Shaking Things Up: Arkin Magalona On Making His Mark In Filipino Hip-Hop As Barq

The story of Arkin Magalona and his music is still being written but you can be absolutely sure no one else is writing it but him.

Coming from a family with deep, defining ties with Filipino hip-hop, the up-and-coming rapper — also known by his stage name Barq — is no stranger to the genre. And now, he’s officially showcasing an exciting new chapter in his journey with it, carving out a major path of his own by signing with Sony Music Entertainment and unveiling his single “Shake Dat Thang.”

Serving as Barq’s first release under a major label, the kyleaux-produced track is an in-your-face signifier of the ambition fueling the young rapper — one that sees him aim to change things up in the genre, while also celebrating its storied legacy. It’s in this quest for innovation as a rapper that Barq finds his driving purpose as an artist: to inspire others to explore deeper the music that he loves and discover ways to make it thrive further.

With this, Billboard Philippines caught up with Barq to discuss the making of “Shake Dat Thang” and working with kyleaux, the importance of innovation in music, what else he has in store, and more.

Billboard Philippines: Congratulations on the release of your debut single “Shake Dat Thang”! How does it feel that the song has been out for a couple of weeks now?

BARQ: I’m very happy kasi matagal ko na siya gusto ilabas (because I’ve been wanting to release it for a while now). Since, around early September. I’m glad that it’s finally out and that everyone’s enjoying it.

Now, the track was produced kyleaux and you’ve mentioned before that it was your first time working together. What was the experience like teaming up with him for this single?

It was very nice actually. We just jived together, like, instantly! Sobrang natural ng chemistry namin (our chemistry was so natural). I’m not sure but I think it took around just about five hours for our entire recording session.

In that case, how much did that natural chemistry aid you in creating the song?

It very much helped, honestly. Because, when I write songs, usually, I would just experiment with beats from Youtube and then I usually think of the flow first and then put in the words after. 

But when kyleaux was there, it was like a back-and-forth between me and him in terms of the writing and the arrangement of the beat. I would help him, like, “Oh, maybe this would sound better in this part,” while he would add input, like, “Oh, maybe it would be better if you say it like this.”

It was a team effort and I was very happy with it. So yeah, I love working with Kyleaux.

With that seamless dynamic between the two of you, what did you learn from working with kyleaux that you believe will greatly help you in writing and recording your music moving forward?

I would say, probably, not to overthink too much when writing music. Ganun kasi ako (It’s because that’s how I am) usually when writing stuff. Minsan, iniisip ko, “baka ‘di ma-gets ng iba” (sometimes, I think, “Others might not get it”) or “I need to change this” so that more people would understand it. 

Would you say that in working with him on this song, you found a way to overcome that sort of overthinking?

Yeah, definitely!

That being said, are there any other particular artists you would want to collaborate with in the future?

Off the top of my head, marami (a lot). Pero (but) right now, I’d say Gaspari and Al James.

In making the track, you and kyleaux were listening to the likes of The Neptunes, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Timbaland, and more.

In what ways did these artists and their music influence the creation of “Shake Dat Thang”?

Definitely, ‘yung (the) beat, was inspired ng (by) [The] Neptunes, ni (by) Pharrell [Williams]. Big big fan si kyleaux ni Pharrell kaya ‘yun ‘yung influence ng beat (Kyleaux is a big big fan of Pharrell so that’s what became the influence of the beat).

Sa songwriting ko naman, sa flow and stuff, sabi ng ilan parang si 50 Cent daw ‘yung inspiration ko (With my songwriting on the other hand, with the flow and stuff, there are some who said that 50 Cent was my inspiration). But actually, it just came to me naturally. I wasn’t trying to copy anyone or trying to emulate anyone. I was just, like, “Oh, this flow sounds nice. Okay, I’ll do this.” That’s how my process went.

I guess that’s a hard part about writing songs. Some people will think that you’re, like, just a knock-off version of someone else pero (but) what they don’t realize is that there’s, like, a billion artists in the world (chuckles). There’s always a chance that they’ll have, like, the same flow, same style without even noticing it. For me, if it’s good, it’s good. 

We heard that you chose “Shake Dat Thang” as your first official release because it embodies your desire to “disrupt, redefine, and celebrate modern hip-hop with authenticity and flair. As an artist, why would you believe it’s important to shake things up within the local music scene, specifically within the world of hip-hop?

I think it’s very important in a way that it makes people, both artists and listeners, wanna explore. For example, kapag narinig nila ‘yung gan’tong (when they hear this kind of) style, they might become interested in that sound more. Para hindi sila maging (It’s so they don’t become) stagnant. I want to inspire people to explore other avenues in music. Sa hip-hop pa lang, maraming nang sub-genres, lalo na sa current generation na maraming nag-i-innovate (In hip-hop alone, there’s already a lot of sub-genres, especially within our current generation where there’s a lot who are innovating).

I definitely want us all to innovate and not be complacent. 

Now, it’s no secret that your family has a rich and long-standing relationship with hip-hop. With you setting out to make a major mark on the genre moving forward, what kind of artist do you want people to see you as when they hear of Barq or listen to your songs?

Honestly, I don’t want to dictate kung ano dapat ‘yung i-perceive nila sa akin (what they should perceive of me). Para sa akin (For me), they should just perceive me the way they want to perceive me. 

I don’t wanna be like, “I’m trying to make this because I want to be this or that.” I just love making music. And if you find it interesting, I’m glad.

Finally, what’s next for Barq? What can we and your listeners expect, especially as you head into the coming year? 

Definitely more music soon. ‘Yung next one ko, Tagalog siya (My next one, it’s in Tagalog). Tapos (then), another one with kyleaux coming as well. And, early next year, an EP. 

So, hope everyone can check out more of my music soon!

Listen to Barq’s “Shake Dat Thang” below:

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.