Rehab launched Pinoy rapper Ron Henley’s songwriting career
With just 12 words, newcomer rapper Ron Henley sums up the arc of his career so far.
“If you want to be the best, be part of the best,” he says to describe his relation with MCA, the record label that released his impressive debut EP entitled “Wala Pang Titulo.”
Ron’s statement also tells something about his previous illustrious associations before he went solo.
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Meeting Francis M
Bitten by the rap bug at age 14, he met fellow rapper Loonie who shared his passion for Eminem. They formed a group called Stick Figgas and joined the “Rap-Public of the Philippines” contest in a noontime show where they met their idol, the master rapper FrancisM. The late rapper took Stick Figgas under his wing and included them in Rap-Public’s compilation album.
Ron and Loonie eventually went solo but they decided to maintain their core group.
On his own, Ron hit it big with his self-penned “Biglang Liko” which came out in 2010 and currently has over 11 million hits on YouTube. It’s also the song that attracted a mainstream record label to sign him up as contract artist.
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Collabs galore
Five of the 6 tracks on his debut EP are collaborations with established and upcoming female singers. Sino Sikat?’s Kat Agarrado provides the soulful foil to Ron’s gung-ho rapping in “Hagdan” while Yumi, Pow Chavez, Muriel and Bea Valera turn on R&B power in four other tracks.
The record’s title itself is a tribute to the cooperative spirit. “The album is not about me alone. Each song builds on the contributions of excellent artists who have yet to make a name for themselves in OPM,” Ron says.
The cover graphics also tells a story. Ron muses, “I’m on my way to another planet! It’s a metaphor for me leaving behind old habits, hurts and hang-ups and finding a new home.”
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Time in rehab
He admits to have spent some time in rehab.
To combat the boredom of being in confinement, he turned to songwriting and the first fruit of his forced seclusion was “Hagdan,” one of the EP’s distinctive tracks.
“The song summarizes my experience in rehab. The 12-step program was an eye-opener. It made me see the big picture, that personal changes happen slowly, one step at a time,” Ron explains.
“I look around me and I see that it can be applied also to what I do best. If every musician helps others go up the ladder of success, be they alternative, hip-hop or pop artists, we can make OPM an even stronger force today.”
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Sexual puns
Ron relates that “Biglang Liko”, the YouTube sensation that preceded his signing to a record label, was written on Valentine’s Day. Sexual puns slip in and out of the main melody, yet he demurs to go all the way with the song’s illicit undercurrent.
He says, “The typical meaning of the song is there all right. You can also relate it to how you live. I believe that the straight road will lead you to God but because I’m a sinner, I sometimes turn left or go sideways.”
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A better person every day
His hope for the album is simple: he looks forward to making an impact on the listener.
“I just want to reach out to others and if one or two people are touched by my songs, that’s good enough for me.”
He adds, “I’m a product of a broken home and I don’t want my own family to go through what I went through. I want my own family to have a better life than I had.
“I start by being a better person today than yesterday. Just because I got stupid last night, I (shouldn’t) go on being an ass today,” he says.
“Ngayon, bawi naman ako!”
