It’s common knowledge that Flipout (aka Phil Cabrita) believes everything in his life happens for a reason. But he probably doesn’t even realize that everything also happens because he’s extremely ambitious, loves trying different things and amazingly, is good at all of them. He’s a highly skilled DJ, well-loved radio personality, crowd-rocking rapper, veteran breakdancer, entrepreneurial record label owner and budding actor. Whatever the reasons for his accomplished versatility, this Vancouver-based everyman with Portuguese roots knows that he’s grateful for every moment of it.
It all began at the age of seven, when Flipout was given his first turntable, complete with a Pinocchio picture disc. “I started listening to all my dad’s records, like Tom Jones and Olivia Newtown John,” he remembers. “Then I took my sister’s turntable, put it next to mine and made my own radio station.” This childhood hobby turned into reality at the age of 13, when he was recruited to play music and read news bits for a kid’s radio show.
At the same time, hip-hop culture was beginning to grow, and Flipout was drawn immediately to the breakdancing element, practicing and dancing every chance he got. At 13, he happened to catch a special on 20/20 about apartheid and a song called “A.F.R.I.C.A.” by Stetsasonic. “That influenced me to go up to my room and write my own rap about war,” Flipout says. “I went on to use it in my grade 8 talent show and won. Then in grade 9 I wrote a rap about the environment and ended up performing it on the steps of Parliament.”
These two experiences served as the beginnings of Flipout’s career. The kid’s radio show evolved into a music mix show, and in ’94, together with DJ J-Swing and Checkmate, he gave Vancouver its weekly dose of hip-hop music on University of B.C.’s radio station CiTR. After five years of garnering acclaim and a loyal following of fans, they moved to Vancouver’s world beat station, 96.1 fm and founded “The Worldwide Ride,” which quickly became a must-listen to show for the city’s hip-hop allegiance. Rock station CFOX came knocking and their show entered uncharted radio territory, becoming the city’s first commercial hip-hop mix show. So when Vancouver’s first commercial urban radio station, The Beat 94.5 fm, launched in 2002, Flipout and crew were immediately asked to join the team. Their show, “Straight Goods,” is currently the only prime-time hip-hop show on commercial radio in Canada. It’s an impressive resume for a man with no formal radio education.
As a breakdancer, Flipout became one of Vancouver’s best, founding the seminal crew, Contents Under Pressure. He also quickly gained a name as a DJ, touring with artists, putting out mixtapes, playing huge parties and keeping them moving. “The thing I like about DJing is getting the immediate reaction from the crowd and rocking the party. But I also love pushing the boundaries of what people expect to typically hear,” Flipout says.
He takes this same approach as a producer and rapper with group A.M.P. In 2003, they created a radio and club anthem with “A.M.P. Army,” a genius re-working of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” The group has toured Canada with Rascalz and Shawn Desman, and opened for superstars including Talib Kweli, De La Soul and Mobb Deep. Their highly anticipated debut album, Anger Management Program, will be hitting shelves this year, which means the world to Flipout, who also runs their record label, Bank of Portugal Records. “To me, my greatest accomplishment is A.M.P. because we did it all by ourselves – we funded the records, we made our video and had a huge hit song,” he says.
When constructing his rhymes, Flipout believes in being a keen observer and grounding his words on what goes on around him. “I’m pretty reality based,” he reveals. “I don’t like embellishing so you’re not going to hear lies come out of my mouth.” He’s also earned a reputation as a sharp-tongued battle rapper and is referred to as Vancouver’s Freestyle Champion since winning two prominent battles. As a producer, Flipout’s deep and moody beats have been requested by other artists, including Son Doobie, Checkmate and Rascalz, for their gold-selling album Cash Crop (which he also rapped on).
And it’s no surprise that Flipout continues to look forward to new opportunities. “I get newfound pleasure from acting,” he says of his love for the dramatic arts. “My drive to act is for the sheer enjoyment and challenge of it.” But he always plans to keep the Vancouver hip-hop community and Canadian music industry at the top of his priorities. After all, they’ve recognized his talents with two Urban Music Association of Canada nominations for Best Up-and-Coming DJ and Best DJ Team, a Club Vibes Best DJ Award and a Traffie Award for Coolest Radio Personality from the Vancouver Province. “I have my own reasons for doing things,” Flipout says of his never-ending motivation. “I’ve been through a lot and that influences me to be very proactive. I don’t want to have any regrets.” Needless to say, with his long and varied list of accomplishments, regret should be the last thing on Flipout’s mind.