ROGELIO A.

CASTRONUEVO III PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE

BSOA 2ND YEAR FILIPINO MUSIC | ACTIVITY #1 - MIDTERM

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Real Name: Francis Michael Durango Magalona

Born: October 4, 1964
Died: March 6, 2009
Alias: Kiko, Francis M, Master Rapper, The Mouth and The Man from Manila
Occupation: Rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, producer, actor, director, and photographer

Francis M was the first Filipino rapper in the

Philippines to cross over into the
mainstream. He was credited for having
pioneered the merging of Rap with Pinoy
rock, becoming a significant influence to
artists in that genre as well. He was also a
television host on “MTV Asia” and “Channel
V Philippines” and on noontime variety
television show “Eat Bulaga!”

Francis M would ultimately be cited not just

the “King of Philippine Rap” but also “The
Father of Pinoy Hip Hop “.

Magalona’s contributions to the Hip-hop

scene have been featured in several
international Hip-hop publications including
the All-Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The
Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-Hop (2003)
published by Backbeat Books; as well as the
May 2004 issue of the U.S.-based
publication The Source. He was also given
the Pioneer Hall of Fame Award by Empire
Entertainment at the 1st Annual Philippine
Hip-Hop Music Awards in 2005.

Francis Magalona died seven months after

being diagnosed with acute myelogenous
leukemia.

Source: www.iconsfeed.net
MUSIC CAREER AND MOST POPULAR SONGS

Filipino hip hop and nationalistic rap

In 1990, he released the album Yo!, the first commercially released Filipino rap album. Yo! included
several popular singles such as "Mga Kababayan", "Gotta Let 'Cha Know", "Cold Summer Nights",
and a duet with Pia Arroyo "Loving You" as the only song that Pia recorded.

In 1992, Francis Magalona released Rap Is FrancisM (1992). With tracks addressing the various
cultural and social problems that plagued his country such as drug addiction in "Mga Praning", political
instability in "Halalan" as well as the detrimental effects of a colonial mentality in "Tayo'y Mga Pinoy"
the record's complexity and conscious message quickly earned it its classic status and became the
standard by which future albums of the genre were to be compared. This album helped tag Magalona
as one of the most politically conscious voices of his generation.

Hardware Syndrome and the merging of rap with Pinoy rock

The release of his third album, Meron akong ano! in 1993 marked the beginning of Magalona's
experimentation with Pinoy rock. It also saw the birth of Hardware Syndrome—previously known as
Cannabis—the band that would, with Magalona at its helm, introduce the merging of Pinoy rock and
rap to the Filipino music audience.

In 1994, Magalona moved from Octo-Arts EMI Philippines, which had released all of his previous
albums, to BMG Records Inc. with, the same label as the seminal Pinoy rock group, The Eraserheads.

Freeman was released the following year, 1995, and firmly established Magalona's legitimacy in the
Pinoy rock scene. Tracks such as "Three Stars & A Sun", "Kabataan Para Sa Kinabukasan", "Suckin'
on Helium/Kaleidoscope World" would become defining touchpoints in Magalona's body of work. A
track titled "Intellectual Property Rights" would sample a speech by then-president Fidel V.
Ramos. Intellectual property rights was an issue that would continue to be an important and very
personal advocacy for Magalona. "Kaleidoscope World" went on to win 1996 Awit Award for Best
Produced Record of the Year, and the 1996 NU 107 Rock Award for Song of the Year.

In keeping with the nationalistic theme in Magalona's work, 1-800-Ninety-Six was written in
celebration of the centennial of the Philippine revolution of 1896. "Rainy" won Best Folk song, and the
album itself would become the only album to win Best Rock and Best Rap Album at the Katha
Awards.

Later albums with Sony Music

The 1998 album The Oddventures of Mr. Cool saw a move from the last two albums' heavy guitar
sound and explored mellow, urban-style rapping. It featured the song "Whole Lotta Lovin'", whose
music is a sample of the Eraserheads song "Alapaap".

Later albums with BMG now with Sony Music would include Interscholastic (1999), which featured
adaptations of various artists' songs; and Freeman 2 (2000), which would echo many of the themes
that had made the first Freeman album so popular. In 2002, his greatest hits album The Best of
FrancisM was released by Musiko Records and BMG Records (Pilipinas) Inc. 2004 in turn saw the
release of a single titled "Pambihira Ka".

Source: www.en.wikipedia.org
ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTION IN POPULAR CULTURE

Magalona would ultimately be cited not just the "King of Philippine Rap" but also "The Father of Pinoy
Hip Hop". Magalona's contributions to the genre have been featured in several international hip hop
publications including the All-Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-
Hop (2003) published by Backbeat Books; as well as the May 2004 issue of the U.S.-based
publication The Source. He was also given the Pioneer Hall of Fame Award by Empire Entertainment
at the 1st Annual Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards in 2005.

Magalona was the recipient of the MTV Pilipinas Video Music Awards Generations Award in 2006 "in
recognition of his career that has spanned decades and broken boundaries, and for his music which
continues to inspire generations of artists and music fans both here and abroad." He was the second
person so honored, the first having been singer Gary Valenciano at the 2005 rites.

On March 18, 2009, the Philippine Government – through the efforts of the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts—recognized Magalona with by awarding him a posthumous Presidential Medal
of Merit. The award's citation noted that it had been given "for his musical and artistic brilliance, his
deep faith in the Filipino and his sense of national pride that continue to inspire us."

Several supporters of Magalona launched an online petition to award him, the Order of National Artist,
which is the highest recognition for Philippine artists. However, nominations for the National Artist
award will have to be done after three years as nominations for the order are closed. His daughter
Maxene has indicated that she intends to continue Magalona's projects, including his The Sickos
Project album with Buendia, and a documentary about his battle with cancer.
Magalona was given a tribute during a segment at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games opening
ceremony at the Philippine Arena, where three of his songs being rendered by his son Elmo
Magalona, who sang "Man From Manila", Iñigo Pascual, who gave a rendition of "Mga Kababayan",
and KZ Tandingan, who sang "Tayo'y Mga Pinoy". The said segment in the ceremony showcased the
energy of the Filipino people.

Source: www.en.wikipedia.org