Our cover star for April is one of the most well-rounded artists in the Asian Hip Hop game, period. Also one of the most unique. Wilfredo Alconaba AKA Jiggie Boy AKA JB is a Hong Kong born-and-raised, ethnic Filipino rapper who rhymes in tone-perfect Cantonese, with an extra dose of street slang. JB is also a Bboy known for his popping and locking, and a well-known graffiti writer. Oh, and he’s also learning to DJ. That takes care of the four elements of Hip Hop, so what else is there for JB to do?

When we asked him that exact question, he simply said, “Keep working hard to get better.” He broke out a few years ago when he decided to quit his day job and release the single ‘潮共 [Fashionable Public Toilet]’ which is a wry take on fashion followers and culture vultures. He dropped that joint in ultra-slangy Cantonese [not an easy language to rap in, to begin with] at a time when most Hong Kong MCs were still trying to rhyme in Mandarin to tap into the China market. JB’s song hit a nerve, Hong Kongers heard their own voice, and they heard authenticity. And so, in a landscape dominated by Canto Pop and Boy bands, an unlikely star was born. An ethnic minority who’s grown up in the thick of Hong Kong Chinese culture and represents the true melting pot of Hong Kong. JB is a voice of the streets and the Hip Hop underground, and now because of his ability to portray everyday situations in a ‘local’ way, he’s becoming a voice of the people. When LiFTED attended his sold-out show last year, the crowd of a few thousand knew the songs and the lyrics, whether they were in hoodies and baseball caps or Gucci and Balenciaga. We caught up with JB at his studio in an old Hong Kong factory, where he writes, paints, and plots his next moves.

Hey what’s up, thanks for having me. Right now I've been working on an album with my Bboy crew. We’re all dancers, but they rap too.

[Laughs] Mmm…Nah, man. No one can be the king because Hip Hop is for everyone. But I love KZ, he’s an OG rapper but his rhymes are so hard and meaningful for me. But for right now? Probably me or BMW [haha], or also Novel Friday, Wolfie…a few others on my label.

Actually, I didn’t feel a really big difference because I grew up here and went to local schools. We grew up altogether, so I don’t feel like they’re that different from me. But I’m a Filipino staying in Hong Kong. I was born and raised here. But Hong Kong is also really multicultural, we have Filipinos, Thais, Nepalese, and Indians, but we all went to the same schools and speak Cantonese.

Yeah for sure, if you have skills. Like I said, Hip Hop is for everyone.

Actually I’m not really a DJ. I’m learning, but I’m not really good yet. But yes, I’m an MC, I write graffiti, and I Bboy. I first got into Hip Hop through Bboying - not really breakdancing but popping and locking.

Haha, yeah…Waving, Robot, all that.

Man for sure, it’s hard. If I have more shows and tours I get more motivated in my work. Because when stuff is happening is when you get inspiration for what to write about. I write about things that happen in my life, and when you’re sitting around stuck the writing gets stuck. That’s why I wrote ‘Waiting.’ That’s what was going on in my life then. And honestly, I don’t want to keep writing about negative stuff. It’s the truth, so I’ll write about it, but I prefer to spread joy. It’s true that art comes from pain, and I feel pain of course, but I’d rather share positive vibes.

I started Greytone a little over three years ago. Back then I was working in a shop selling streetwear. I was also Bboying then and writing some rhymes. I would record them for myself but wasn’t really trying to be a rapper. Then, a mutual friend introduced me to Keni [Greytone co-founder] who also lived in my housing estate. We linked up through my friend and I found that he can make beats and was a singer, so I recorded ‘潮共 [Fashionable Public Toilet]’ at Keni’s house and that’s how we started. Basically, I wrote the song about my customers who would come into that shop to buy fashionable brands, like Supreme or whatever is the flavor of the moment. Then we shot a video and people liked it and I started getting shows and we started the label, so I quit that job.

I didn’t tell them, haha. But when they found out of course they were concerned that I don’t have a full-time job. But actually in the end they supported me because my dad is a drummer. He likes what I’m doing.

We hope it will happen this year. We could have done it online, but we really want to do it live in a venue with a stage and people. [At the time of this writing the What’s Good Music Awards 2022 are slated to take place on August 6, 2022.].

You know, a lot of the slang terms in that song originated from Sneaker Street in Mongkok. They have their own slang around there. So it’s local local. But I think it probably helped move the scene in that direction, yes. Because at that time the local Hip Hop scene was either rapping in Mandarin or English mostly. Rapping in Cantonese was not really popular. Maybe because the way we speak Cantonese and the way it’s written are so different. I just did it how we normally speak and people seemed to like it. Maybe it’s easier to understand that way.

In Cantonese it’s definitely KZ, LMF, and I really loved JL, who’s super underground. As far as US rappers go, I really love Mac Miller. His jazz vibe deeply inspired me. I’m still figuring out my own style, it’s still developing so I never really tried to rap like anyone else.

At the moment it looks like I’m still waiting. But I’m supposed to have a big outdoor show in November, so I’m just hoping that will happen. That would be so good for the scene.

Thank you!