Status : Accepted for Review/Revision
| Personal Name | Silla, Reinald Greg B. |
|---|---|
| Resource Title | Battle wrapped; study on FlipTop’s Isabuhay 2024 tournament as a rhetorical site for social commentary, A |
| Date Issued | 10 June 2025 |
| Abstract | This study examines how FlipTop’s Isabuhay 2024 tournament serves as a rhetorical site for social commentary, exploring how battle rap operates as both a cultural performance and a form of sociopolitical discourse in the Philippine context. Using Symbolic Interactionism as the theoretical framework and Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis as the methodological approach, the research investigates the rhetorical strategies employed by battle emcees in their lyrical content and how these strategies articulate social critique. Data was drawn from the tournament’s performances and analyzed to identify recurring themes and patterns of meaning-making. The analysis revealed three dominant themes through which social commentary is expressed: (1) social critique of class and socioeconomic struggles, (2) interrogation of activism, intellectualism, and performative social engagement, and (3) assertions of authenticity and cultural integrity in art. These thematic strands highlighted how emcees craft verses that challenge dominant narratives, assert regional and cultural identities, and engage audiences in collective meaning-making. The study finds that FlipTop functions as a counterpublic space, enabling the articulation of marginalized perspectives that are often excluded from mainstream media. By analyzing the rhetorical labor embedded in the performances of Isabuhay 2024 emcees, this research contributes to broader academic conversations in communication studies, rhetoric, and popular culture. It affirms battle rap as a powerful medium of expression that constructs, contests, and negotiates sociopolitical realities in the Philippines. Ultimately, this study positions FlipTop not only as a cultural phenomenon, but as a site of intellectual and political significance where the everyday struggles of the Filipino people are voiced, heard, and reimagined. |
| Degree Course | BA Speech Communication; Rhetoric and Performance Studies |
| Language | Filipino; English |
| Keyword | Keywords: FlipTop, battle rap, rhetorical analysis, symbolic interactionism, popular culture, social commentary, Philippine hip-hop, thematic analysis, counterpublics, cultural performance |
| Material Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
Category : F - Regular work, i.e., it has no patentable invention or creation, the author does not wish for personal publication, there is no confidential information.
Access Permission : Open Access