MANILA, Philippines - It’s been a long time since we hung out, I think it’s because almost the whole barkada was spread out around the world. Nevertheless, it doesn’t change our past and what we went through. We’ve known Jay from the high school days at Brent International School, I think it was ’95 or ’96. He was new from Connecticut and was looking to find himself within the community, looking to meet friends with similar taste in music and interest. It just so happened that we were a group of friends who were in the exact same situation as he was but older by a few years or so. We were all new here and were looking to make friends. The cool thing about that barkada was — I’m not sure if it was coincidence — we were all brought here around the same time from the US, with strong influence in hip-hop music! So from the day we all met each other, we started hanging out immediately, with Jason as the youngest, I think he was only 14 or 15 at the time. He was a happy-go-lucky kid with no worries and troubles in mind.
The thing that no one really knows about Jay especially back then, and I’m sure he still is, is his family is spiritual. That’s where Jay and I, with some of our other close friends who are in California today, even bonded. He gave me a book before called Seth Speaks which was a great influence in my life. Another thing about the family is that they are a breed of artists, that’s from being an Aguilar. Tita Marlene was busy getting the most creative Filipino artists and their work out there and we tried to help and participate in every little way we could.
During the late ’90s, the hip-hop music scene in the Philippines was in full bloom, hitting the radio waves and clubs. Since we were “hip-hop heads,” we were in every hip-hop event possible. Enjoying the music and the scene, that’s when I think he decided as an artist, to start working on an album. That’s the same time we met foreign DJ’s and promoters who were contributing a lot to the hip-hop music scene. We surrounded ourselves with these people. Another thing people should know is, Jason is a joker. He showed it in his lyrics and music videos. Don’t take them literally and seriously, ever!
To sum it up, the Jason Ivler we knew was neither angry nor did he hate anyone. He loved his family! He never showed any negativity or doubt. He minded his own life and did what he could with his talents and interests. He never paid attention to what people thought of him coz that would bring him down. And he always made sure he never hurt anyone along the way.
So you see, I still don’t know why he even joined the US army. That talk never came up in any discussions in the past. One thing I do know is, no human being was born evil. The monster that media shows the public isn’t the Jason Ivler we know.