Behold Braggadocious, The 20-Member Hip-Hop Collective Rapping About Brown Pride

I don’t think Braggadocious has enough members (Credit: Courtesy of Braggadocious)

Singaporean hip-hop has never shied away from the whopping magnitude of collectives. Just think back to supersized units like Urban Xchange, Radikal Forze, Grizzle Grind Crew and The.XS Collective. Now there’s another crew that’s making headlines with its enormity, and that’s the 20-member rap collective called Braggadocious. Yes, 20.

Braggadocious is a zesty outfit of youngbloods that’s bound by more than their shared academia – they come from the student body of Tembusu College, National University of Singapore – but also an empowering message that takes pride in their culture and ethnicities. They show this unity in numbers with their debut single called “Brown Boys Brag”, and it’s as brazen and irreverent as its title. The flowing stanzas dictate a playful yet cognisant narrative that prods at folk histories, cultural identity and first-hand experiences of being Brown in Singapore.

Driven by a minimal yet marching beat pattern and blaring brass hooks, the piece adopts a pass-the-mic format that connects its verses amongst its multitude of members, ranging from pre-established solo acts and fresh-faced debutants. DEVERIA quips about cholesterol-causing samosas and arranged marriages. Sidharth spits rhymes about making chaya and waking up to dosa chutney aviyal. Vishnu recounts his experiences of taxi drivers mistaking him for a foreigner when he is proudly Singaporean. And then you have Lekheraj (from Garaj) who busts out this flaming proclamation: “This is Salt-N-Pepa going hard on the wire / Do I bathe in oil? Yes that’s why I’m always on fire”.

“Brown Boys Brag” was produced by Amud, Faseeh and Anirvin (Credit: Courtesy of Braggadocious)

With the song’s overall raw nature, “Brown Boys Brag” instinctively sounds like a composition made in jest; a trail of panache and punchlines on the surface by a bunch of young folks having fun on campus. But while its production admittedly feels sparse and rickety, its underlying message carries weight behind the humour. It’s unfiltered. It’s bona fide. It’s a no-fuss entrance that drips with solidarity. This is their collective story of Brown-ness in Singapore. And they want all of you to catch their drift.

Listen to “Brown Boys Brag” by Braggadocious on Spotify and YouTube. They will release a follow-up project later this year.