Pinoy rap star Shanti Dope has officially joined Top Class: The Rise To P-Pop Stardom as the competition’s rap mentor and judge. He now joins KZ Tandingan who was previously introduced as one of the mentors and Catriona Gray who is hosting the show.
Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, the 21-year-old rap artist talked about how he reacted when he was informed that he was going to be part of the reality search, and how excited he is right now to share his rapping skills with P-Pop hopefuls.
“Music doesn’t have any limits. It’s like exploring another new territory. It’s another level in my career that’s why I felt both nervous and excited when I was approached to join the show,” Shanti Dope, born Sean Patrick Ramos, said in vernacular.
“I think this is a good venue to explain my music and since P-Pop and hip hop are two different genres, it’s not surprising if we, the artists and the hopefuls, would come up with new sounds because we all have different musical backgrounds,” he added.
According to Shanti Dope, the lucky auditionees who will become the students of the first batch of Top Class are going to have a great learning opportunity from him.
“I can tell yet what kind of mentor I’m going to be but for sure I’ll be able to learn from them as they will learn something from my experience. Though I still consider myself a student of hip hop/rap music and the music industry as a whole, I believe that there are a lot of new techniques, perspectives, and approaches that I can share when it comes to coaching, mentoring, and judging,” he bashfully shared.
Shanti Dope has rightfully gained universal critical acclaim from peers in the rap community, critics, and fans alike. Having gotten to closely work with big rap personalities such as DJ Klumcee and rap legend Gloc-9, students can be assured that they will be getting lessons from a certified lyrical master who is behind the hits such as “Nadarang,” “Mau,” “Shantidope,” and “Amatz” (the last of which was featured in an episode of Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.)
When asked for his thoughts on being the rap mentor for Top Class, Shanti Dope stated that he feels extremely honored.
“Of course, I am so honored and excited to be one of the mentors of Top Class. This is my first time being a judge for a talent show, so for me, a new achievement was unlocked for my career.”
On his preparation for the exciting opportunity, Shanti went on to say that “Right now I’m watching talent shows and contests to refresh my knowledge on how to be an effective judge/mentor and how to articulate and describe what I want to express better. As part of my preparation, I also exercise daily and try not to stay up too late.”
Auditions for the reality competition are currently ongoing and will only be open until April 20, giving aspirants less than two weeks to take their shot at becoming one of the next P-Pop icons.
For this edition of the show, Top Class will only be admitting boys between the age of 16 and 26. The full audition mechanics can be found on the social media pages of Top Class and aspirants will have to accomplish the steps as stated on the Top Class Kumuchannel.
Top Class is an innovative reality show made possible by the collaboration of Filipino Entertainment giants Kumu, Cignal Entertainment, TV5, and Cornerstone Entertainment.