Ex Battalion (colloquially abbreviated as Ex B) is a Filipino hip hop collective from Muntinlupa City, Philippines, primarily known for their hit single "Hayaan Mo Sila" that went #2 on the Billboard Philippine Top 20. The group has numerous local hits that dominated Philippine social media and they are credited for "revolutionizing" Pinoy hip hop to a new modern sound.[2] The hip-hop collective currently consists of Skusta Clee, Flow G, JRoa, Brando, Emcee Rhenn, and King Badger.[3] The group was founded by Bosx1ne (now Honcho), who reportedly left the group in 2022.[4]
Ex Battalion | |
|---|---|
 Ex Battalion (from left to right; Flow G, Emcee Rhenn, JRoa, then-member Honcho and Skusta Clee) performing in a gig on Tondo, Manila | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Kakaiboys[a], EXB |
| Origin | Muntinlupa, Philippines[1] |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels |
|
| Members |
|
| Past members | |
To date, they have garnered a total of almost 2 billion views and over 5 million subscribers on YouTube.[5] All members have also appeared in television and film, they starred in their first box-office feature "Sons of Nanay Sabel" in 2019, although it was not commercially successful.[6]
History
edit
2012-2016: Formation, early releases and rise to prominence
editIn 2012, Ex Battalion was formed and founded by Bosx1ne (now known as Honcho), and rap battle emcees Jekkpot and Cent as a rap battle group, both of the latter left before their establishment as a music group but had joined several barangay rap battles before being into music.[7] In January 2016, the group was formed into a musical group and as a hip hop collective and released their first album entitled "X" on digital platforms. They eventually recruited several artists to join their group after the release. The first three members were Bosx1ne, social media personality Jon Gutierrez (who performs under the mononym "King Badger") and Flow-G. Bosx1ne then invited former reality talent show participant JRoa and O.C. Dawgs member Skusta Clee to collaborate in their first track "Kakaiba" until eventually becoming members.[8]
On 25 September 2016, three months after the release of their first smash-hit single, they released another single called "No Games".[9] The track's music video was immediately uploaded on YouTube and subsequently garnering over 16 million views in a span of a just two months.
On 6 December 2016, they released "Tell Me" and the track's music video on YouTube. Social media personality Toni Fowler was featured on the video which helped the track to gain initial traction.
2017–2019: Kakaiboys and peak popularity
editIn January 2017, the collective scored their first Billboard Philippine Top 20 hit as "No Games" entered the local chart and peaked at number 10 after several weeks.
However, on 7 November 2017, JRoa announced his intent to leave the group to focus on his solo musical career after releasing just one album in the label and appearing in several songs with the collective. Roa said that the group will still be the same "with or without him". Other members like Flow G and Bosx1ne accepted Roa's decision and pledged to support him on his future plans. Roa (which renamed and reverted as John Roa), joined Viva Records as a solo artist. On the same day, the group also released "Hayaan Mo Sila", inspired by DJ Khaled's "I'm the One".
On 3 January 2018, the official music video of "Hayaan Mo Sila" was taken down by YouTube after hitting almost twenty million views due to a copyright claim by the producer of the beat, Diamond Style, who claims that Ex Battalion only purchased a $25 lease which covers up to 2,000 streams and up to 250,000 views only. After the event, speculations swirled online regarding the alleged use of the beat without permission; Ex Battalion explained and admitted that they have not purchased the exclusive rights of the beat by which they only got from the producer's YouTube channel.[10][11] After a few days, it was also removed from streaming services and digital stores. It was eventually restored in the stores including the music video on YouTube, after the issue was resolved two weeks later. Due to the massive attention, the track also rose up the charts, peaking at #2 on the Philippine Top 20. "Hayaan Mo Sila" was poised to be number one the following week after hitting #2. However, Billboard Philippines then ceased from publishing weekly charts.
On 12 March 2018, the collective released their new single entitled "SouthBoys" on YouTube in another collaboration with O.C. Dawgs. Special appearances in the video included Jnske, and Bullet-D. Two of which are from O.C. Dawgs. The video became the number 1 trend in the YouTube PH platform several hours after the upload.[12] On 13 March 2018, it was announced that the collective will be handled and managed by Filipino comedian Ai-Ai delas Alas, who they previously collaborated with in the track entitled "Walang Pinipili" (lit. Choosing Nobody), after signing a management contract.
On 19 April 2018, the collective released "Unreleased (Mahirap Na)" as Kakaiboys, a Filipino hip hop trio composed of Ex Battalion members Skusta Clee, Flow G, and Bosx1ne. The music video was released on the group's official YouTube channel.
On early 2019, Delas Alas resigned as the group's manager. Delas Alas reasoned her inability to handle the ego of certain members who are "behaving unprofessionally".[13] After Ex Battalion starred in their first box-office film, Sons of Nanay Sabel in May 2019, it was reported that Bosx1ne announced his separation from the group on 9 May 2019, citing personal reasons in an apparent publicity stunt for their movie. However, Bosx1ne remaining with the collective was confirmed when he still appeared with his own verse in the music video of their single entitled "Pakinabang" which they released on 5 August 2019. Bosx1ne changed his screen name to Honcho in mid-2020.[14]
Outside music, Flow G launched a business venture "Brand for 199x" & has released a track named "Deym" with a video advertisement, involving Skusta Clee as an ambassador of the brand. After the upload, Netizens slamed the two members for allegedly plagiarizing the song "Ddaeng" by BTS, released on SoundCloud in 2018, and have made #SkustaCleeisGoingtoJailParty a trending topic on Philippine Twitter.[15] However, a few weeks later, the group's management denied allegations and stated that the two pieces are 'inherently different' and claimed that they used a generic triplet flow. The management also added that "There will be no jail time involved even if there is a conviction of copyright infringement".[16]
2020–2023: JRoa's return to the group and Post-Honcho era
editOn 14 December 2020, after being spotted hanging out with the group again after a long time, John Roa (or simply JRoa) released his new single "Woah" under Ex Battalion Music and Viva Records, marking his return to the group as the vocalist.[17]
On 4 February 2021, Flow G teamed up with Gloc-9's talent management Asintada.[18]
In April 2021, Honcho announced a lenten special EP titled "Rosario", which he would be releasing on YouTube one track a day from 1 to 4 April, starting with the first song entitled "Ulap" featuring Jekkpot, Brando, and MC Einstein.[19]
On 5 April 2021, the collective released their new single entitled "Yearly" on YouTube with special appearances of the sub-members in the video included Jekkpot, Yuri Dope, MC Einstein, Huddass, and E.I.J., the collaborative track is produced by Flip-D and Thyro Alfaro. OneMusicPH described it as "a piercing and elaborately structured diss track."[20]
In November 2021, the group announced that they will be holding their first major stage concert at Smart Araneta Coliseum, with the whole collective performing including sub-members from the Ex Battalion Music label, their first show is entitled "EVOLUXION".[21]
In August 2022, Ex Battalion released their new track "Chismis", with the lyrics clearly referencing the group's founder Honcho being ousted from the group.[22] It was reported that Honcho allegedly punched fellow member Skusta Clee after an altercation about transparency with their earnings. After the incident, Skusta Clee announced that "the group is still complete" in a cryptic post with a photo of all members without their founder, indicating Honcho has left the group. Since then, Honcho has released solo work on his own after succeeding releases by Ex Battalion without him. Although, no member has spoken up confirming the issues and there were no legal action taken to court regarding the matter from anyone in both parties.[23]
Members
edit- Current members
- Skusta Clee – rapper, vocalist[3]
- Flow G – rapper [3]
- JRoa – vocalist [3]
- Brando – rapper[3]
- Emcee Rhenn – rapper[3]
- King Badger – rapper[3]
- Past members
- Honcho (status disputed since 2022)– founder, rapper
- Other members
- Bullet D of O.C. Dawgs – rapper[24]
- Jnske of O.C. Dawgs – rapper[24]
- Yuri Dope – rapper[25]
- Jekkpot – rapper[24]
- Huddass[24]
- Cent[24]
- Ritzz[24]
- Reid[24]
Discography
editSingles
editAs a lead artist
edit| Year | Title | Peak chart position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHL 20 [26] | |||
| 2016 | "Kakaiba" (featuring Skusta Clee) |
— | Ex Battalion: The Concert |
| "No Games" (featuring King Badger and Skusta Clee) |
— | Non-album single | |
| "Tell Me" | — | Ex Battalion: The Concert | |
| 2017 | "Need You" | — | |
| "Sana Ikaw Na Nga" (featuring Bryan Chong) |
— | Non-album single | |
| "Bootyful" (featuring JRoa, Emcee Rhenn, Flow G, Brando and Bosx1ne) |
— | Ex Battalion: The Concert | |
| "Come With Me" (featuring Bosx1ne, Flow G, King Badger and JRoa) |
— | ||
| 2018 | "Hayaan Mo Sila"[27] (featuring O.C. Dawgs) |
2 | |
| "Southboys" (featuring O.C. Dawgs) |
— | Non-album singles | |
| "Follow My Lead" (featuring Chicser and Sachzna Laparan) |
— | ||
| "Unreleased (Mahirap Na)" (as Kakaiboys) |
— | ||
| "Superhero Mo" (featuring Alden Richards) |
— | ||
| "Ikaw Kase"[27] | — | 6 Years (EP) | |
| 2019 | "Ginalingan" | — | |
| "SingSing"[28] | — | "Abay Babes (Original Movie Soundtrack)" | |
| "Sama-Sama" | — | "Sons Of Nanay Sabel (Original Movie Soundtrack)" | |
| "Pakinabang"[29] | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Baby Cakes (Kiss Mo 'Ko)" (featuring Bullet D of O.C. Dawgs) |
— | ||
| "Miss Flawless" | — | ||
| 2020 | "Bounty (Makukuha Rin Kita)" | — | |
| 2021 | "Yearly"[30] | — | |
| "Atin"[30] | — | ||
| 2022 | "Bullet Sun"[31] | — | |
| "Chismis"[32] | — | ||
| "We The Best"[33] | — | ||
| "IDOL"[34] | — |
Albums
edit| Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Album title | Recording label | Certification |
| 2016 | X | Ex Battalion Music | — |
| 2017 | Ex Battalion the Concert | — | |
Extended plays
edit| EP | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | EP title | Recording label | Certification |
| 2018 | 6 Years | Ex Battalion Music, Viva Records | — |
Charts
edit| Chart Performance | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Peak (Philippine Top 20) | Peak (Philippine Hot 100) |
| 2016 | "No Games" | 10 | – |
| 2017 | "Hayaan Mo Sila" | 2 | 10 |
Filmography
editFilms
edit| Year | Film | Film production | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Sons of Nanay Sabel (S.O.N.S.) | Viva Films | Debut film appearance and major movie project |
Television
edit- ExB Rules! (Under GMA ONE: ONline Exclusives), 2018
- Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, 2018
- Celebrity Bluff, 2018
- Magpakailanman, 2018
- iJuander, 2018
- Daig Kayo Ng Lola Ko, 2018
- Inday Will Always Love You, 2018
- My Guitar Princess, 2018
- Victor Magtanggol, 2018
- Daddy's Gurl, 2019
- Studio 7, 2019
- Eat Bulaga, 2020
Awards and nominations
edit| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s)/work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wish Music Awards | 2018 | Wish Hip-Hop Song of the Year | "Hayaan Mo Sila" (with O.C. Dawgs) |
Nominated | [35] |
| PMPC Star Awards for Music | 2019 | Rap Artist of the Year | "Superhero Mo" (feat. Alden Richards) |
Won | [36] |
| 2021 | Music Video of the Year | "Miss Flawless" (Bosx1ne, Flow G feat. Sachzna) |
Won | [37] | |
| Rap Artist of the Year | Won |
Notes
edit- ^ Kakaiboys is a Filipino hip hop trio composed of Ex Battalion members Skusta Clee, Flow G, and Bosx1ne
References
edit- ^ About Ex Battalion
- ^ "Ex Battalion members profile: real names, age, birthday, songs". kami.com.ph. November 12, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Video on YouTube". YouTube. October 7, 2022.
- ^ "Ex Member na si Honcho?". Super Balita Cebu.
- ^ Channel on YouTube
- ^ "After series of flops, Ai-Ai delas Alas should rethink her priorities". The Manila Times. September 3, 2019.
- ^ "Ex Battalion: The Freshman Class". Pinoy Hiphop Superstar. August 17, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ Video on YouTube. Archived at Ghostarchive
- ^ No Games (feat. King Badger and Skusta Clee) – Single on Apple Music
- ^ "Why did YouTube take down Ex Battalion's hit song "Hayaan Mo Sila?"". gmanetwork.com. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
- ^ Fallore, Renuel. "LOOK: EX BATTALION RELEASES OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING "HAYAAN MO SILA" COPYRIGHT ISSUE!". myx.abs-cbn.com. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- ^ Video on YouTube. Archived at Ghostarchive
- ^ "AiAi delas Alas, may payo sa Ex Battalion". gmanetwork.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ Gabinete, Jojo. "Mark Maglasang, aka Bosx1ne, kumalas na sa Ex Battalion". PEP.ph. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
- ^ "Two Ex Battalion members face plagiarism allegations of BTS 'Ddaeng' over 'Deym'". bandwagon.asia. October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ "Filipino ARMYs accuse Skusta Clee of plagiarizing a BTS song; Ex-Battalion management hits back with statement denying allegations". pop.inquirer.net. October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ Video on YouTube, archived here: https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/iamEORIzGE8
- ^ "Ex Battalion's Flow G joins Gloc-9's talent management outfit Asintada". TrueID.ph. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ Video on YouTube, archived version: https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/vOtIIPsit4k
- ^ "21-Gun Salute to 2021, 9-11 of 21 - Ex Battalion". onemusicph.com. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^ "Filipino hip-hop group Ex Battalion to stage first major concert 'EVOLUXION'". NME. November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- ^ Angan, Kara (August 9, 2022). "Ex Battalion are done with rumormongers with new track, Chismis". hiphopdx.com. HipHopDX Asia. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ "Skusta Clee sinapak: Ex-Battalion nilayasan ni Honcho". Abante News. August 13, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Ex Battalion | Viva Communications Inc". viva.com.ph. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ "Ex Battalion to perform at the Big Dome even without an audience". Smart Araneta Coliseum. November 18, 2021.
- ^ Peak chart positions on Billboard's Philippines Songs:
- BILLBOARD PHILIPPINE TOP 20 – NOVEMBER 6Archived November 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b C.C., JE (May 30, 2022). "10 All-Time Most-Viewed Official Music Videos by an OPM Artist/s". dailypedia.net. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
- ^ "LATEST DROP: Ex Battalion New Song 'SingSing'". udouph.com. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ "LATEST DROP: Pakinabang MV – Ex Battalion". udouph.com. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "21-Gun Salute to 2021, 9-11 of 21 - Ex Battalion". onemusicph.com. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^ "Hailey Mendes stars in Ex Battalion's official music video 'Bullet Sun'". GMA Network Entertainment. April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
- ^ "Totoo ang chismis – Skusta Clee". Abante News. August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ^ "Ex Battalion drops new music video for 'We The Best'". Manila Bulletin. October 8, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ^ "AUDIOJUNKIE: 2023 – World needs new". Manila Bulletin Entertainment. January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "The 4th Wish 107.5 Music Awards: Nominees, New Categories, and more". wish1075.com. December 12, 2018.
- ^ "2019 PMPC Star Awards for Music". Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via PressReader.
- ^ "ABS-CBN artists win at 12th PMPC Star Awards for Music". news.abs-cbn.com.