Challenging the status quo and making a successful living as an artist has never been easy but Aristotle Pollisco better known as Gloc-9 will be, for many of us, a truly deserving game-changer.
“Kung ano man yung kaya kong gawin as an artist and as a rapper, lagi kong sinasabi na hindi ko magagawa lahat yun kung hindi si Francis Magalona yung naging foundation ko,” remarked Gloc-9. “I’ve been lucky and blessed sa kung anuman ang narating at meron ako ngayon.”
The award winning ace rapper joined MNL Online for an empowering conversation about his innovative approach to music, art and political and social stereotypes.
In your opinion who is the most influential and successful artist in your genre today and why?
I don’t really listen to artists, rap and otherwise, because they’re the successful ones. I like listening to different artists so that I evolve in my songwriting as well. Recently, I’ve been listening to Kendrick Lamar and sobrang astig siya. Locally, matagal na akong tagahanga ng pagsusulat at pagra-rap ni Loonie.
Do you think your music is mostly enjoyed more for the beats or for the lyrical flow and content?
Sa tingin ko pareho. I’ve been lucky that I have a musical arranger who knows what kind of music will work with my lyrics and my raw rap recordings. But also the lyrics happen first, the storytelling. Gusto ko isipin na mahalaga yung kwentong nasa mga kanta ko para sa listeners.
Which ingredient do you think is most essential in making your sound and style the way it is?
Unang-una, the story of the song. I don’t think magiging successful ang kanta kung walang kwento. Sa sound, siguro yung pagiging rap-rock ng mga kanta ko, and you would know this if you watch me perform live, na yung banda kong GLOCNINE talaga ang kasama ko.
Which emotion more than any other, currently dominates your music? Joy, sadness, anger or passion etc., and why?
Siguro if we’re looking at my recent single Takipsilim may sadness do’n, pero may hope rin. But generally, yung buong Liham At Lihim CD may ganung klaseng hopefulness siguro, kahit na may sad stories katulad ng “Takipsilim” and “Magda.” Excited rin ako sa mga upcoming songs for various projects like the Asintado Theme Song with Lirah Bermudez for the film directed by Louie Ignacio for Cinemalaya na available na rin, and the Ipaglaban Mo Theme Song with KZ Tandingan for an ABS-CBN show. May gusto rin akong ilabas na single entitled “Businessman” na mas political than I’ve been in a while.
What aspect of the music making process excites you most, and what aspect discourages you the most?
Nae-excite ako dun sa moment na mabuo ko na sa utak ko yung hook for the song, yung chorus, kasi everything follows after that. And siguro nakaka-discourage kapag may concept na for the song, tapos hindi ko mabuo yung hook na ‘yon.
How involved are you in the recording, producing, mastering, marketing, and other processes needed to make and sell your music, and do you outsource any part of these processes?
Very involved ako, dahil the moment I have a raw recording of the song, the hook and rap verses, it’s sent to my musical arranger, and it goes back and forth na between us. While he’s doing the arranging, nagpo-focus na kami sa look ng CD itself, and sa pag-market nito on social media (via my Official FB page, Twitter) and my website (www.glocdash9.com). And then I negotiate with my recording company about which one will be the carrier single, and how the album launch will happen. I go into rehearsals with GLOCNINE, and then ako rin ang bumubuo ng set list for the launch itself. So we’re very hands-on, ako and yung management team ko.
In your experience thus far, what is the best piece of advice in this business you actually followed? And one you didn’t follow, but now know for sure that you should have?
Yung magpatuloy lang sa paggawa ng kanta. It was something that si Sir Kiko valued and that encouraged me na magpatuloy lang sa pagsusulat at pagra-rap, even when wala pang recording contracts at gigs.
What do you feel is the most pressing or important problem in our society now, and do you feel as though your experience as an artist has aided and/or inspired your involvement in these issues?
Kahirapan. Kasi walang dahilan para may ganitong klaseng paghihirap, and when you hear about the amount of money na nalulustay sa gobyerno, or nakasama sa mga issue tulad ng pork barrel, parang lalo mo pang mari-realize na yung kahirapan is brought on by the system itself. Hindi ko naman conscious goal na maging political or anything like that, pero lahat kasi ng kanta ko is based here, sa Pilipinas, and in the process nadi-discuss and mga issues na sa tingin ko ay mahalaga.
What is an artist’s role or responsibility—if any—for being a vehicle for social change?
Para sa akin, I think my songs speak for themselves. And siguro lahat ng artists may kakayahan na gumawa ng trabaho na relevant.
Right now, who would you look up to? Who do you think is a real game-changer in the music industry?
I’ve been really blessed and honored na nakilala ko sina Sir Ryan Cayabyab and Sir Gary V. na para sa akin more than yung work nila sa industry, napakalaking bagay na they’ve remained humble and open sa mga new(er) artists na katulad ko.
How would you define the rap/hip hop generation and is it a reflection of what really is going on or something that is always changing and moving?
Hindi ako conscious na may rap / hip hop generation na market para sa mga kanta ko. Matagal na yung rap and hip hop e, matagal na rin akong nagsusulat ng kanta, at may katulad ni Sir Kiko na unang bumuo nung kulturang rap at hip hop na may komunidad talaga surrounding him.
Pero siguro puwedeng sabihin na may renewed interest in it ngayon. Buhay na buhay ang fliptop, at maraming young rappers. May katulad ni JayR na bumuo nung Homeworkz na independent hip hop label, tapos nando’n ang Q-York, halimbawa. So siguro renewed yung interest sa hip hop at rap, at para sa’kin nagche-change yun dahil nagche-change ang interes at taste ng public for music. So habang nasa rap at hiphop siguro yung interest, dapat nagle-level-up tayong lahat to prove na magaling tayo sa genre na ito.
Can you tell us how you worked or performed effectively under pressure?
May pressure lang naman kapag may bagong CD na ilalabas and I have to write the songs for it. But I work well under that kind of pressure kasi napipilitan akong pigain yung songwriting ko. Hindi siya madali, pero minsan may mga kantang magic na nabubuo ko as I drive home from Makati to Quezon City.
What is your best meeting-a-fan experience?
Sa ibang bansa laging memorable ang ma-meet ang mga fans kasi syempre miss nila ang Pilipinas, at malaking bagay sa kanila ‘yung pagbisita ng mga artist galing sa Pinas. Do’n ko nararanasan yung mga fan na kapag naubos na yung binebenta naming CD, pati damit na suot ko willing silang bilhin, para mapapirmahan lang. [Smiles.]
What’s the side of you that the public never sees?
Hmmm… Meron naman akong pino-post na litrato ng mga anak ko, so may sense sila na sa bahay talagang tatay ang role ko. Siguro yung side na mahiyain. Mahiyain talaga ako, pero dahil ito yung trabaho ko, napipilitan na lagpasan yung pagiging shy.
How much control do you really have over yourself?
Anong ibig sabihin ng control? [Laughs.] In control naman ako sa sarili ko, minsan to a fault pa nga. Tulad ng kapag may shoot at kailangang magpapayat. Dati sobrang unhealthy nung ginagawa ko na hindi ako basta kumakain. Pero ngayon nakikinig na ako sa asawa ko at kumakain na ko ng fruits. [Laughs.] Dini-disiplina ko rin ang sarili ko na tuluy-tuloy ang exercise para lang sa health in general.
What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?
Makulit, mahiyain, determinado.
Eminem, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre – who will win?
Iba-iba naman yata sila ng klaseng rap. Hehehe.
Drake vs. Wiz Khalifa, who wins?
Si Drake.
What are your favorite game apps?
Ngayon, natutuwa ako sa Go Pro app.
How did your music tastes change as you grew older?
Pareho pa rin naman. Pero siguro ngayon mas naa-appreciate ko yung talent ng singers at songwriters sa ibang genre. Halimbawa si KZ Tandingan, napakagaling ng boses ng batang ‘yun. Tapos yung ginawa ni Rico Blanco na version niyang “Magda” sobrang nabilib ako dun sa ginawa niya.
Tell us more about Liham At Lihim and your song “Takipsilim”?
Yung Liham At Lihim yung isa sa pinakamahirap na gawing album, dahil it follows MKNM which had the song “Sirena.” Hindi naman sa kailangang lagpasan yung “Sirena,” pero parang na-establish dun sa MKNM rin yung diversity ng songwriting ko and types of rap. So parang ano pang puwedeng gawin sa Liham At Lihim? Pero in the end naging distinct rin naman yung mga kanta rito sa album na ito dahil bago lahat ng kanta, at ini-effort ko yung to give listeners new songs talaga na kahit yung pag kuwentong storya hindi usual na basta kuwento lang. Sa “Magda” halimbawa yung nagku-kwento ng story niya actually si Ernesto na character rin dun sa kwento. And naging successful rin naman yung “Takipsilim.” Malaking honor na pumayag si Ms. Regine Velasquez-Alcasid na maging part nung kanta. Tapos that we had director Toper Santos to do the video with us. Talagang lahat nag-work para mag-offer sa listeners ng something new and different.
What do you think is the most important thing to remember about what it means to be a Filipino?
Na ilang beses na nating napatunayan na kaya nating baguhin ang lipunan, pero kailangan umpisahan natin sa ating mga sarili rin. Hindi ko sinasabing kaya natin lagpasan ang kahirapan, pero puwede tayong mamulat sa kung bakit ito ang nangyayari sa atin.
Finally, what do you wish people think of when they hear “Gloc-9”?
Na songwriter at rapper si Gloc-9, bumubuo ng sariling mga kanta, at nagtra-trabaho para sa kanyang pamilya.
