Madness on the Block (MOTB), is a music collective that embraces the hip-hop rap genre. Hailing from Denpasar, Bali, this collective consists of 4 MCs and 1 DJ/Beatmaker. MOTB’s hip-hop music is notably influenced by the underground hip-hop of the 90s.
The members of MOTB acknowledge that their music’s distinctive feature is its pounding beats, constant rhythms, and fiery rhymes from their MCs. MOTB also states that their music draws inspiration from both international and national rap music, mentioning names like Mobbdeep, Blackmoon, Mf Doom, Onyx, Xcalibour (Surabaya), Homicide (Bandung), and Blakumuh (Jakarta) as their guiding lights. Established around the end of 2015, MOTB has already produced two albums, “$UCKLAW” (2020) and “CHYPERTENSI EP” (2021).
However, despite being primarily known as a music group, MOTB extends beyond creating songs and videos. This collective has an ethos of collaborative creation without limiting the form of art. Apart from music, they have also ventured into various designs and other forms of art. What makes MOTB intriguing is their choice of hip-hop as their collective value.
“In this case, we believe that Hip-hop is an urban culture that we apply in our daily lives, such as our way of thinking and creating something,” explained MOTB members during an interview on Thursday, July 23, 2022.
Why hip-hop was chosen as the genre by MOTB members? They responded that they could have played in more popular genres, but according to them, staying in a safe zone would be boring and hinder their growth. They further explained that choosing hip-hop as their explored genre stemmed from their diverse musical interests.
“If we could say, it seems like Hip-hop chose us,” agreed MOTB members.
Speaking of the choice of the hip-hop genre and the creative process, they also agreed that it was not without challenges. They emphasized that the challenges in developing their works were within themselves. One way they cope with these challenges is by sharing references on creating good lyrics, rhyme schemes, and more energetic beats.
Additionally, MOTB mentioned that from 2016 to the present, natural growth has been seen in rappers, especially in Indonesia, producing excellent works. This became a motivating factor for MOTB to continue creating.
Therefore, in 2020 and 2021, MOTB released two works: the Album “$UCKLAW” (2020) and the Mini Album “CHYPERTENSI EP” (2021). These two albums express different concerns. For example, in the track “$UCKLAW” (which later became the album’s name), MOTB addresses the deviation and absurdity in the interpretation of chocolate.
The members remarked, “It caused a stir; how could chocolate be equated with halal-haram, and, most absurdly, why is their alcohol labeled as chocolate, hehe.” Generally, the tracks on the “$UCKLAW” album can be considered to lean towards the boombap style.
A year after the release of “$UCKLAW,” MOTB released their second album, “CHYPERTENSI.” This album came in a different color. MOTB mentioned that this album was born out of their annoyance with more personal matters.
The tracks in the “CHYPERTENSI” album also highlight drumless beats, emphasizing the lyrical side of the songs in this new work. Additionally, the maturation process in songwriting is evident in several tracks on the mini-album released in 2021.
Aligning with the theme of this year’s Balebengong Citizen Journalism Awards, “Tri Hita Digital,” the fourth track in the “CHYPERTENSI” album is titled “Internet.” In line with the Balebengong theme, this song discusses how the internet and digital media influence society.
MOTB believes that digital spaces have influenced people in determining and choosing things. Often, the available choices become subjective, and the options provided sometimes consist of incorrect information or even hoaxes. Internet addiction is another issue addressed by MOTB in this track. The song “Internet” serves as a reminder not to be too busy with gadgets and forget other important things.
At the end of the conversation, Balebengong asked how one can purchase, meet, and celebrate MOTB’s music.
MOTB mentioned that they can be found at gigs or performances around Denpasar or Bali. MOTB’s stage schedule, along with information on new album releases, can be found on their official Instagram account @madnessonthablock.
A unique aspect of MOTB is their commitment to releasing physical albums for their works. They argue that physical releases have added value compared to digital releases. In the future, physical albums by MOTB could become priceless treasures. Furthermore, physical releases tend to create a sense of closeness for their listeners.
“Oh yes, we strongly maintain releasing in physical form because when we’re old, our grandchildren will know that their parents once had a cool rap group, hahaha,” they said jokingly.
Published in Balebengong, but the link went missing. So read it here.
