Thaitanium have been giving Thailand a taste of homegrown hip-hop since the late 1990s. Yet despite a respectable following, there's been a reluctance to give them a chance to perform at Bangkok's pubs and clubs.

Today, they are the country's most popular hip-hop group and are busy promoting their latest album, "Thailand's Most Wanted".

Their international stature is also on the rise. Next month, Khan-ngoen "Khan" Nuanual, Naymyo "Day" Thant and Prinya "Way" Intachai will head off to Singapore for a series of concerts.

On November 15 at 7pm, they'll be on stage at BEC-Tero Hall, Suan Lum Night Bazaar, for "Uncensored", their first ever full-scale concert in the Kingdom.

"We've gained a lot of attention thanks to our promoters, who've been influential in booking us these upcoming concerts," says Khan, who owns the 420 Club on New Phetburi Road.

"We accepted the offer from MTV Thailand, which understands what we are. Others only look at hip-hop trends."

Their chance for a big show finally came this year when the band became the first artist chosen for a concert by MTV Live, a new project under the umbrella of the cable TV music channel.

"Thaitanium has an influence on the

sub-culture of hip-hop music in Thailand. The group is influential with the new generation of Thais," says Smitthi Bhiraleus, general manager of MTV and VH1 Thailand.

"The artist has influence in music circles. Their fans are supportive and they have best-selling albums."

Thaitanium's debut album, which was recorded in the US, sold well in Thailand. Their unnamed second album sold more than 10,000 copies.

Early in 2000, the three young hip-hoppers came back to the Kingdom and have since been organising small concerts, which they refer to as "parties".

Thaitanium received their first major exposure by appearing in various hip-hop magazines,  and last year opened for one of the world's biggest hip-hop artists, 50 Cent, on his "Get Rich or Die Trying" world tour with Fort Minor.

They were awarded Best Group of the Year by two radio stations, Fat Radio and Seed FM, and also won the 2005 Best Hip-Hop Album of the Year from Season magazine. They have a major following around the Kingdom.

" 'Uncensored' will provide a unique chance for our fans to come together. Teenagers and their parents can come enjoy the show and learn what hip-hop culture is like," says Khan.

"Some of our secrets are going to be revealed, including stories that we've never told anyone before.

"You will definitely learn about us from the concert. That's why it's called 'Uncensored'.

The show will also feature LED displays.

"We requested displays, which we haven't used in our previous shows, so we can tell our stories and offer lyrics for the songs. And the sound system will really bump up the loudness level," he explains.

"Our concert will have cool graphic lighting," adds Day.

The concert will feature 30 songs over a period of two to three hours.

"We're sure that fans will come to our concert because they have our albums and know our songs as well," Khan explains. "Each of us will also perform solo during the concert."

"We'll each sing three or four solos. I'll be performing three songs with friends such as [Joey Boy member] Petch and DJ Spidamonkey," says Day.

Apart from the concert and music, Thaitanium are simultaneously working on a variety of projects, including a clothing lines, acting, modelling, as well as publishing and film.

For the past six years, Thaitanium has been carving out a reputation as one of the biggest and most successful hip-hip groups in Thailand by being able to strike that tricky balance between staying true to their roots and at the same time integrating the gritty street vocabulary of American hip-hop into their music."We've been very dedicated to our work and time, and don't care what anyone says about us. That is Thaitanium's attitude. I have worked in the music industry for more than 10 years and learned several things. The results are on display in our music company, Thaitanium Entertainment.

"We just started working on a new album, which will be out in November under our label," Khan says, adding that his goal is to make each album better than the previous one.

Fans can get together with the band on Saturday at Thaiticketmaster on the third floor of Central Lat Phrao where they'll be signing autographs.

Buyers of Bt1,000 tickets will receive a limited edition DVD of the concert. Other seats cost Bt800 and Bt600.

For more information, call MTV's public relations department at (02) 681 4646, extension 400 or 450, or visit either www.mtvthailand.com or www.thaitanium-ent.com.

Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul

The Nation