Rap is Now’s TWIO Ends Its Fourth and Final Season With a Bang
With all the buzz around its show, it’s impossible not to have known “Rap is Now”, hip-hop fan or not.
The community is one of the main forces behind rap music’s return to the limelight. They’ve been driving hip-hop forward by providing platforms for the younger generation of Thai rappers to express themselves.
In their rap battle show, The War is On, contestants compete for the title of rapper champion. The show first aired in 2014.
Throughout three seasons (and other shows, such as "The Rapper", that Rap is Now has collaborated with), we’ve been introduced to several new hip-hop talents. The work of these artists has since become favorites among the fans.
Youngohm, Nil-LhoHitz, Repaze, Maiyarap, Darkface, Oak, Blacksheep, MC-King, P-Hot, Lazyloxy, and Og-anic are examples of those who launched their careers from Rap is Now’s show.
Just recently, The War is On has wrapped up its fourth season (TWIO4).
The winner, Akharaphol “New” Chareonsuk a.k.a. Stage-N, started his journey as one of over 3,313 contestants in the audition. He later earned his spot among the 128 final candidates and performed on four stages in different parts of Thailand.
Stage-N had fought all the way to his title; in 24Real, for the Ring of War in 16Knockout, then in the quarterfinals, 8Alive. In 4Real, the final stage of the race for the ring, he faced off the remaining contenders: Autta, Torded, and Dondy.
Rhymes after rhymes, the four rappers showed off their skills in a brutal verbal showdown. The crowd at Voice Space on February 9 (Sat) exploded with cheer.
It’s such a shame that this season of The War is On would be its final. After almost half a decade, one of Thailand’s most transformative hip-hop show and entertainment has come to an end. During its course, the show has gained over 500 million views on all online platforms.
That’s why everyone on 4Real stage pour their heart and soul into their performance.
Opening the stage are Perm.Y, 8Botsboyz, and M-Pee. Though eliminated in earlier rounds, the three had become popular with the audience.
They once again battled in The Ultimate Match and pumped up the crowd for MQT Squad; this band of rappers had won in “Gang Gang”, a new contest show that has risen along with TWIO4.
Next is the first special show from former The War Is On stars: Og-anic, Lazyloxy, and Highhot. They’ve brought their hottest hits such as “Pen Rai Mai”, “Roo Tang Roo”, “Morning”, “Bu Ree” to entertain the crowd. Younggu, FIIXD, and Diamond joined them on the stage as well.
Then it was time for the Semi-Final Battle. The first match was between Autta and Stage-N, and a close one at that. However, the crowd‘s verdict was made clear through their decibel levels; Stage-N continued to the final round with his savage rhymes and booming voice that exudes confidence.
In the second match between Torded and Dondy, the two met each other’s lines with equal force and tenacity. But in the end, it was Dondy who edged out Torded by a margin of a few decibels. Dondy has created his distinct style using his academic knowledge.
As the show was coming to a conclusion, Guest rappers/artists like Maiyarap, Ben Bizzy, and Blacksheep sent the mob into a frenzy. They took the stage for a full hour with crowd-pleasing hits like “I’m Sad”, “Listen”, “The World Without Me”, “Inw”.
Everyone enjoyed and sang long in the next act from Sunny Day and UrboyTJ, supported by a live band. Their setlist includes essential tracks like “Wanna Tell You”, “Villain”, “Rebound”, and “Baek Mai Wai”.
After the last section of the show ended in 3rd Battle and 1st Battle, the winner was announced. Autta came in the third place, while Dondy got the first runner-up. The champion is, as many have expected, Stage-N.
As The War is On completed its run at the end of the night, there was a sense of finality.
The impression and legacy Rap is Now left on Thai hip-hop scene will no doubt stay with us forever. 1FLOW, Thasha “Louis” Khongkakhet, captured this sentiment in his quote:
“The War is On hasn’t ended, ‘cause hip-hop has just begun!”
After the event, long-time fans and followers of Rap is Now from can still support the community by keeping an eye out for new works and projects that are always happening.
Let’s now move forward and extend hip-hop’s reach into the mainstream.