When hip-hop phenom Hev Abi sits down and makes a song, there are no accidents.
Every bar and beat is somehow both carefully crafted and left to chance — the rapper works with a general concept for each track, but also includes lyrics that he thinks of off the fly. The culmination of this hybrid approach to hip-hop music is Kung Alam Mo Lang, a curated ode to unconditional love in all its forms, be it romantic or platonic.
In fact, the album is structured around those two forms of love. The first half revolves around romance, whether it’s the feeling of falling in love (like in “Binibiroksi”), a hidden relationship (such as in “Alam Mo Ba Girl”), or the thrill of being unconditionally loved (“From Torillo, With Love”).
In contrast, the other half doubles down on friendship. To say that Hev Abi values his friends would be a grave understatement — they’re arguably the center of his life. It’s no mistake that the latter half of the album is chock-full of featured artists, many of them his friends.
Kung Alam Mo Lang is both metaphorically and literally what the rapper wants to say to everyone listening — if only you knew. This is an album of the sides of Hev Abi that a few don’t just see, but also fully understand.
With that, Hev Abi sat down with Billboard Philippines to share what went on behind the scenes of Kung Alam Mo Lang.
Introhan Ko Lang
“Actually, yung lyrics ng ‘Introhan’…hindi talaga siya kanta eh, noong sinulat ko yung verse. Tula [siya]. Habang ginagawa namin ng album, nagkaroon ng araw na ginawa namin yung instrumental, tapos tinry kong ipasok yung poem doon. ‘Di na namin pinakomplika yung kanta, ‘di na namin dinagdagan ng kahit ano. Parang maganda siya as is…para mafocus din yung laman ng lyrics…para mas pupunta ng atensyon doon. Ginawa namin intro kasi maiksi lang siya.“
[Actually, with the lyrics of ‘Introhan’…it’s not really a song, when I was writing the verse. It’s a poem. When we were making the album, there was a time when we were making the instrumental, and I tried to see if the poem fit in the song. We didn’t make the song complicated, we didn’t try to add anything more. It’s nice as [it] is…so that [people] can focus on the lyrics itself…[and] so that the attention goes to [the lyrics]. We made it an intro because it’s short.]
Binibiroksi
“Siguro kung ano yung laman ng kanta…ipinapaliwanag ko siya sa kanta [mismo]. Yung unang linya nga, ‘Isang bagay na hindi ko malimutan sa kaniya‘…kung ano man ang istorya ng kanta, ‘yun na ‘yun. [Ang title ng kanta ay] ‘Binibiroksi’ dahil…wala lang, angas ng title. Inspired by Andrew E.’s ‘Binibirocha’ since related sa babae, tsaka [mga] bisyo.“
[Whatever the story of the song is…I explain it in the song itself. Even from the first line, “There’s one thing I can’t forget about her”…whatever the story of the song is, that’s it. The title of the song is ‘Binibiroksi’ because…well, it’s cool. [It’s] inspired by Andrew E. [a veteran Filipino rapper]’s ‘Binibi Rocha,’ since it’s related to women and vices.]
(Author’s Note: Andrew E.’s “Binibi Rocha” contains harmful imagery and sexualized descriptions of women. Such descriptions of women, while not as exceedingly prominent as before, are still present in today’s hip-hop scene. Hip-hop has historically been a male-dominated genre, both in the Philippines and on a global scale. While there are more women hip-hop artists carving out their own space in the genre, there is still a lot to be done to unlearn harmful and oppressive actions, imagery, and songs that describe women in such a way.)
Alam Mo Ba Girl
“Sa ‘Alam Mo Ba Girl,’ ako nag-produce na yon, pati ‘Binibiroksi.’ Isa sa mga favorite na bagay sa [kanta] ay yung beat o instrumental na ginawa ko. Yung first part, ‘Mamaya na ‘ko uuwi,’ yung piano sa likod nun ay sample ng [‘Green Eyes‘ ni] Erykah Badu. Yung second part ng kanta, yung drums na ginamit ko doon, [galing sa] ‘Didn’t Cha Know’ ni Erykah Badu. Inspired by Erykah Badu [yung kanta]…sa words, kung paano ko dinala yung chorus.”
[In ‘Alam Mo Ba Girl,’ I was the one who produced it, along with ‘Binibiroksi.’ One of my favorite parts of the song is the instrumental I made. The first part, ‘I’ll go home later,’ the piano in the back is a sample of ‘Green Eyes’ by Erykah Badu. The second part, the drums that I use are from ‘Didn’t Cha Know’ by Erykah Badu. The song is inspired by Erykah Badu, from the words, how I sing the chorus.]
Sumugal (ft. Unotheone, LK)
“Si NJ nag-produce ng [‘Sumugal’]. Nagkataon na kaming tatlo, Uno[theone], LK, napadpad kami [sa] studio. Alam ko na pagod kami noon — di ko maalala kung saan kami nanggaling — tapos pinilit namin gawin ng kanta sa beat na [prinoduce] ni NJ. Noong ginagawa [ni NJ] yung beat, akala ko hindi matutuloy yung kanta na ito, kasi kung pinapakinggan mo yung sample na ginamit ni NJ doon, parang ang weird eh. Tapos noong ginagawa niya yung drums…’ah, na-gets ko na yung gusto niyang tunog.’ Matagal na namin pinagusapan ni NJ na iyon, yung UK garage genre. Bago pa namin simulan ang album, napagusapan na namin yung song.”
[NJ produced ‘Sumugal.’ Unotheone, LK, and I ended up in the studio. I remember that we were very tired then — I can’t remember where we came from — and we forced ourselves to figure out a song from the beat that NJ produced. When NJ was making the beat, I thought that the song would push through because the sample he used was really weird. When he put in the drums, I thought, ‘Ah, I get the sound that he’s trying to make.’ NJ and I had been talking about making a [song] in the UK garage genre for a long time. Before we even started the album, we were already talking about it.]
“Noong sinulat naming tatlo yung chorus, sobrang simple lang, walang komplikadong lyrics or cadence. Isa ring factor yan noong ginagawa namin yung kanta. ‘Pag napapansin mo sa kanta na yan, walang bass, merong kicks lang tsaka cymbals. Walang backup vocals. Minadali namin yung [flow sa] chorus para pagdating sa verses, kami ni LK, contrast [siya] sa chorus.”
[When all three of us were writing the chorus, we decided to make it really simple, not using any complicated lyrics or cadence [when rapping]. That was a factor when we were making the whole song. If you notice, the song doesn’t have any bass, just kick [drums] and cymbals. There aren’t any backing vocals. We made the flow fast during the chorus so that when it came to mine and LK’s verses, it contrasts the chorus.]
From Torillo, With Love
“Ito yung kanta na inspired sa ‘WILSHIRE‘ ni Tyler, the Creator at ‘Wet Dreamz’ ni J. Cole. ‘Yung arrangement ng kanta, na simple sample lang tapos verse, tapos sample, tapos verse — tatlong verse. Ginawa kong tatlong verse kasi…[it’s] something to try, lalo na sa panahon na ito na ang konti [ng mga rappers] na gumagawa ng tatlong verse [sa isang tao, na walang collab]. Natuwa ako bilang rapper na…’nakagawa ako ng kanta na may tatlong verse, konti lang yung gumagawa na ‘yon!'”
(This song was inspired by Tyler, the Creator’s ‘WILSHIRE’ and J. Cole’s ‘Wet Dreamz.’ The arrangement of the song uses a simple sample, then a verse, then a sample again, then another verse — three verses. I wrote three verses because…it’s something to try, especially now that there aren’t a lot of rappers that write songs with three verses [on a song without a collaboration]. I was pleased as a rapper because…’Yes! I wrote a song that has three verses, there aren’t a lot of people that do that now!’)
Walang Alam
“Noong pumunta ako sa studio…gustong gusto kong kumanta (laughs). Mga ganoong araw, ‘pag pumunta ako sa studio, lagi akong sinasabi na ‘gusto kong mag-rap! Gusto kong mag-rap!’ Noong pumunta ako sa studio noon, sabi ko kay NJ, ‘Gusto kong kumanta. Gusto ko mag-R&B.’ Nadaanan kami ng gitara, naglagay ng konting drums para masubaybay ko habang nagrerecord. Tapos yung gitara na nahanap namin na yon, narinig ko yung ‘Paper Hearts’ [ni Tori Kelly], kaya kinanta ko siya sa bandang dulo. Yung linya na ‘yon pasok naman sa kanta, eh ugali na rin namin ng mga Downtown [Q Entertainment] na sasample mga kanta tapos kakanta namin sa kanta namin.”
(When I went to the studio…I really wanted to sing (laughs). Around that time, whenever I went to the studio, I always said ‘I want to rap! I want to rap!’ When I went to the studio at that time, I told NJ, ‘I want to sing. I want to [sing] R&B.’ We found a guitar [sample], put a few drums so that I could be guided while I was recording. Then I realized that with that guitar sample, I heard Tori Kelly’s ‘Paper Hearts,’ which is why I sang [a few lines from the song] at the end. That part [of ‘Paper Hearts’] matches the concept of the song anyway, and it’s our practice in Downtown [Q Entertainment] to sample songs, and then sing them in our own songs.)
Still
“Almost interlude siya ng album. Siya rin ang una kong nilabas sa buong album. Siya sa isang pinakahuling [kanta] na ginawa. Alam ko kakagaling lang ako ng Naga; first time namin mapalayo namin na sobrang layo. Pagbalik namin, ginawa ko [yung kanta]. Sa panahon na iyon, parang nabibilisan ako sa lahat na nangyayari, parang na-overwhelm ako [sa] mga balita, mga ganap, [at iba pa]. Noong ginawa ko yung kanta, ‘pag sinoundtrip mo, parang nawala ang lahat. Pang chest up sa mga down days. Maangas pa rin kahit anong nangyari.”
(It’s almost like an interlude in the album. It was the first song I released from the record. It was actually one of the last songs we made. I remember that we were coming from Naga; it was first time we ever traveled really far. When we came back, I made the song. During that time, I felt so rushed with everything that was happening, like I was overwhelmed with all the news, whatever was going on, and more. When I made the song, when you jam to it, it’s like everything goes away. It’s a reminder to keep your chest up during down days. You’re still cool no matter what happens.”
“Yung pwesto ng ‘Still’ sa album, alam ko pang-pito siya, pagkatapos ng ‘Still,’ wala nang mga love song. Mga susunod na kanta, puro tungkol sa mga kaibigan ko na, tungkol sa’kin. Kumbaga, [tungkol na] sa mga personal things ko. Ang pangit din kasi yung transition kung wala yung ‘Still.’ Naging bridge siya.“
(‘Still’ is the seventh track on the album, and after ‘Still,’ there aren’t any love songs anymore. The next songs are all about my friends, or about my personal things. It would be a bad transition [from one half to the other] if there wasn’t ‘Still.’ It became a bridge.)
drugr4ts (ft. gins&melodies, Simmo)
“Si drugr4ts…tropa namin yun. [Noong] ginawa namin yung kanta na iyon, nagkaroon ng problema yung kaibigan namin. Nakulong siya. Ginawa namin yung kanta noong nangyari iyon. Parang nagkakasabay-sabay lang, so hinalo namin ng konti sa kanta. Pero yung emosyon na…’tropa ko ‘yun, ba’t nangyari ‘yan sa kanya.’ May ginawa siyang malala, kumbaga karma na niya iyon.
(Drugr4ts…is our friend. When we were making the song, he was going through a problem. He got jailed. We were making the song when that happened. It was happening at the same time, so we put a little bit into the song. But the feeling that…’that’s my friend, why’d that happen to him.’ Well, he did something really bad, and I guess it’s his karma. )
Kaya sabi ko sa kanta, ‘Sampagita nabili sa gigilid / Pambawi sa karma ng kaibigan ko nasingil / Ng tadhanang ‘di madali kalaro, ‘di madali kalaro.’ Bago nangyari iyon, nag-uusap kami ng mga tropa, parang sinasabi niya na ‘tol, handa na ako sa karma ko.’ Actually, maliit lang yung bilog namin. First time nangyari iyon sa tropa namin. Sobrang sakit.”
(That’s why I say in the song, ‘A sampaguita [kind of flower] bought on the side / Serves as payback for my friend’s karma / Of fate that doesn’t play around, doesn’t play around.’ Before that happened, we were all talking amongst ourselves, and he said ‘Bro, I’m ready for my karma.’ Actually, our circle of friends is really small. This was the first time that [someone being jailed] happened to us. It really hurt.)
Pasaway Mode (ft. Nazty Kidd)
“Wala lang yan. Parang ‘Still’ lang yung dating [ng kanta] sa akin. Mga na-unang kanta ko, ang lalambot ko eh. Kailangan kong ilagay ng konting angas na, ‘Huwag mo ako subukan!’ (laughs). Kahit isa lang! ‘Yun yung purpose ng kanta sa album, kung tutuusin.”
(It’s not really anything. It’s kind of like ‘Still’ to me. In the first few songs, I’m so emotional and vulnerable, eh. I need to add a little bit of swagger, like ‘Don’t try me!’ (laughs). Even just for one song! That’s really just the purpose of the song in the album, to be honest.)
Kulay Downtown (ft. Kristina Dawn)
“Sa ngayon, favorite ko siya. Napakagandang kanta siya eh, parang naipakita ko kung paano kaming magtrotropa in a sense na seryoso kami. Noong sinulat namin ni Kristina [Dawn] yung kanta na iyon, sinulat namin na ganoon dapat ang kakalabasan [ng kanta], na tunay tayo pero maangas pa rin. Kaya nabanggit ko sa kanta, ‘Ang rosas ay pula, lila ay asul / Sinong matamaan sa dala namin sapul / Silang mga mababaw tingin sa’min ay mali / Buhay walang drama kahit hindi madali.’
(Right now, it’s my favorite song. It’s a really beautiful song eh, it’s like I’m showing in a sense that my friends and I are serious, in a sense. When Kristina [Dawn] and I were writing it, we wrote it with the mindset that that is supposed to be what the song showcases immediately, that we’re people with integrity but we also have swagger. That’s why I rap, ‘Roses are red, violets are blue / Whoever gets hit we keep it on-point / Those who look down on us are wrong / Life with no drama even if it isn’t easy.’
Lagi naming sinasabi na, ‘Okay lang ‘yon. Walang drama, kahit anong mangyari. Di na natin napagusapan.’ Sa aming magtrotropa, di namin masyadong nagagawa ‘yun, yung pag-usap usap. Yung mga bagay na hindi dapat napagusapan, naintindihan naman ng mga dapat maintindi. ‘Yun yung pinapalabas namin sa kanta. Kung ayaw mo sa’min, edi huwag. Yung unang linya…roses are red, violets are blue lang naman yan. Yung mahalaga ay yung sunod na linya. Nilagay lang namin yun para may something beautiful lang din, na may bulaklak sa tenga pag pinapakinggan mo siya.”
(We always say, ‘that’s okay, no drama, no matter what happens. We don’t talk about it.’ In our group of friends, we don’t really explicitly talk about serious issues with each other. With stuff that shouldn’t be talked about, those who need to understand it already understand. That’s what we’re saying in the song. If you don’t like us, then don’t. The first line…it’s just roses are red, violets are blue. What’s important are the lines that follow. We put that there so that there’s something beautiful, that it’s nice to your ears when you listen to it.)
Antagonista (ft. Unotheone)
“Wala lang. Isa din yan na ‘Pasaway Mode’ yung dating sa album. Parang, wag mo ‘kong asarin. Tinanong ko pa ‘yan sa studio, di ko kasi alam yung Tagalog ng ‘kontrabida.’ Hindi naman siya “love song,” babae-lalaki relationship din, pero hindi siya ganoon ka seryoso o malambing [katulad ng mga naunang kanta]. Parang gaya siya sa mga luma kong kanta.”
(It’s nothing, really. It’s like ‘Pasaway Mode’ in the album. Like, don’t mess with me. I remember I even asked about that when we were in the studio, I didn’t know the other Tagalog term for ‘antagonist.’ It’s not really a “love song,” [in the strictest sense], yes, it’s about a woman-man relationship, but it’s not as serious or affectionate [as the earlier songs]. It’s actually like a lot of my older material).
C2 Boyz
“Ito yung pinakauna namin ginawa. May studio kami dati na lagi kami pinuntuhan kapag may recording somewhere sa Sacred Heart [Quezon City]. Yung mga kapitbahay doon, talagang ginugulo kami kahit di namin sila inaano. Yung bahay kasi ganoon, sobrang maliit siya, nasa kalagitnaan siya ng squatter [area]. Pinaalis kami doon, tapos nagkaroon ng drama sa iba naming tropa na, ‘kinalimutan mo kami’…noong ginagawa namin yung kanta, parang nagkataon na sabay-sabay yung mga nangyayari sa amin. Noong pinarinig ko yan sa tropa namin, parang yung feeling ay…’give me a break!’ Ganoon yung dating sa amin. National anthem ‘yan para sa amin.”
(This was the first song we made. There was a studio somewhere in Sacred Heart [Quezon City] that we always went to when we wanted to record. The neighbors there kept bothering us even if we didn’t do anything to them. The house [where the recording studio was] was really small, it’s in the middle of the slums. We were thrown out of there, and then there was drama with our other friends like, ‘oh, you forgot about us!’…when we were making the track, it so happened that everything was happening all at once for us. When I showed the song to my friends, the feeling [or message] of the song was like, ‘Give me a break!’ That was the effect it had on us. It’s kind of like our national anthem.)
Listen to Hev Abi’s Kung Alam Mo Lang below.