Swag on: 'YO! MTV Raps' is hosted by DJ, producer and model Kim Lee and Singaporean rapper and songwriter Yung Raja.

Two of Indonesia’s homegrown music talents — A. Nayaka and Laze — have become part of MTV Asia’s reboot of YO! MTV Raps show.

When you think of hip hop music, the images that come to mind might be the gritty streets of New York and Los Angeles rather than downtown Jakarta, but you would be surprised how good our homegrown talent is.

Indonesian hip hop fans might be familiar with the stratospheric rise of Brian Imanuel also known as Rich Brian with his singles “Dat $tick” and “Who Dat Be” in 2016, and with good reason. Last year, his debut album, Amen, peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Indonesian hip hop did not have its start in the age of Drake and Nicki Minaj. It was pioneered in the 1990s by Iwa K, who is still going strong.

There are also other flavors aplenty, from Saykoji’s pop-oriented lampooning of the ordinary to female empowerment beats from Yacko, who recently performed at the La Belle Hip Hop Festival in Brussels, Belgium.

With a small yet thriving scene, new talent keeps popping up, such as A. Nayaka and Laze.

A.Nayaka — Ariel Nayaka’s stage name — grew up in Houston, Texas, where he got his first taste of hip hop. In 2016, his mix-tape, Curriculum Vitae, made it onto Rolling Stone Indonesia’s Top 20 Albums in the Indonesia list.

Meanwhile, Laze also known as Havie Parkasya, who is known primarily for his freestyle, gained traction when he was nominated for best rap/hip hop production at the prestigious 2018 Anugerah Musik Indonesia Awards for “Mengerti” (Understand, feat. Ayub Jonn), which is a track from his debut album, Waktu Bicara (Time to Talk).

The crew: The show is MTV Asia's reboot of the original series, which debuted in 1988.

Nayaka and Laze were part of MTV Asia’s reboot of the YO! MTV Raps show, which premiered on Monday. The opening night featured two South Korean rappers who are on top of their game — smoldering rapper-producer Gray and breakout rapper Woo. The 10-part series will be aired every fortnight on Tuesdays starting on April 23.

The show will feature 33 rappers from 11 countries, with DJ, producer and model Kim Lee and Singaporean rapper and songwriter Yung Raja serving as hosts.

Other artists joining the show include Chinese rapper Vava, whose song “My New Swag” was featured on the soundtrack of hit romcom Crazy Rich Asians, as well as American rapper Bhad Bhabie, who is known for her viral segment on Dr. Phil that became a meme.

For its reboot, the show will highlight each individual artist’s performance as well as the hip hop scene in their respective countries.

“Hip hop is all about ‘the culture’, and I can’t wait to be part of a show that will showcase the true expression of the Asian experience,” Lee said in a statement.

Freestyling: 'YO! MTV Raps' reboot will feature a total of 33 rappers from 11 countries, with segments on each countries' hip hop scene.

“I’m psyched to come back a second time to host the biggest, dopest hip hop show in Asia. We are bringing more beats, more rappers, so get ready to discover some new, exciting music,” said Yung Raja.

The original YO! MTV Raps made its debut in 1988, and became the channel’s premier segment for hip hop content. A special segment of the show featuring 11 artists from five Asian countries was aired in June last year.

“Our YO! MTV Raps will celebrate the explosion of hip hop culture across the region — the music, the talent, the fashion and the lifestyle. We’re pumped that this celebration will be led by hosts who bring a crazy-cool mix to the party,” said Abhishek K Rao, MTV Brand’s senior director for Southeast Asia.

Yung Raja combines his unique energy with a sparkling take on hip hop in the region, while Lee is a huge hip hop fan who will add her own style and glamor.”

— Photos courtesy of MTV Asia/All Is Amazing