after a while, nagustuhan ko din."

THE NAME

Tyrone tells us about the name. "Kasi 'Fung Zoi' means 'directions' in Chinese. At maraming gulo sa hip hop ngayon. Kaming dalawa ang magtuturo ng direksyon, na sana di na kailangan mag-tirahan pa. Tulungan na lang tayo."
___ Ryan adds: "Tsaka Fung Zoi tungkol din sa Yin and Yang iyon. Balanse. Si Tyrone ang commercial, ako yung underground."

THE ALBUM

They show me their album on cassette, which is now under Universal Records. It's entitled ** Dimsum Delight ** and features the duo in typical bad boy poses. Their music is a filtering of audio information gleaned from influences like Cypress Hill, the Wu-Tang Clan, Funkdoobiest and House Of Pain-- but oftentimes juxtaposed with the raunchy kanto-boy wit of an Andrew E.
___ Tyrone says: "Ang idea ko, gumawa ng demo. Tatlo o apat na kanta lang. Pero naisip ko, sayang naman. Tapusin na lang ang buong album tapos ibenta na lang ang master."
___ Thus, their self-funded album which was being recorded at Jimmy Antiporda's JAM Creation studios in Makati was a stop/start thing. When they had money, they'd head for the studio. "Basically, kami ang nag-produce ng album," Tyrone adds.
___ Still, the entire recording process only took them from February till May of this year. And then they started shopping the finished product to the major labels. Enter Universal Records and their hip hop arm, Ill Kamp Records.

RESPECT & OBJECTIVES

And what if people go up to them and tell them they're sell-outs?
Ryan says: "Baka inggit lang iyon. Alam mo naman dito sa atin. Crab mentality. Idadaan na lang namin sa kanta. Doon namin titirahin."

They let me listen to one of their signature songs, a rap remake called "Pasumpa-sumpa" where the chorus has the duo shouting "Tang-ina mo/Tang-ina ka" over the music. A radio edit of the song exists on the album, for regular airplay.
___ Tyrone: "Yung mga gumagawa ng albums, they're the ones who are using their heads. Instead na puro away, puro violence, gumagawa sila ng kanta, nagtatrabaho sila."

So are they trying to take the same route as Andrew E-- humor the masses first, get a name, and then unleash something as hard-hitting as the Ghetto Dogz?
___ The two nod their heads before saying "Kunin muna ang kiliti ng masa, bago ang sarili" -- referring to unleashing the brand of rap that they really want out there.

After all, there aim is the same as any other hip hop act in the country: Angatin ang hip hop.

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