Philippine Showbiz Today
October 22 - November 7, 2016
Jan. 22-Feb.7, 2015
Gloc-9 says HOY!!
Aristotle Pollisco, aka Gloc-
9, has completely changed my
preconceptions of the rap culture.
This multi award-winning Filipino
music icon is as different from
the typical North American bling-
swinging gangsta rapper as day is
to night.
Gloc-9 dresses well but never
garish. He will not wear a ton of
jewelry. At home, he lives the life
of a simple family man with his
wife and children. This honesty
is reflected in his music. His
verses tell stories of the struggles
of the poor living on the streets,
the treatment of LBGT people,
the bullying by the rich and the
rampant corruption which seems
to be everywhere. These things
he saw and experienced every day
of his youth. In later years, while
working as a Registered Nurse
in the hospital, he saw the heart-
breaking pain of poor families who
could not afford adequate medical
care. His songs describe all of this
and more, but each track also
tells of persistence, hope, love
and family values in the face of
insurmountable troubles. Unlike
the
western
norm, nowhere
in these albums
do I see the usual
angry rap rants of
violence, drugs,
sex and “fightin’
da power”.
Perhaps the
soul of his music
stems from his
humble
youth
in the town of
Binangonan,
Philippines or the
traditional values
of his family and culture. Whatever
the source of his inspiration,
Aristotle Pollisco, or Gloc-9, as
his fans around the world know
him, is a true artist who uses his
gift and fame to spread powerful
messages of hope and change.
He wants to be a voice for every
youth with a story.
Since the release of his album
Matrikula in 2009, his music
has been a part
of the literature
curriculum of the
K-9 program of
the Department of
Education. While
Gloc-9 does not
sugar-coat
the
realities in his
songs, he is very
aware of the effect
his words have;
especially on the
young. In 2012,
he w