Gloc-9

Filipino rapper Gloc-9 is a trailblazer in the Pinoy hip-hop scene. Born Aristotle Pollisco in the Rizal province port town of Binangonan, he got his start in the underground hip-hop scene with the gangsta rap group Death Threat. Choosing the moniker Gloc-9, Pollisco would release a handful of albums with the group, including 1997's quadruple-platinum Kings of da Underground. He parted ways with the unit in 1999, making his solo debut four years later with the self-titled Gloc-9 (Star Music). Packed with his trademark quick, breathless rhymes, the album featured appearances by Hannah Romawac, Cookie Chua, and Dong Abay. His sophomore effort, Ako Si..., arrived in 2005. The album showcased a more laid-back R&B flavor that flowed beneath his bars. After 2006's Limang Kanta Lang EP, he released Diploma, which featured the addition of nu-metal-esque angst to songs like "The Task Is Done" and "Torpedo." Matrikula (2009) and Talumpati (2011) increased his mainstream audience with his continued incorporation of pop and rock stylings and increasingly polished production. In 2012, MKNM: Mga Kwento Ng Makata arrived. Featuring a dozen guest artists, including Jay Durias and Billy Crawford, the album earned a gold certification. His growing popularity helped push his follow-up, 2013's Liham at Lihim, to platinum status. His fourth release in as many years, the live album Biyahe Ng Pangarap, featured a set list culled from his three prior releases and a slew of guest performers like Marc Abaya, Chito Miranda, Rico Blanco, Ryan Cayabyab, and Tippy Dos Santos. In 2016, Pollisco issued his eighth LP, Sukli. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi