The reigning king of Malaysian hip hop, Joe Flizzow, has put our country on the map at MTV’s European Music Awards 2018, and taken home the top gong for Best Southeast Asia Act.
And just like that, Drop is stuck in our heads again for the thousandth time.
Thanking his fans for their “undying love and support,” the Subang-raised rapper added: “I am truly humbled and blessed I had the entirety of Malaysia supporting me. I hope this win will inspire the younger generation to never stop believing in their dreams and to work hard in trying to achieve their goals.”
Peep his message in full below:
Joe Flizzow, born Johan bin Ishak, has long been a fixture on the Malaysian music scene, originally as part of musical duo Too Phat. He went solo in 2008 to much success with his first album President, following it up with 2013’s Havoc.
If you’re not familiar with his brilliant song, Havoc, we beseech you to have a listen now:
Founder and co-owner of Kartel Records, an imprint that features popular local artists including SonaOne, Muzique and DJ Cza, Joe also has several business enterprises including a chain of barbershops (Joe’s Barbershop) and a restaurant in Subang called Joe’s Kitchen.
Recently, he has hosted a wildly popular YouTube series, 16 Baris, where new and up-and-coming rappers, as well as some of local hip hop’s elder statesmen and women, appear to showcase their best flow. Honestly, it’s a great watch. We liked this episode a lot – shout out to our friends across the Causeway – y’all got game:
This year’s EMA’s were held in Bilbao, Spain and featured performers including Hailee Steinfeld, Nicki Minaj, David Guetta, Jason Derulo (*whispers: Derulo), Little Mix, Bebe Rexha, Halsey, Panic! at the Disco, DJ Marshmello, Bastille, Anne-Marie, as well as the Global Icon Award recipient, Damita Jo herself, Janet Jackson.
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