Philippine All-Stars: The World's Best

For few short days this summer hip-hop America got served. It was introduced to something much of the hip-hop world already knew: the Philippine All-Stars are the world’s best.

Take notice America, there’s a new definition of what it means to “represent.” With their gritty urban style and mind-blowing choreography the All-Stars showed up on our national stage and rocked-it all the way to another world title at the World Hip Hop Championships in Las Vegas this summer. While Rapper Nas is proclaiming that “hip-hop is dead”, and that might be true in Queens, the Philippine All-Stars showed-up like Doctor Frankenstein re-animating the impossible all the way to another world title.

Yeah, they’re for real.

Their style is original and might as well be from another planet because this crew is stellar. With moves that would have Cirque du Soleil fiendin’ for fix like a side-show wannabes, All-Stars brought their show to America’s biggest hip-hop stage opening-up MTV’s hit reality show America Best Dance Crew … and left the house breathless. The Philippine All-Stars are officially serving notice to America’s best that there is another rung to the ladder of excellence and it’s a ‘thrilla from Manilla.’

As for America's best dance crews...

Get in line Jabbawokeez.

Take a number Super Crew.

Kaba Modern, you know the score.

But wait, it only gets better….

In an interview to be released at length in our January 2009 issue, Risen magazine’s witnessed a selfless and God loving crew whose message of hope and change can come from the most unlikely of messengers. All-Star KenJhons Serrano says it best with, “Look, its not about us and our story. Without God none of this achievable. It’s all about His story. We are blessed to be representing the best, you know? With God’s story in each of our lives everyone gets to be a champion. Because we – everyone on the earth – are all stars in God’s eyes.”

And this unending passion to represent “His Story” is what is so refreshing about this young dance crew from the Philippines. Many of the All-Stars have life stories of poverty, homelessness, and tremendous personal conflicts. Their very lives are stained with the toughest that life can throw at them. Yet through a collective desire to stay grounded on God’s love for them, prayer, and an undying faith that through God all things are possible they stand victorious in God’s light.

So do your YouTube, Myspace, and Google searches on the best of the best, the Philippine All-Stars. Get your popcorn ready and be ready to be rocked with a Filippino pride and a love for the one true God!

Philippine All-Stars win 2008 World Hip Hop Title

The multi-awarded Philippine All Stars gave Filipinos another reason to be proud of when the group bagged the title in the 2008 World Hip-Hop Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada.

More than 1,000 dancers from 33 countries gathered in Las Vegas in quest for the gold. The All Stars, however, ruled the dance floor with their two-minute performance packed with flips and steps in harmony. The dancers went off stage with high hopes of winning after finishing a near perfect dance.

When they received the award, group members said they were glad for the success as they united Filipinos in that moment of glory.

“This is just a moment where everyone could just unite. In our own part, to be an inspiration not just for the people here in the championship, but to all the Filipinos out there,” said group member Sheena Vera Cruz.

She added that the group wants to give other Filipinos hope that they could also become winners given the same opportunity.

“We want to give them hope that if we have this opportunity, all the Filipinos out there can also have the same opportunity as us,” she said.

Lema Diaz, another group member, called on other Filipino groups to dream big and strive to realize their aspirations.

“Our main purpose is to wake up the youth of the Philippines and and Filipinos around the world to rise up to go for what theybelieve and to dream big,” Diaz said.

In the end, the three judges gave the All Stars an aggregate score of 8.94. A large part of the score (5.35) was earned by way of the group’s infusion of artistic steps in their choreography.

And to that, competition judge and multi-Gramy awardee MC Hammer said: “The Filipino artists…they continue to evolve in a global basis. They take art and dance seriously.I am very proud of the level that the Philippines over all have developed into.”

Judge Shane Sparks also had high praises for the group.

“Great kids, great dancers and choreographer…I think they’re some of the hottest dancers that touch the stage of the America’s best dance crews and I know there’s more to come ,” Sparks said.