In light of the recent passing of Philippine rap legend Francis Magalona, I feel I had to write some sort of tribute to him considering I’ve been a long-time fan. First time I “discovered” him was on Alma Moreno’s now-defunct show in IBC 13 (God, I’m so old) during my elementary days. Then “Mga Kababayan Ko” became a big hit & that was when I really became a fan. I’ve memorized that damn song’s lyrics & still know it by heart. A few years passed & I’ve never heard anything from him, but when I reached high school a friend of mine let me borrow a couple of his Francis M records, namely his “Freeman” & “Happy Battle” albums & was completely blown away. Most people may know him as a rapper, TV host & actor but he was also a gifted songwriter. He didn’t just write run-of-the-mill rap songs. He’s managed to seamlessly combine elements of funk, rock, Rn’B, hiphop, metal & traditional Filipino music with an added touch of Pinoy humor to create a sound that is uniquely his own & uniquely Filipino. Songs like “Baw-waw-waw”, “Lab Song”, “Ayoko Sa Dilim”, “Wag Kang Tumawa”, “Girl Be Mine” & the anthemic “Kaleidoscope World” have left a permanent mark in my consciousness.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him perform live when I was in college. I just broke up with my girlfriend then so I needed some distraction, & the guy never failed to deliver. I’ve been drinking before I went to that show, but his energetic stage presence sobered me up that night. It was one of the best live performances I’ve seen.
When I heard he died it was like losing a close friend, & I try my best not to cry whenever a tribute clip to him is shown on TV. He was a great loss to the Philippine music industry & he will be dearly missed. Thank you for the music & the inspiration, Kiko.
The king is dead. Long live the king.