I sit here knowing that I have so much feedback, so much to say, beyond the maximum characters allotted on a status message. However, I also have to take a moment to figure out where I should begin. I guess I can start out by citing a good friend Rye and quoting him on something that was said on-stage during SVC's segment last night: You start out as a fan...and you remain a f***ing fan.
Yes, it sounds simple aloud and it is blatantly simple when read. So why is it that this statement really hit me? Probably because you rarely see performers show humility these days. Times have really changed. For the simple fact that every artist, old and new alike, is able to produce and promote music via the same mediums now, there is very little space for most to stay fans upon having made tracks. Never mind that an older generation cat may be a pioneer, may have created movements and milestones for the greater good of the industry, played a part in Filipino hip hop reaching it's pinnacle, or may have had numerous hit singles and albums. Likewise, never mind that a newer generation cat has worked hard to write with meaning, produce classic songs, manufacture and push an album, and get exposure in a completely ethical manner. Basically, veterans have not been as appreciated as they should be and new school folks with good heads on their shoulders get drowned out amongst the many that will definitely not do anything for the culture in the long run. In other words, the mind-state is: I can do anything he can do.
Or it was, until last night.
Enter Mastaplann (MP). I witnessed each and every single person in that jam-packed venue get a big dose of humble juice. I saw different crews come together, show genuine love, and share that exhilarated expression on their faces when taking in hit after hit after hit. It had been a long time since I had seen a truly appreciative crowd, and more so, a gathering of industry heads. What I'd usually see is crews sticking to their own to put together shows exclusive to them or to only attend a show if 1 of their artists would have to perform (in which case they would bounce right after).
Personally, I had only ever dreamed up an event like that. I was too young to catch many of these classic performances back in the day. I used to listen, listen, listen and merely envision how amazing it would be to watch. If someone had told me years ago that I would one day have a chance to perform with icons, I would have said "yeah and the moon is made of cheese". I never would have believed that I'd get to perform with MP. It made me feel like a little kid again, with such pure hopes and dreams. It made me remember that I have had that fire and the love within me all these years...despite disappointments and trials.
The crew that first introduced the hip hop culture and it's 4 (now 5) elements to our country in the first place, brought it all back once more. They were the crew that paved the way for us and went through the grind and submission of self to label dictate, in order to create a new era for music. They were the same crew that made it possible for artists of the now to have creative control and freedom with their music simply because of the awareness and impact they put out there for our genre. No crew out here has outdone them and given the years, the accomplishments, the influence, the history...no one ever will. They started it and in true form, it was them that brought it back...the ESSENCE, the FANS.
Monique Jaramillo-Señeres
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