Zae Talks Asserting Her Power And Taking Up Space: “I’m the only person who can say the things that I want to say.”
Hailing from Quezon City, this young rapper is claiming power and space, one ‘hot girl’ anthem at a time.
Zae. Photographed by Everywhere We Shoot. Assisted by JV Rabano and Don Calopez in February 2024 at the Billboard Philippines Studio in Pasig.
Zae. Photographed by Everywhere We Shoot. Assisted by JV Rabano and Don Calopez in February 2024 at the Billboard Philippines Studio in Pasig.
You only get one chance to make a lasting first impression, and Zae made sure to use hers right.
While most bubble under the surface before their big debut, the rising Filipino rapper exploded onto the scene with power and heat. It was 2019, and a certain song had been making its rounds on social media, going viral for its crude lyrics objectifying women. In the world of hip-hop, this was fairly normal — expected even — but Zae wanted change.
Zae. Photographed by Everywhere We Shoot. Assisted by JV Rabano and Don Calopez.
“Yun talaga ‘yung culture ng hip-hop (That’s the culture of hip-hop), but I want to do something different. Walang nag-uusap tungkol dun (No one was talking about that) so I thought it would spark a conversation if I said something about it — especially if ‘yung atake ko (my attack) is not just a Twitter post, not just a Facebook rant, but a song na talagang relevant dun sa scene na ‘yon (that’s relevant to that scene),” she tells Billboard Philippines.
So, in November that year, she dropped her first single “Pantsu,” a racy rap track that directly called out the said viral song. It was in no way a diss, but rather a statement against commonplace misogyny and the hypocrisy women face when taking ownership of their body and sexuality.
“19 years old ako nun [and I thought], ‘I need to say this, I need to say this for the women. There needs to be someone…’ So ‘yun ‘yung motivation ko to talk about it. Hindi pa man siya ganon ka-pulido para sa akin; it’s raw and I had something to say, so proud ako sa sarili ko that I did that,” she shares.
(“I was 19 years old then and I thought, ‘I need to say this, I need to say this for the women. There needs to be someone…’ So, that was my motivation to talk about it. Even if it wasn’t as polished for me; it’s raw and I had something to say, so I’m proud of myself that I did that.”)
Zae. Photographed by Everywhere We Shoot. Assisted by JV Rabano and Don Calopez.
Since then, most of Zae’s releases have followed in the footsteps of “Pantsu,” asserting her power and taking up space in a world that’s not made to accommodate women.
“Male-dominated talaga siya in the first place. Sanay din ‘yung tenga ng mga tao na nakikinig sa local rap na lalake yung nasa mic. Tsaka ‘yung female artists, pang chorus lang kami dati; hindi kami ‘yung main sauce ng song,” she recalls. “I had a hard time ma-penetrate ‘yung scene, magpakilala sa kanila as someone na player din sa game. Kasi parang meron silang tingin na ‘ah, babae lang yan, hindi yan kalaban’ — that she’s not a threat.”
(It’s really male-dominated in the first place. Everyone who listens to local rap are used to hearing a guy on the mic. And female artists, we were just meants choruses before; we weren’t the main sauce of the song. I had a hard time penetrating the scene and introducing myself as someone that’s a player in the game. They have this idea that because she’s a girl, she’s not competition — that she’s not a threat.”)
But a threat, she is.
Zae. Photographed by Everywhere We Shoot. Assisted by JV Rabano and Don Calopez.
In 2022, Zae went viral yet again with “Serve.” The track took over TikTok, etching its catchy chorus in people’s minds for months. “Pag pinapakinggan ko siya, nung unreleased pa siya, sabi ko (When I listened to the song when it was unreleased, I thoughy), ‘I might have a hit song in my hands right now,’” she says with a laugh. She was right — “Serve” comes as Zae’s biggest song yet, amassing millions of streams and earning her well-deserved notability.
Made in collaboration with fellow Filipino rapper Paul N Ballin, the track proved that Zae was someone to be taken seriously. She dominated airwaves and conversations like her male counterparts — not because she was a woman, but because she added a new sound and spice to the local hip-hop scene.
Zae’s music is resounding, commanding attention with every line and hook. She’s unapologetic and fiery with her words, unafraid to call things out as they are. She consistently defies what’s expected of her, and challenges notions of what Filipino women should act and sound like.
Zae. Photographed by Everywhere We Shoot. Assisted by JV Rabano and Don Calopez.
Zae refers to it as “hot girl music,” meant to proudly and loudly exclaim who she is and what she stands for. “Kapag sinasabi ko sa songs ko na (When I say in my songs that) ‘I’m a boss b*tch,’ it’s because I really am [one],” she says. “What makes me different is I’m the only person who can say the things that I want to say, and if I talk my sh*t, I’m the only person who can talk my sh*t like that.”
As the lyrics of “Serve” go, “Alam mo na ‘lam mo na pag si Zae ang bumira.”
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. Hair by Nix Institute of Beauty. Makeup by Estee Lauder PH. Shoot Coordination by Mikaela Cruz. On Zae: ZARA cropped top and D.D.DAILY pencil skirt, and ZARA varsity jacket. UNIQLO button-down shirt. GENTLE MONSTER eyewear.
