What makes an anthem?
By definition, an anthem is an uplifting song identified with a particular group or cause. In sports terms, it’s something that gets the people going.
Chris Aparri, more known to others as Flict, sits in his Venice Beach studio with a keyboard and two large speakers in front of him. He has tapped into a niche that other musicians haven’t: creating iconic Los Angeles sports team anthems.
DJ Flict is a Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum record producer, songwriter and artist who has collaborated with other artists who span all genres. He was the musical director and producer for the legendary Lauryn Hill and has worked with everyone from Wiz Khalifa and Cypress Hill to pop icons Meghan Trainor and Fifth Harmony.
Aparri was born in Quezon City, Philippines, and came to the United States with his parents when he was around six years old. Eventually settling in Southern California, he became proficient at playing a variety of different instruments and pursued music from a young age. However, Flict also became obsessed with hockey and grew up skating and playing on teams in the LA area.
On Monday mornings at 7:00 a.m., Flict can be found pulling up to the Toyota Sports Performance Center for an early morning pickup hockey session with friends, many of them employees of the Kings organization.
“I had never seen that many Filipino guys playing hockey. I didn’t even know there were more of us,” Flict said.
Flict is a frequent collaborator and featured artist with MYX, a global stage where you can watch, listen, and experience a music culture beyond sound, through Filipino and Asian curators.
He has guest DJ’d at multiple Los Angeles sporting events, alongside other Fil-Am artists and sports enthusiasts.
When the Dodgers win, fans sing “I Love LA”. When the Kings win, they sing “Hollywood Nights", a Tom Petty staple. In 2021, Flict began creating his first anthem for the Los Angeles Football Club, working alongside Los Angeles rappers Kid Ink and B-Real. The song begins with a trumpet solo, which was something Flict wrote when he was 12 years old. It had been sitting in his back pocket, waiting for the right track. “Do It For LA” debuted and with its huge success, Flict released a second anthem for the club in 2022 titled “Reppin’ the City.”
As the Kings began hinting at the ushering in of a new era and brand refresh, Flict knew he wanted to be a part of it. With the support of the organization, he pitched the idea of writing an original anthem for the Kings, something that had not been created before.
“After that meeting, I went straight from the rink to the studio, to not lose inspiration,” Flict said. “I just kept repeating ‘We’re the Kings ... of LA,’ and that instantly became the hook.”
Rapper and iconic Kings fan, Snoop Dogg, flexes his hockey knowledge on the first verse and Mexican and Cuban rapper B-Real raps on the second about the legacy of the Kings organization, of being two-time Stanley Cup Champions and what is hopefully more success to come. Underneath everything is the crowd singing a melodic chant.
Later on today, November 7, as the Kings exit the locker room and touch the ice at Crypto.com Arena, the boom of “We’re The Kings” will debut. Flict is, of course, excited to hear the anthem in the arena and see the response from fans, but he is mostly relishing this moment when his two passions have finally come together.
“Besides music, it’s always been hockey, and it’s always been the Kings," he said.
