Gonna light my house
Gonna love my fans
Gonna love my way
Gonna make you go insane
I don’t wanna play with me no way
Got these chains up on my face
Ridin’ down the lane no pain no gain
Hoppin’ on the trend might go insane
I don’t wanna be with you no way
Have respect for who I am
Saying no to someone that plays
Gonna shut down all of this hate
It’s a rap!
When Michael Pacquiao, Sen. Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s son, “debuted” that number on Wish 107.5 two weeks ago, he attracted over 10 million (and counting!) views. Culled from Michael’s maiden album Dreams (already released) that trending rap is titled Hate, delivered with amazing facility (a plus for a newbie) punctuated with love and, surprisingly, not with hate.
Sunday night, Michael talked to The STAR just before he drifted into sweet slumber and asked him, “Why is that rap titled Hate?”
Sounding like a euphoric rapper high on sounds, Michael said, “Because I feel that a lot of people don’t like me.”
Oh yeah? But what about those millions that cheered him right on on social media, excluding a handful who are hard to please or are simply...Ouch!!!...envious to death?
“Well, some are saying that I am who I am because of my surname, that I am ‘privileged’ daw. They don’t know that I am working hard to make a name of my own, who I am and who I want to be.”
The number of “haters” is negligible and Michael can just shrug them off (get lost!) even as he admitted that they could get on his nerves. “They are really bad,” he mumbled.
Besides a politician (and, if we take Freddie Roach seriously, a “presidential timber”), Pacman is a singer in his own right, with a few hits as his claim to singing fame (Para Sa’yo ang Laban Na’to, among them). Michael’s Kuya Jimuel is into boxing. Why not Michael, you wondered?
“I was into boxing for two years,” reminded Michael (who is taking up Marketing and Management), “but I stopped because there was no support; no one was supporting me.”
Then he began listening to international rappers (Eminem, et al) and he got hooked. No more turning back.
“I was surprised and at the same time happy that many people like Hate.”
What’s his dad’s reaction?
“He likes it; he’s proud of me.”
What about his mom, Jinkee?
“She likes it, too. She congratulated me.”
And your girlfriend?
“Ha...what?”
Girlfriend. (Note: His Kuya Jimuel was once romantically linked to Heaven Peralejo.)
“A, girlfriend. I have no girlfriend.”
Oops!!! Too young to have one?
“Not really. I am 18.”
Incidentally, why did he call his album Dreams?
“Because there are all kinds of dreams...bad dream, good dream, sad dream, happy dream, scary dream.”
At the moment, Michael is dreaming of happy dreams
Now, will Hate turn his “haters” into lovers?
“I don’t really know,” Michael laughed. “I was just having fun when I did it and I didn’t know people would like it. I’m glad that they did, but I don’t know what its effect on them is. Hindi ko talaga alam.”
The message he wants to convey?
“It’s up to them to interpret it.”
Anything he wants to say to his fans (including “haters”)?
“Hi! Hahahaha!”
(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)