Loonie feat. Abra & Syke - Tanyag (Produced by Klumcee)
The B SIDE track of what "Tao Lang" was telling us all, is that fame isn't what its all prepped up to be. "Tanyag" breaks it down for us with great shades and hues. From Loonie's classic record label debut album "Ultrasound" -- this song is pretty simple for the people hearing it without sharing the history the MC's have. I'm here to share this little piece of history for you to listen to this song with more depth. I heard this song a good month ago, Loonie played it for me at the Artifice HQ - and I told Loonie, this song is what's going to stick. "Tanyag" is a filipino word for "Fame" and the song tackles fame in 3 perspectives.
Abra tackles - a kid wanting to be famous, working up the ladder to success, being a young'n in this hiphop scene with his own understanding of his greatness "Para patunayan sa lahat na wala talagang kinalaman ang ating edad sa abilidad/" and his ideals of using his fame to change things "Kapag ako ang siyang nagkapangalan, pangako babaguhin ko ang galawan/". I met LDP when they were still in high school, Abra came up to me one day asking if its a good look for him to join the battle AMPON was throwing in Kublai's in Katipunan - and while he might've lost that night, he knew it was only necessary to earn his stripes. This was a good 2 years before Fliptop even became big, before Here To Own It, before Gayuma. His verse in Tanyag, describes him in a place so pure where dreams are nurtured and skills remain supreme. His line "Ipakita ang kayang gawin sa lahat balang araw pangarap maging alamat/" is a line, he has already lived up to. We all know where Abra is right now, but as big as it sounds, I'm sure he still has this intent, curiosity, and inventiveness in him to withstand the change that fame gives. I see Abra nowadays, no matter how tired - no matter how busy his schedule is knowing where he wants to be and understands that "Isang pasada lamang ang byahe ng buhay, tandaan hindi kumikinang ang diamante sa hukay/". Go for it Artifice! 2014 is yours.
Akala nila, kilala ka nila, at hindi mo sila kilala/
Pero di ka nila kilala, at kilalang kilala mo sila/
Mukha mo'y laging nasa magazine, dyaryo at iba pa/
Bukas makalawa, malamang pambalot nalang ng tinapa/
My good friend Loonie's verse speaks of the life he currently lives, the bittersweet crossroad of being famous and wanting to live a normal life -- the gift and the curse moment. The love for the art stays, the art form is put into a better pedestal cause its now a way to make a living -- but growth into fame is too hard to balance. The motivations are different, Loonie now is a proud father - rapping for a living; balancing priorities, responsibilities and career in hiphop is one thing - and the fame that goes with it, the business side of it, is something you don't have full control. Reading your name off the walls, people wanting your attention, friends turning into fans, you live life in an aquarium - where everyone is watching you to their delight and entertainment. To embrace all this would drive a man crazy, but simply - its something Loonie is still thankful for. I know Loonie has plans of shaking up the battle scene once more, the taste and the purpose of other factions always leave a sour taste in his mouth. You already heard shadows of this verse from his "Tao Lang" ad libs -- "Pasensya na, sorry naman/ Kung pwede lang sana isoli na lang/" -- speaks of a humble man face to face with his destiny, and respects the path he chose for people to learn from his mistakes. Hey Loons, classic yun album mo pero bitiin!!! Happy birthday!!
Enter: Syke's verse -- no one would be more perfect to tap for this verse, a perspective of someone whose fame has maybe already run its course or was perfect for the art form at the wrong time; and has accepted it. Respects the art form, and knows that the art form and the art remains, but there are better things in life to pay attention to. Knows his contributions to the scene and is confident that his work fathered the new hiphop world. Continues to pay homage to hiphop and his time in the scene calmed him back to the spirit of the first verse, that its a cycle - like bringing back biking which is a big thing again in the metro -- "Ang lahat ng mga yan ay nagsikap at naghanda/ kam'tin ang pangarap kahit tumanda/ wala sa edad kundi nasa ganda ng mga nilikha/" -- that spirit of realization after all thats said and done -- the songs remain. His line "Ilang beses pinagtangkaan matanggal sa pagtanghal akoy nagtagal at nanatili/ sa pinaglagyan nito kayo mismo pumili/ kaya nawili at di nawala akala niyo lang kaya parang muling nagbalik/" is very rich in history, from being Dongalo's finest MC, to releasing a debut CD on Vibestation that featured multi-dialect rap that repped the south of the country, to getting it in with Andrew E for his song Dear Kuya, having the former trying to rid him of his career, stage and expression -- he has gone into the background and slowly built a great following in the spoken word scene that helped him get his confidence back and kept him relevant as the pawns and rules of hiphop changed and grew. Syke is as relevant an MC/poet now as he was when he first came out. "Ipapamukha mo pa ba sa akin kung bakit ako hindi sumikat/ Paumaga palang ngayon, dis oras ng gabi ako lumabas/" reminds you he was so much ahead of his time.
The song ends with a Francis Magalona audio excerpt, "They say that when people exist in the music world, whether you're an arranger, musician or a singer - to some extent you are immortal." -- I don't know how much more you need to determine how immortal this song already is.
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