From A Fan's Perspective
From A Fan’s Perspective: Watching The First Zoning Live
A longtime fan shares his story about his experience at the inaugural Zoning event.
Anonymous Battle Fan
June 17, 2026
The inaugural Zoning was the first ever FlipTop event I watched live. I just graduated from college, and the ticket was a graduation present from my older brother. I was already a huge battle rap fan at that time, so that gift literally made me jump with joy. Finally, I was going to see all the matches up-close! We invited two of our neighbors, who are also fellow fans, and they said yes in an instant.
Zoning 1 took place on the 11th of October 2011 at the legendary Quantum Café in Makati. For the newer supporters, it was the venue of the very first event of the league: Grain Assault. We arrived at around 9PM and I was surprised to see some of my favorite emcees hanging out at the parking lot. We were glad to find out that when we asked to take pictures with them, they were all accommodating. Sadly, the phone containing those images was snatched a year later. Nevertheless, interacting with my battle rap idols will always be a memorable moment.
So, let’s go straight to the battles. Props to Caliber for a great showing, but seeing Smugglaz’s performance up-close was one of Zoning’s highlights for me. I was doing the stank face almost every line and I’m certainly one of those who cheered loudly for him. He deserves to be a called a top-tier emcee. Badang vs Pricetagg was a very entertaining bout. The presence of both emcees could be felt throughout Quantum and their haymakers had us reacting enthusiastically. It was one of the event’s closest matches. Notorious vs Ranieboy is an underrated matchup not only in Zoning, but in FlipTop as a whole. It was a back-and-forth style clash that had no dull moments at all. We enjoyed Ranieboy’s witty humor and Notorious’ hard-hitting lyricism.
The English Conference was still very active during this period. Zoning had four English battles, and we loved each one. SinCity and Plazma was a slugfest from the first to the third round. SinCity went in with some creative punchlines and angles while Plazma cleverly mixed his signature horrorcore style with technical rhymes. We believe Ice Rocks vs Lloyd is another underrated gem. The two emcees showcased vicious lines, complex schemes, and innovative metaphors. Kris Delano had two battles on this night. His battle with Josh G was a perfect mix of comedy, technical rhyming, and personals. It was also a close match, and up to now, even if the decision was reversed, we won’t be disappointed. Kris’ other opponent was Zain Azrai from Malaysia. Unfortunately, Zain stumbled a few times, but he still had some great bars, especially his dark jokes. As for Kris Delano, it was a clear W for him. He showcased his intricate pen game and swag with ease.
Apart from the awesome battles. Zoning also featured some epic musical sets by AMPON, Ilaya, Similarobjects, People’s Future, and LDP. I’ve heard a few songs from these artists already, but watching them do their thing on stage made me appreciate their craft even more. It’s good to know that most of them are still making music today. Nothing but respect to you all.
15 years later, and I’m still a big fan of the artform. Thank you to everyone involved in FlipTop, from the emcees to the staff, for continuing to elevate this culture of hip-hop in the Philippines. Yes, I’m going to Zoning 22, and I hope to see you there too! Did you watch the first Zoning live as well? Don’t hesitate to share your stories in the comments.
