Raymond Abracosa (born December 2, 1990), better known as Abra, is a Filipino
rapper,
hip hop recording artist and occasional actor.[2] He gained mainstream popularity with his song "Gayuma". When the video reached more than 26 million views on YouTube, it was hailed as the highest number generated by any local artist.[3] Before that, he is a well-known battle emcee in the
FlipTop Battle League.
Career
His career started as a member of
Pinoy hip hop group Lyrically Deranged Poets (LDP) in 2010. He joined the
FlipTop Battle League as Abra. They released their independent debut album The Project in 2009 and had their first major concert at the legendary Music Museum in 2010. LDP was awarded Best Urban Group at both the 2010 and 2011 Urban Music Awards, among other nominations.[citation needed] In 2011, LDP was granted TV air time on
myx for the music video of their song "Here to Own It", which was able to enter the charts. He is also a major icon in the Fliptop battle league as well as a co-host on
PTV 4's show iConnect.
When the
FlipTop Battle League and Sunugan rap battle leagues started out in 2010, Abra was one of the first battle emcees to compete and gradually make a name for himself. After a couple of intense rap battles, Abra has been considered one of the heavyweights in Filipino rap battling. Using his compelling lyrical style coupled with witty antics, he is able to impress viewers and artists alike; and has YouTube videos that have amassed millions of views. It did not take long until Abra was able to perform on live television, radio shows and various events across the country.
In 2013, Abra and his label Artifice Records signed a major distribution deal with
Ivory Music & Video.[4] He released his self-titled debut album nationwide on February 21, 2014.[5] He took home the 'Best Music on YouTube Award' for his YouTube Channel called 'Abra TV' at the 2013 Globe Tatt Awards.[6][7] On March 29, he collaborated with
Maja Salvador for the song "Halika Na" on her debut album Believe.[8]
The music video for his single "Cerberus", featuring Loonie and Ron Henley under the direction of Willan Rivera, won the Best Music Video Award at the
Myx Music Awards 2016.[9]
Discography
Albums
Abra – self-titled album (released nationwide February 21, 2014)
Group albums
The Project (with Lyrically Deranged Poets) (2009)[4]