DJ/PRODUCER, MANDALUYONG CITY

FACEBOOK / YOUTUBE

Seasoned Hip-hop heads will agree that, when it comes to beats, Arbie Won will always be in the top 5. The Mandaluyong-born pioneering beatsmith took Pinoy Hiphop by storm in the 90s with his highly-flexible, yet timeless, musical style. He has produced plenty of classics with mainstream acts such as Urban Flow, and legendary underground groups Pamilia Dimagiba and Down Earf. He cemented his legacy as a top producer when he dropped his United Freestyles Vol. 1 album in 1999. The succeeding volume dropped in 2003, while the third one came out in 2014, and re-released by Uprising in 2015. Each United Freestyles LP was met with overwhelmingly positive reception by the then growing scene, and heralded by its rich mix of equally established featured artists as some of the most classic compilation-albums of our genre’s local history. In between the United Freestyle Volumes, Arbie Won also continued to drop beat tapes, mixtapes, instrumental albums, and rock many a nightclub as one Manila’s best known sound-selectors.

Arbie Won, also known as The Beatraveler, reconnected with fellow veteran Kemikal Ali at a local show mid-2014, which eventually led to their epic collaboration. The dynamic duo released their critically-acclaimed album “Bukas Uulan ng mga Bara” in 2018. Fans were hooked by the chemistry of the intricate lyricism and head-banging production.

To date, Arbie Won continues to produce for Uprising projects and other local artists, as well as running the country’s premiere vinyl record shop Treskul Records, with a branch each in Mandaluyong, and Ali Mall Cubao, QC. He also leads and organizes the quarterly vinyl swap meet Kagatan.