Farewell, Francis M

CEBU, Philippines - Francis Magalona, who is best known as the Philippines' "Master Rapper," has died of leukemia. He was 44.

Before passing away yesterday noon, Francis-also called in the entertainment industry as "FrancisM"-was already into his fourth cycle of chemotherapy and was "resting and gathering all his strength for the pending blood stem cell transplant that was scheduled for March," according to wife Pia in a blog that updated friends and fans on his almost seven-month battle with cancer. 

His death was officially confirmed on national television through “Eat Bulaga,” the noontime program of which he was one of the mainstays. “Marami siyang iniwang alaala sa atin dito sa ‘Eat Bulaga’ pati sa larangan ng musika. We will surely miss him pati na ang buong industriya,” said the visibly emotional “Eat Bulaga” host Vic Sotto.

Hard-fought battle

After going public with his ailment August of last year, Francis and his family pleaded for privacy, at the same time tried to chronicle the highs and lows of his battle with cancer through what he dubbed as medical blogumentary, happybattle.multiply.com.

He might have lost the fight, but he fought hard and was ever hopeful as he blogged about finding small victories amid near-death experiences many times during his final months. FrancisM also made no secret about how he and his family strongly held on to his faith to carry him through his condition.

On September 25th, 2008, he posted: "[This] is the day I learned that Cancer isn't all about death. It's about LIFE. And today I celebrate and embrace that life. Today was a day of reckoning. I went to my doctor at her clinic, and from the smile on her face as she entered the room, I knew The Lord, Jesus Christ gave me a reprieve. I knew that someone, somewhere made a prayer, and continues to pray for me, my family and my recovery. This is the only thing I can do, to write about His goodness, amidst this badness I am going through. To His will I submit myself."

His daughter, Maxene, who is an actress, wrote: "Not once did I question God as to why my dad is suffering, why we are experiencing so much pain and sadness, why this had to happen to my wonderful and loving father, of all people. All I asked was for God to continue taking care of my dad, to give him strength and to make his sickness go away. With that one prayer, without even waiting for results, my faith and belief in God strengthened even more."

Hundreds of messages expressing admiration at how their beloved idol handled the crisis as well as condolences for the bereaved family have also poured into the blog. Gem (struturstuff.wordpress.com) posted: "Your friends, kababayans and fans think it's too soon. And you made us believe that you were okay. But was it all just an act? With high hopes, we thought you could manage…You were a devoted artist, a loyal friend, a proud daddy and a loving husband. Go in peace. Farewell my idol."

Lala dela Cruz wrote: "The whole country will definitely miss you, Sir Francis! You have touched our lives in many ways, especially through your music. You have been the inspiration of so many people…Through your battle and your journey, you gave strength to those who feel down and lost."

Master rapper

The son of late Philippine movie screen legends Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran, Magalona started out as a breakdancer in the early 1980s, before becoming a successful and critically-acclaimed rap artist when he released the 1990 album "Yo!" which boasted of the nationalistic hit "Mga Kababayan (My Countrymen)." He would go on to record more albums and more tracks addressing various cultural, political and social ills of the country-drug addiction in "Mga Praning" (Paranoids), political instability in "Halalan" (Elections) and even colonial mentality in "Tayo'y Mga Pinoy" (We Are Filipinos). His other big hits were "Ito Ang Gusto Ko," "Girl Be Mine," and "Kaleidoscope World."

His contributions to the genre were recognized in international hip hop publications including the All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-Hop (2003); the May 2004 issue of the U.S. based publication The Source. He also received the Pioneer Hall of Fame Award by Empire Entertainment at the 1st Annual Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards in 2005.

In 2006, he received the MTV Pilipinas Video Music Awards Generations Award in 2006 "in recognition of his career that has spanned decades and broken boundaries, and for his music which continues to inspire generations of artists and music fans both here and abroad."

FrancisM also collaborated with many of the biggest names in Philippine music-from Joey Ayala, Ryan Cayabyab, Mike Hanopol of the legendary Juan dela Cruz Band, Andrew E, Michael V, to the Eraserheads. Despite his ailment, he was still able to recently launch a collaboration album dubbed as "The Sickos Project," with Ely Buendia, former frontman of Eraserheads, who was also battling his own health problems last year.

Consummate artist

But Francis would prove to be a consummate artist as he boldly ventured into other fields-apart from acting and hosting, he was also directing music videos under his production company Filipino Pictures Inc, managing his own record company Red Egg Records, and launching a clothing line. He also explored painting and photography and became an award-winning member of the Camera Club of the Philippines. He also partnered anew with Ely Buendia in establishing the Heartist Foundation, which aims to aid Filipino artists with health and commercial concerns.

But it seems, it is for his music that the late Francis M wants to be remembered best. In a November '08 post, he described music as his "medicine." He posted: "I am lucky to have been a recording artist and one day when I leave this world, just like the names I mentioned, my voice will be heard. Always. At a touch of a button or switch, I am 'alive' again. In essence music is life. Music is immortality."

Francis is survived by wife Pia and eight children. His remains lie in state at the Christ The King Memorial Chapel in Greenmeadows, Quezon City.