Malaysian hip hop

The Malaysian hip hop scene started in 1990s with rap groups such as KRU, 4U2C, NICO, Naughtius Maximus, and hqa, but their so-called "rap music" was not accepted by the mainstream community and so they had to change to a more pop-ish sound. [1][2] In 1991, local rapper hqa released the classic album Baguvix. At around the same time, another group called Krash Kozz was the only group to introduce the new jack swing hip hop sound to Malaysian listeners, but they disbanded after their first album.

Those were trying times, when the pioneers of the local hip hop scene were trying hard to break the monotony of rock music, love ballads and pop sounds, which are staples in the Malaysian music scene, with the fans of these genres refusing to accept this new form of music. However, the younger generation, especially those in the urban areas, were more curious and receptive; they were more positively in-tuned to receive this new culture that was creating waves across the globe, which was further expedited and cemented by the introduction of records from American hip hop artists like the N.W.A, Brand Nubian, Gang Starr, Cypress Hill, and many others.

The Malaysian music scene was dominated by these poppy-sounding groups until 1995–1996, when Poetic Ammo—composed of Yogi B, Point Blanc, C. Loco and Land Slyde—came out with their album It's a Nice Day to Be Alive. Their first hit, "Everything Changes", revolutionized the local music industry. There were also groups from the underground scene that have established themselves such as The Rebel Scum, but it was Poetic Ammo that "made it big".

One of the "powerhouses" of hip hop in Malaysia is Too Phat, which consists of Malique and Joe Flizzow.[3] They were signed to EMI International's Positive Tone division and produced their first hit album, Whutadilly, and their first single was "Too Phat Baby".