Hip hop and electronic music are having a moment in Thailand’s mainstream music right now. This gives rise to the emergence of new talented artists who set out to make their mark in the industry. While electronic music can easily be tweaked into its many subgenres to suit the local palate, the same can’t be said for hip hop for it is very much a culture unto itself. Heavily influenced by the west, mainstream Thai rap might be well-produced, but is it unique enough to stand out on the global stage?
We found the answer with Zquad Records, a fresh new label brimming with local talents who artfully blend hip hop and electronic with Isan elements like regional dialect and traditional yodelling.
Most notable among these being Morlamboi and Not’toy, the rap duo behind the massively viral “Gor Gai” which fuses hip hop, trap, and EDM with the sound of ching (traditional Thai finger cymbals) and good ol’ yodelling sung in a Suphanburi accent. Despite its eclectic nature, the song has, to date, racked up nearly 4 million views on YouTube.
The birth of ZQUAD Records
“Morlamboi and Posneg knew each other through Toh, Earth’s senior at uni. He later introduced me to Nan, his colleague at work who’s a musician. Since we both like trap EDM, we decided to found a label under the name ZQUAD Records along with other friends like Emiryblack from Rap Battle, Poomindent, and videographer Ook.”
What genre is ZQUAD Records specialized in?
“I see ZQUAD Records as a community for people who make anything in the realm of electronic/hip hop hybrid (or ‘future hop’ as we’ve previously been told). We focus on electronic production infused with unique sound design and hip hop, so it’s not just one singular genre.”
The label’s most famous names
“If it’s producers, I’d have to say POSNEG. He’s got such a unique sound, think a combo between Thai flute and EDM. Actually, he’s just done a collaboration with Japan’s AVEX on a remix of Nanase Aikawa’s ‘Bye Bye Boy,’ which was a big hit in Thailand many years ago.”
“As for us rappers, it was the song ‘Rangsit Dan’ that put us on the map. The song is about Emiryblack’s neighborhood, featuring two of his childhood friends Blackhawk and Arm Ohana. All three of them were born and raised in Rangsit, so the lyrics are super relatable to Rangsit people. The song basically introduced ZQUAD to the hip hop scene.”
What do you want ZQUAD Records to be known for?
“A collective who brings fresh content and ideas to the table. We want to be different, unique, and fun all at the same time. We want to be the label known for continuously promoting and fostering hip hop/EDM for Thailand.”
Hopes and dreams
“I want people to understand that producers can also be artists. It’s a common misconception, especially in this scene, that people who make beats are there only to produce for other rappers or artists. Every artist on our roster has their own flair and their own sound. Posneg’s got a flute, Hacker404’s style is a bit kawaii, and Morlamboi’s main thing is, well, morlam. I want people to pay more attention the way each artist approaches their music.”
Talk With Morlamboi & Not’toy
How did you become a producer/artist?
Morlamboi: ”I’m a music lover by nature. One day, it just occurred to me that maybe I should make music for other people to hear and that’s pretty much how it began. In the beginning, it took a lot of trial and error. I experimented with many different genres with Not’toy who was my junior at Silpakorn. I knew him because we were in the same B-Boy troupe back. After we became tight buddies, we started making beats together and going out at night to explore music.
At first, I mainly focused on EDM, then I became interested in hip hop. Having grown up in a provincial area though, the sound of lukthung and morlam was ingrained in me, so I wanted to incorporate those elements into my own sound. That’s how I came up with the name ‘Morlamboi.’ I didn’t set out to make true blue morlam music, rather a fusion of influences. I’ve been at it for almost 8 years now.
Not’toy: “We were competing in the same B-Boy team at uni. He was already making EDM beats then and one day he and his friends decided to throw a rap battle called ‘Yo Party.’ I asked me if I wanted to give it a try. I’ve been rapping and writing verses since then.”
Tell us about “Gor Gai”
“I had this idea of making a drill style tune that would feature some traditional Thai character. I discussed that with Not’toy and we came up with different ideas. We wanted to go the usual self-repping route, but we kind of got stuck there. After more brainstorming, we decided to not take it too seriously and took inspiration from Big Shaq’s ‘Man Not Hot’ instead. Without much hesitation, I went to the studio with Not’toy right away. The ensemble sort of took shape after that, with Yii Pun, who’s a likay actress, also joining us to help bring in the fun Thai flavor I was looking for.”
“At the studio, we started to recite the Thai alphabet song that goes ‘Gor ei gor gai, khor khai nai gang geng.’ It’s a line that we all grew up reciting, although with a modern twist. However, we still felt like something was missing. Then, I realized that Not’toy was from Suphanburi, so why not have him rap in his native accent? Everything clicked and he went all out, hooks and verses done within 10 minutes. He definitely unleashed his true self. As for Yii Pun, I told her to just improvise because I wanted something natural and unrehearsed. She immediately gave us a yodelling version of the childhood verse ‘gungai khai pa-mhai.’ Then we called upon Black N Bank to add some Isan flair to the mix.”
What’s the message behind “Gor Gai”?
“The song is very much a form of storytelling. People are already familiar with reciting ‘Gor Gai’ from when they were growing up, and we wanted to rework it, making it more fun and cheeky. I want people to listen to it and feel less stressed.”
How different is your take on hip hop from other Thai artists?
“I think for Morlamboi x Not’toy, our style is a fusion of cultures and influences. We want to offer the listener an alternative to what’s already available. Morlamboi is all about bringing in unique sounds and Not’toy is all about capturing the typically Thai experience. The result is the mixture of the two.”
Did you expect it to be so well received?
“We never thought we would get such great feedback. We didn’t expect it at all. We had fun when we were recording it, so if the listener feels more or less the same way, we’re all for it.”
Any change you’d like to see happening in the Thai hip hop scene?
Morlamboi: I want to keep seeing new stuff getting released. There’s so many things to be rapped about in this world and I feel like people are becoming more open minded. Music has no borders, we just need to find the middle ground.
Not’toy: Thai hip hop could perhaps step up its production game a bit more. Try to approach it from a new perspective while keeping the Thai identity.
Catch up with ZQUAD Records right here.