slacker mommy files

    It’s already February. There is only three more months, including this one, before the presidential elections. The time for forging promises has come. Politicians stand on their soapboxes worth millions of pesos and court voters for their say so. It may look like the same old story; politician gives out promises, politician breaks promises and politician sucks the nation dry. Somehow, from what little I see here in my hermitage, it seems that the youth is finally taking the political scene seriously.

    Among those who try to give voice for their ideas and criticism is Gloc-9. Also knownas Aristotle “Aries” Pollisco, this local talent was once a protégé of Master Rapper Francis M himself. His latest album Matrikula (Tuition) is a rather bleak view of our own society dressed up in Pinoy Rock. It showcases the state of the nation as seen from the eye of the artist.

    I have heard of Gloc-9 before, and I have known him only as a collaborator to the Parokya ni Edgar song Bagsakan. I have only given him my time when Leejay sent me a link to one of his songs and told to me give it an ear. What I heard made me stop in my seat. Most of the raps that I heard on the local airwaves are shallow and brassy to the ears. Though they have a good beat, these songs would just go into one ear and out the other; they are of no significant consequence. Then here comes this one guy who really had something to say. His music is something that grips you like it was alive. It will make you think and reflect, and at times, it will move you.



    The song Balita is an adaptation of the 1970’s song by the same name, sung by ASIN. Like the original song, it describes the current state of affairs of the people. On one hand, they are all the same issues: poverty, hunger, corruption, the war in Mindanao; but it has been a long time to hear these matters voiced outside of a picket line or a public demonstration. What more, it is quite something to hear it from someone who is not known to be an activist, other than probably Francis Magalona himself. It was like a wake-up call to all who would listen, especially the youth.

     Listening to him, I’d forget that he was a rap artist; instead I’d remember the handful of times I spent talking with the activists I met in UP. His song Bayad Po, which is a collaboration with folk singer Noel Cabangon, is a glimpse in the lives of common people struggling with poverty and misfortune. It is a heart-wrenching piece, and one that should stick to mind, to remind us of how lucky we are with what we have. In all, Gloc-9 has set the bar for local rap artists, and has opened the eyes and ears of his audience to the truth out in the streets.

    As I end this post, I leave you with another video from Gloc-9’s Matrikula album. This is a “parinig” to anyone who has ears.

PS: The shirt featured here can be ordered from zazzle.com. It is not a Filipino company, but I thought the design was appropriate.