If you’ve been paying attention to the Philippines’s ever-vibrant hip-hop scene, you’d have noticed a young buck out of Quezon City by the name of Hev Abi bubbling up between 2020 and 2022. From his earliest works such as ‘Pusong Bato’ to his Sakred Boy LP, observers could already spot that it was only a matter of time before his preternatural talent would break through the mainstream.
Yet even his most ardent day 1 supporters could never have imagined how insanely massive 2023 would be for the fledgling rapper. Over the course of 12 months, Hev Abi went from underground prospect to a global sensation thanks to a series of game-changing singles such as ‘Alam Mo Ba Girl’, ‘Burgis’, ‘WELCOME2DTQ’ and ‘Para Sa Street’ - which collectively went viral on streaming and social media.
In particular, songs like ‘Walang Alam’ and ‘QC Girls’ exploded on TikTok - with the former inspiring over 282.9k creations, while the latter became huge outside Southeast Asia, attracting popular J-pop and K-pop stars to jump onto the trend. This momentum all led to the unmitigated triumph of his latest album, Kung Alam Mo Lang, a thoughtful effort of confessional lyricism and creative abundance that wowed fans and critics alike.
The record attained over 200 million streams on Spotify, leading Abi to reign as the most listened-to artist in the Philippines for over 100 days. Despite those stratospheric heights, Hev Abi remains grounded and focused on his artistry first and foremost, which is why he will continue to be a beacon for Pinoy hip-hop for many years to come.
You’re one of the featured artists in Apple's Here’s to the Dreamers campaign. What drew you to this initiative?
As an artist, I've had my fair share of challenges. Being part of the Here’s to the Dreamers campaign, I hope to inspire my supporters to keep believing in their dreams, explore their own creative sides. I'm feeling honoured because I just wanted to do music, and I'm just doing what I love. It’s all about breaking the norm and getting weird with your music.
Seeing as the campaign is all about talent who have turned their dreams into reality. What are some of the ways that you’ve turned your dreams into reality that aspiring artists can take inspiration from?
Hard work – it’s always been about hard work and staying authentic to yourself.
Who are the Pinoy hip-hop artists who have influenced you on the come up?
Gloc-9, Bugoy na Koykoy and Andrew E.
2023 was obviously a massive year for your career. Looking back on it, what were the milestones that made you the proudest?
Being able to tour around the country has been crazy. Being able to perform for and connect with my supporters – it’s one of the best things about being an artist.
On a personal level, how has the swift rise to fame affected you?
I don’t really think about it too much. Like I said, I’ve always stuck to music - creating and releasing tracks that I myself enjoy.
What was your reaction when songs like ‘Walang Alam’ and ‘QC Girls’ blew up on TikTok?
Seeing my tracks go viral and seeing people enjoy - dancing, lip syncing to my music - I think it’s amazing!
A lot of music has been produced by Neil John "NJ" Subong. Could you describe your creative relationship with him?
When it comes to anything related to music or technical aspects, I always seek his ideas and opinions. We’ve developed a strong dynamic, and his understanding of my sound and music is exceptional. Our first interaction was with Hev Soundtrip in late 2022, and the collaboration has been great since then. We really clicked during UG 6 Thailand, which brought us much closer.
In terms of lyricism, flow or rhyme scheme - could you explain your writing process when coming up with a new song?
I can’t say I really have a creative process at this point. I tend to just go with what I’m feeling at the moment and it just goes from there. I don’t really force things – let time do its thing.
Could you tell us a bit about your record label Downtown Q Entertainment?
It really just started because we had nothing better to do. My friends and I were all into music and hip-hop, so we thought we’d try this out on our own and started just making songs together.
You’re set to perform across Australia and New Zealand pretty soon. How do you feel about performing outside the Philippines for the first-time? And what can international fans expect?
I’m excited to meet my fans across the globe – it’s always fun being on stage and sharing the music with my fans.
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