Stepping Down as Co-Founder of Straight Outta Home Kong + The Music Journey
After a whole year of historical marks of crazily creative & scene building events. I have to say this was an amazing journey together with DJ MOJITO and all the locations that supported us including BCi Group giving us a first shot. So I'd like to take this blog as an opportunity to thank everything and everyone who were part of the process and whom experienced the events we were able to push through. I was in the Hip-Hop scene early 2005 in Hong Kong and there wasn't much outlets for Tagalog and English division artists to get to perform. This really was frustrating in terms of having the feeling of "There's a chance to get known or make it" with our talent. I experienced the Tagalog scene to diminish in time and that includes my team Quatro Malukas in 2009. Even when DBE (Dope Boy) was formed in 2011, it was also a long-shot as we all were young and parted ways due to different wants in terms of direction and career paths. Going through a rough time with the DBE break-up that included OoZzie and I not speaking for almost 4 years. I kept going with all I had, this was a new beginning with Mohit Kaliandasani (DJ Mojito) @djmojito852, and we re-strategized how we would approach this challenge then decided we could revive the DJ & MC duo just like how it was done back in the good old days of Hip-Hop. (Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff e.g.) Throughout the whole process this worked like a charm, with the help of Edry Mendoza and Jacky Lee whom were both specialists in Videography & Photography. We were the perfect unit to make this dream to tour worldwide happen. As we predicted a few outcomes in the earlier days of 2016, we knew there will be possible outcomes apart. What happened was, the dream came to fruition but the whole team fell off. If you are reading this right now, whoever you are, I personally thank you. I'm not here to defend myself but I'm aware some are always open to hear both ends. Throughout these years, I have no regrets. I've made a lot of enemies and disappointed many due to the fact that I could see the end-goal of making it "big", so this is why I always had high demanding standards. I'm not perfect but I do know one thing, a leader always takes the punches and the criticism because they are always the ones who have to make the hard and bold choices. I put my heart out for QM, DBE, Without Equal Productions, DJ Mojito and everyone I've helped throughout this journey. If it had to be sleepless nights and 7 day weeks I would do it just to make ends meet to see our goals come to fruition. I'm a reason to many heartaches out there, also a reason to many successes. At times I try not to feel unappreciated or forgotten but I'm only human and this is normal. The norm with society and friends or associates is that there is always a high chance of taking anything or anyone for granted once they grow and the ego gets the best out of them. Also, forgetting all the good and always waiting for that one wrong move/mistake to judge you as a whole. I just want to point this out, I've contributed beyond expectations with anyone I backed and if I had to politically protect my team, I did it. My purpose for implementing SOHK or events in general is to make big noise and create demand for everyone to earn within the Hip-Hop community. A lot may claim their success is because of them, but the truth is everyone plays a part in each ones success. Look around you, everything you see is created by somebody who built something that benefits you. If today I'm looked at as the underdog, just remember I did moves that nobody was willing to take. Due to personal complications with DJ Mojito, I've officially stepped down from Straight Outta Home Kong. In terms of starting a new brand, I'm currently in an indefinite break while launching my LP. Shoutout to Kemikal Kris + XABITAT for continuing the momentum in the English Division scene combining it with local + international artists. The industry standards are a path to destruction, I was never a big fan of it and it doesn't align with my core values. I'm all about people and building empire's to succeed. The mainstream Hip-Hop culture today is turning into a greed, ego-stroking, money, sex, drugs, women degrading culture and that's a religion I no longer want to put to practice. Hector Telmo SAiNT CrossFade @SCFSAiNT