Raymond Mikael Camino Abracosa (born December 2, 1990), better known as Abra, is a Filipino rapper, hip hop recording artist and occasional actor.[2] He gained mainstream popularity with his song "Gayuma" which became a major hit. When the music video surpassed 26 million views on YouTube, it was recognized as the highest number of views generated by any local artist at the time.[3] Prior to his rise in the music scene, he was already well-known as a battle emcee in the FlipTop Battle League.
Raymond Mikael Camino Abracosa was born on December 2, 1990 in Pasig, Philippines.[4] He grew up in a family where his father was a professor and his mother did not play any musical instruments. By the age of 23, he had established his own recording label, Artifice Records.[5]
His career began in 2010 started as a member of the Pinoy hip hop group Lyrically Deranged Poets (LDP). He joined the FlipTop Battle League under the name Abra. In 2009, LDP released their independent debut album The Project and had their first major concert at the legendary Music Museum in 2010. The group won Best Urban Group at both the 2010 and 2011 Urban Music Awards, among other nominations.[7] In 2011, LDP gained TV airplay on myx for the music video of their song Here to Own It, which made it onto the charts. Abra also became a major icon in the FlipTop Battle League and co-hosted on PTV 4's show iConnect.
When the FlipTop Battle League and Sunugan rap battle leagues launched in 2010, Abra was one of the first battle emcees to compete and gradually built his reputation. After a series of intense rap battles, he became recognized as one of the heavyweights in Filipino rap battling. Known for his compelling lyrical style and witty antics, he impressed both viewers and fellow artists, with his YouTube videos ammassing millions of views. Eventually, Abra was able to perform on live television, radio shows, and various events across the country.
In 2013, Abra and his label Artifice Records signed a major distribution deal with Ivory Music & Video.[7] He released his self-titled debut album nationwide on February 21, 2014.[8] He won Best Music on YouTube Award for his YouTube Channel called Abra TV at the 2013 Globe Tatt Awards.[9][10] On March 29, 2014 he collaborated with Maja Salvador on the song Halika Na on her debut album Believe.[11] On December 31, 2014, Abra released the music video for his hit single "Diwata", which featured Chito Miranda of Parokya ni Edgar.[12]
In 2016, the music video for his single Cerberus, featuring Loonie and Ron Henley and directed by Willan Rivera, won the Best Music Video Award at the Myx Music Awards 2016.[13]
Discography
Albums
Abra – self-titled album (released nationwide February 21, 2014)
Group albums
The Project (with Lyrically Deranged Poets) (2009)[7]
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