Platform 7

Singapore's Platform series is now in its seventh year.  Growing from strength to strength, Platform continues to provide a great opportunity for Asia's future Hip Hop and R&B stars.  We caught up with organiser Imran Ajmain to find out more. 

Hello there, please introduce yourself:
Hi I am a singer/songwriter Imran Ajmain and I’m the organizer for PLATFORM and this year, is the 7th time we’re doing it. It’s an annual search for new and hot Hiphop acts, mainly rap and R&B.

How did the idea for Platform come about?
We needed Hiphop gigs, and we needed new blood, so there wasn’t a better way to do this.

Tell us about the Platform series including a brief history of past events:
We started out in 2000, and there were over 40 participants back then in the finals, so the event would go on all day. Over the years, we’ve worked on a better system and show concept. We’ve gotten support from partners from all corners to secure opportunities for the both new and existing Hiphop acts.

What can the public look forward to in terms of what Platform 7 has in store?  Any major differences to last year’s event?
The contestants went through 3 rounds before we've reached the Final 15. We even had one round in their mother-tongue, so they had to rap in Malay. This year, it will be a celebration of a lot of things that has happened over the past year, especially for Krazie Starr. He was a Top 5 finalist last year and since then, he’s released an EP, opened for JoeyBoy (Thailand), Akon and Arrested Development. He’s the fastest working rapper we’ve ever scouted, all thanks to the Platform series.

What do you hope to achieve through Platform 7?
I hope that Platform can go on for a long time. People come and go, and musicians too. So with Platform, we can always look for fresh blood, inspire the unaware and make the existing rappers upgrade their standards.

How did you select the invited guests to perform?
Altimet has a hot song on local radio called “Sayang Sayang”, and he opened for the recent Anugerah Planet Musik awards. DoseTwo is a name quickly rising in the Malaysian music scene, and we’re helping The Rebel Scum promote their album by putting Singapore on their promo tour and helping to introduce them a little to our folks.

The rest of the all-star lineup is made up of the popular Beats Society artistes like Freaky Z, Sleeq, Akeem, Richard J and more. We’ve even invited some ladies from the Malay television channel, Suria, to be a part of the celebrations.

Are there many hurdles and obstacles you need to overcome in the planning and implementation of the Platform event?
Local rap is something difficult to sell in Singapore, where clubgoers do not know a local scene exists, and those interested have no idea where to turn to. We’ve definitely grown, and I hope next year we can make it even bigger.

How are the winners selected?
Purely by their ability to rap and entertain, or bring across a message.

Who are the judges?
Altimet from KL, Freaky Z who was from Platform 1 and achieved so much, and Mark Bonafide, an upcoming solo rapper with huge accolades.

What do the winners win?  Can you tell us about some of the opportunities for the top 5?
Other than novelty commemorative ideas, they get immediate rewarding opportunities and events. We’ve lined up a few interviews as well. It will be good because they will start performing as soon as the week after Platform.

Any success stories from past winners worth noting?
Other than Krazie Starr, Akeem from last year’s Platform also opened for Akon’s Concert in Singapore. Freaky Z is quite a legend in the local Hiphop scene. Last year, there was a certain House of Anonymous who is now organizing his own gigs.

Tell us about your thoughts on the hip hop and R&B scenes in Asia at the moment:
There isn’t a Singapore mould for Hiphop or R&b yet unlike in the Phillipines and Malaysia. Hiphop in Singapore is always an opening act, a side-show or time-filler. Something that I would like to work towards abolishing.

What are the major differences between hip hop here and say, in the States?
One thing for sure is that nobody grew up in the ghetto and has never seen a shooting here. So nobody can write about that. Hah. Lyrics and styles are a bit more tame here.

What would you say are the major challenges that face hip hop/R&B artists in Asia?
Being compared to previous Asian R&B/Hiphop predecessors like Kai, LA Boyz, Coco Lee, while we’re influenced by American MTV mostly. We should share a scene, and not bounded by the countries we come from. If the rock scene can do that, so can we.

How should budding hip hop artists look to get involved in the Platform series?
We’re doing PLATFORM 8 earlier and bigger, so always look us up. We’re looking for those who produce and write their own music next year!

What advice do you have for up and coming hip hop/R&B artists in Asia?
Eat your greens and be yourself!

Anything else you would like to add?
Nas said that Hiphop is dead, too bad for him, because the party’s just begun here in Asia.

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Check out the Platform 7 finals on the 8th September.

Responses[2]

Posted by AMP Ed on September 4, 2007 12:34:43 PM HKT #

kevinyeoh.   ( 12 months ago ) # Word...

V.E   ( 9 months ago ) # Keep it goin.