Nik Makino | Image: INQUIRER.net/Jessica Ann Evangelista
Hip-hop artist Nik Makino extended his hope for the local government to provide support and funding for the Filipino rap community amid other forms of art such as films seeking resources to help aspiring artists hone their craft.
During a recent media conference with select members of the press for the release of his album, “Meta Mixtape,” Makino, dubbed the Prince of Hip-Hop, said that the local rap community also needs the support of the government, especially since they also generate noise for the country.
“Kasi isa rin naman sa pinag-uusapan, hindi lang sa social media, sa Youtube, pati sa paglabas mo ng bahay, rap ‘yung pinaguusapan, so feeling ko kailangan ‘yon. Kailangan naman ‘yon [tulong],” he said.
(Because it’s also one of the things that’s talked about not only on social media, on YouTube, even when you leave the house; rap is what’s being talked about, so I feel it’s necessary. That help is needed.)
“Sa hip-hop ngayon sobrang lakas namin. Nakakatuwa na marami ng bata ngayon na magagaling rin at tuloy na nag-aangat ng hip-hop, nagpapaingay ng local hip-hop. Sana magtuloy-tuloy pa,” added the singer.
(In hip-hop today we are very strong. It’s nice that there are a lot of kids today who are also good and continue to raise hip-hop, making local hip-hop noise. I hope it continues.)
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Makino, who’s known for his hits “Moon” and “Neneng B,” shared that he was only able to do out-of-town or country shows by self-funding or help from friends in the industry.
“Masaya kami kasi maraming Filipino rin pala sa ibang bansa na nalulungkot tapos then masaya sila nakakarinig sila ng Tagalog rap tapos nakakaparty [kapag pumupunta kami],” he stated.
(We are happy because there are many Filipinos in other countries who are sad and then they are happy when they hear Tagalog rap and then they party when we go there.)
Aside from being a hip-hop artist, Makino is also a music engineer in New York City, although he’s based in the Philippines.
When asked if he feels any pressure to release viral songs, the 29-year-old said that it’s only just a bonus for him.
“Wala naman kasi para sakin kung nag-hit ‘yung kanta ko bonus na lang sakin ‘yon kasi sobrang mahal ko ‘yung music ginagawa ko lang siya palagi, mag-hit o hindi,” he explained, adding that he will never leave the hip-hop community no matter the cost.
(It doesn’t matter to me if my song becomes a hit; it’s just a bonus for me because I love music so much, I just keep doing it, whether it’s a hit or not.)
Makino’s past releases “Neneng B” have 64 million streams, “We Made It” with 58 million, “Moon” with 53 million, and “Lexi” with 31 million streams on Spotify.