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Let’s Take It Back: Grain Assault 3
It’s time to travel back to the year 2012. Let’s talk about the third Grain Assault event.
Dante Romero
March 10, 2026
2012. It was only FlipTop’s second year, but is already dominating the world of not only battle rap and hip-hop, but also Philippine pop culture. On the 25th of February, the league had its first event of the year, which is the third edition of Grain Assault. It was held at Abracadabra Studies in Makati City, and there were nine battles. Let’s see how it ended up as one of 2012’s greatest events.
Grain Assault 3 featured four first-round battles for the inaugural Dos Por Dos Tournament. On this night, we witnessed Juan Lazy/Harlem vs Nico/Kamandag, MelChrist/Papew vs Dopee/Malupet, Aklas/Sayadd vs Maxford/G-Spot, and Apoc/Dhictah vs Rapido/Batang Rebelde. The matches were showcases of top-tier lyricism, chemistry, and on-stage intensity. Each match was also heated, making it a truly exciting and unpredictable watch from start to end. It was only the first round, but fans were already calling it an epic tournament. We all know what happened on the next rounds!
The English Conference was still active at this time. On this night, we witnessed One3D vs Ice Rocks (now known as Saint Ice) and Twizzie vs Kris Delano. One3D had some great lines, but unfortunately, he had too many stumbles. Nevertheless, both bouts still highlighted the division, which was vastly overlooked. The emcees unleashed their technical prowess while incorporating solid rhyming and creative humor. Now, who misses the English Conference? Let’s hope it can make its comeback sooner than later!
Ranieboy vs Icaruz was a great style clash. Ranieboy brought his witty rhymes and strong delivery while Icaruz dominated with his hard-hitting lines and intimidating presence. Damsa vs Badang was entertaining throughout. The crowd was treated to an amazing buffet of creative comedy, heavy bars, and unique angles. Zaito forgot some of his rhymes, but thankfully, his battle with Daddie Joe D was still a fun watch. The two rappers made the audience go wild with their clever antics and very effective brand of humor.
It was the first and only event to be held at Abracadabra Studios. While it wasn’t as big as the current venues of the league like The Tent, the atmosphere still felt like a huge affair. The place was packed, the crowd was loud, and the battlers brought it. There’s no denying the success of Grain Assault 3. For those who watched live 14 years ago, what was the battle of the night for you? Who gave the best performance? What was your favorite moment? Feel free to share your stories in the comments section.
WATCH: Grain Assault 3
The next Grain Assault will be held on the 21st of March 2026. It’s the seventeenth chapter. Wow! It just shows that after all these years, battle rap and hip-hop in the Philippines is staying strong. Tickets are still available. You can check out more about the event here. Grain Assault 17 is special because the lineup is comprised of all first-round battles for the Langit Lupa Tournament. 16 emcees from 16 different underground battle leagues. Come and witness the future of FlipTop!
