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CIS University Urban Roosters, innovating to the rhythm of Rap

Urban Roosters, innovating to the rhythm of Rap

Hip-hop, also known as rap, has become the most popular musical genre since it overtook Rock in 2008 in listening preferences according to the famous Spotify platform.

Approximately 50 years ago, hip-hop emerged in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods of New York, such as Harlem and the Bronx, where African Americans and Latinos drove their creativity through graffiti, breakdancing and the first musical manifestations of gendered hip-hop.

This artistic and cultural movement that was originally made invisible and discriminated against due to its marginal origins, today is not only hegemonic in the musical panorama, but has become a lucrative source of income for all types of related artists: musicians, producers, fashion designers, concert and festival promoters, and of course, entrepreneurs.

To learn more about Hip-Hop, as well as the methods to organize and monetize all this creative energy, we invited Pedro Henrique, co-founder of Urban Roosters, the largest global Rap community in the Spanish language to the CIS University Podcast studio, and one of the most influential forums for this musical style.

— “We were hip-hop fans. We came from the world of Advertising, generating ideas for clients and we saw that our favorite musical style lacked stability or a regulatory framework that would provide stable income to those who were starting out in this sector.”

What many do not know is that, unlike other competitions such as e-sports, or other sports such as tennis, rap lacked an international ranking system that adequately recognized and valued the artists of this genre, giving them visibility, and steady income from competitions and sponsorships.

Urban Roosters creates the FMS Freestyle Competitions

With this “gap” in mind, and using Urban Roosters as a platform, Pedro Henrique and his partners created the first professional tournaments that pitted rap artists in duels – also called “cockfights” – in eliminatory rounds. In this way, a periodic and dynamic ranking was established on who was the best hip-hop artist in each nation. This is how the Freestyle Master Series (FMS) was born first in Spain, and then, exported to Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, the Caribbean and Brazil.

These rounds of competition have professionalized the world of Rap, and have provided a stable structured framework with a ranking system that was previously non-existent. Now, through tournaments, it is not only determined who the best are, but also the rapper’s activity is professionalized through prizes, remuneration and recurring income. This initiative has elevated the status of hip-hop artists, taking the world of rap to a new level of recognition and professionalization compared to other genres in the music industry.

— “As a result of the explosion of the internet we have seen how new jobs emerged such as Youtuber, Gamer, Influencer… Our vision is that artists who practice rap have the option of becoming professional, have a stable income like any other, and that allows them to live off their passion.”

It might sound like an almost impossible mission, but the growth figures and its expansion across 2 continents and 7 countries seem to be proving them right. Urban Roosters continues to push the boundaries and transform the hip-hop landscape with its innovative approach, solidifying its position as a fundamental pillar in the evolution and professionalization of this musical genre.

— “When a cockfight ends, we hug each other; There are no winners or losers, there is only silence and admiration that we have for each other. That is the most important thing that Rap instills: self-improvement and respect for yourself and others.”