Illest Morena On Bringing Local Stories To A Global Stage: “I want them to be proud that we have a Filipino artist that’s telling our story.”

If you get the chance to catch Illest Morena live, she’s a bundle of confidence and charisma. From spiels that poke fun at boys who give the bare minimum in her songs to enchanting vocals that leave you in awe, the young rapper is unapologetically herself the moment she steps on a stage. It’s surprising to think it’s never always been that way.

Illest Morena was a character that found then-15-year-old Angelica Layague after years of being bullied for her dark skin tone. In a culture where fairer skin and Eurocentric features were favored, she often struggled with self-love and acceptance. “For years, I started hating myself because of it; I thought it was a flaw,” she recalls.

But by the 9th grade, she started appreciating her natural color, thanks to the internet. “Nakita ko that a lot of people still viewed darker-skinned women as beautiful,” she continues. “I started thinking [about] why I was trying to look like everybody else when I can just look like me, so I owned it and naging bio ko siya on Instagram and Twitter: the illest morena.”

But with more exposure to the world, thanks to the Internet, she came to realize her true beauty. “I started thinking [about] why I was trying to look like everybody else when I can just look like me,” she says.

And thus, Illest Morena was born. This character was her way of reclaiming her power, turning what was her biggest insecurity to her greatest strength. She brings out the best of the usually timid, soft-spoken Angelica. She conquers every battle and takes on every challenge — the embodiment of everything teenage Angelica needed then. “Illest Morena is more confident, more brave, and does what she wants, unlike Angelica, where may restrictions pa rin siya because baka magalit si Mommy [where she still has restrictions because Mommy might get angry],” she laughs.

Illest Morena had existed for a while, helping Angelica get through some of life’s deepest pitfalls, but it’s only during the pandemic that she went from bubbling behind the scenes to taking center stage. Growing up in a musical family, Angelica spent most of her childhood singing. She fondly reminisces about having a karaoke machine at home that her lolo would always sing on, crediting those very moments for her love for music. 

After years of back and forth, she re-found her love for music in 2020 after being inspired by the tenacity and vibrancy of hip-hop and rap. She spent a while covering popular remixes before finally releasing original songs as Illest Morena. Illest’s music is carefree yet assertive. Threading between the lines of reggae, R&B, and hip-hop, the rising rapper is versatile and diverse, with an expansive landscape of sounds and styles, brought together by strong messages that feel like a punch to the face. 

“I love making art but I don’t want to keep doing the same thing forever,” she says. “That’s why my discography sounds like it. It all tells a story, it just doesn’t sound the same. I don’t hold back on what I really want to say. I don’t make music for kids; I learned that every time I’m holding back. Every time I try to make a pure song, a wholesome song, it’s not me. I speak my heart, I speak my mind. I don’t hold back on the things I want to say.”

In just four years, Illest has risen to be one of the biggest names in Filipino hip-hop. Every release gains virality online, amassing millions of views and sparking dance trends on social media. She made it onto billboards in New York and broke into the Top 10 of Billboard’s Philippines Songs chart multiple times — and most importantly, she did it all by herself. 

“I can make a solo track, without getting a feature, and still make it to the top. It’s one of the things that I take most pride in,” she says.

“I had this mentality before that I needed to get a feature with this artist so I [could] make it happen, but now I’m achieving this by myself. My songs charting [despite] it being a solo track is such a huge thing. And, the fact lang na kinakanta siya ng mga tao [people sing it] wholeheartedly — ‘yung lyrics ko [my lyrics] — makes me feel really great.”

As she reaches new heights in her career, Illest has an array of plans in mind. From going on a world tour and repping the Philippines on a global stage, to finally releasing her long overdue debut album, the rapper shares that this is just the mere beginning of what she has to show. 

Looking five years ahead, Illest Morena says, “Ever since lang naman, ang goal ko is to make music that moves people. So, I still want to do this. I want to reach my fellow kababayans, ‘yung mga Filipinos sa ibang countries din [I want to reach my fellow Filipinos, Filipinos in other countries too], I want to be some sort of representation for them.”

“I want them to be proud that we have a Filipino artist that’s telling our story. I want to be someone that they can be proud of.”

A version of this story appeared on Billboard Philippines’ Hip-hop Issue, dated April 15.

_{Photographed by Everywhere We Shoot. Assisted by JV Rabano and Don Calopez. Styling by Daryl Chang, assisted by Kurt Abonal and Maria Paz Gamus. Creative and Fashion Direction by Daryl Chang. Art Direction by Nicole Almero. Makeup by Agatha Emocling. Hair by Mharhea Banting}. _{Shoot Coordination by Mikaela Cruz. On Illest Morena: H&M glitter top, and ZARA varsity jacket and knitted vest. UNIQLO button-down shirt and high-neck sweater.}

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