The rapper as poet: Gloc-9 releases poetry chapbooks

For nearly three decades, the voice of Gloc-9 has been unmistakable in Philippine music — rapid-fire verses that tell stories of struggle, inequality, love and everyday life. His songs have long been recognized not only for their rhythm but also for the depth of their language and storytelling. Now, those words take on a new life on the page.

On 12 March, during the opening day of the Philippine Book Festival at the Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, the rapper-songwriter — whose real name is Aristotle Pollisco — launched Makata sa Pinas, a collection of seven poetry chapbooks that reimagine many of his songs as poems.

For Pollisco, the shift from music to literature may seem like a new step, but in truth it is simply another form of the same craft.

“Siyempre hesitant, parang ibang mundo yata ’yan (Of course I was hesitant — it felt like it belonged to a different world),” he admitted. “Pero it really made sense na ilatag lahat ng lyrics ng songs na parang tula. Kasi noong bata ako, ’yung ginagawa namin, mayroon kang libro na binabasa mo na may mga tula. And if you come to think of it, ’yung mga sinulat ko ay mga tula rin.

“So, I think it’s a different way to introduce them to people kapag tula siya, nakalatag siya sa papel, babasahin siya ng kahit na sinong tao — even those who are not into music or rap. Medyo mas straightforward siya (But it really made sense to present the lyrics of the songs as poems. When I was young, the books we read contained poems. And if you think about it, the things I wrote are also poems. It’s a different way to introduce them to people when they are presented as poetry — laid out on paper so anyone can read them, even those who are not into music or rap. It becomes more straightforward).”

From stage to page

The series gathers poems drawn from Pollisco’s 28 years of songwriting. Each slim chapbook contains nine to 13 poems.

This is not the first time Pollisco has released a book. In 2017, ABS-CBN Publishing released Akin Lang Naman, his first poetry collection. But Makata sa Pinas takes the idea further by revisiting his body of work and presenting it in a format designed for easy reading.

The project was developed with writer Katrina Stuart Santiago, co-owner of the small independent press Everything’s Fine, which published the chapbooks. Santiago first met Pollisco more than a decade ago while interviewing him for GMA News Online following the release of his album Talumpati. What began as a professional encounter soon grew into a friendship that eventually led to a literary collaboration. Along the way, the late National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera became an unexpected influence on the project.

“And so, through the years, I would always just be around, helping them out with all sorts of things. And then, in 2017, I think we kind of thought, okay, maybe let’s do a book that kind of transforms the lyrics into poetry. A lot of that had to do with National Artist Bien Lumbera.

“Tatay Bien wanted to meet him at some point, so I brought him to Tatay Bien in UP (University of the Philippines). And it was Tatay Bien, actually, who kept saying, ‘Mga tula kasi itong lyrics ni Gloc-9 kaya ko siya gustong makilala (These lyrics of Gloc-9 are really poems — that’s why I wanted to meet him).’ And so they spoke, and they eventually became friends,” Santiago recalled.

“We kind of had this connection with the Lumbera family for a while. The first version that I put together in 2017 was published by ABS-CBN. And then, in the post-pandemic period, I thought maybe it was time to revisit the idea, because there are more songs now, and we have fewer limitations now that I have a publishing house,” she added.

A chapbook experiment

With Everything’s Fine already established, Santiago began exploring how Pollisco’s extensive body of work could be organized into a more ambitious literary project. The final concept, however, came from Pollisco himself.

“In September, Aris went to the bookshop in Makati and saw the zines we published last year. And he said, Puwede bang ganito na lang? ‘Yung maliliit lang na volume, parang mas madaling basahin (Could we do it this way instead — just thin volumes so they’re easier to read)?

“So I sat on it for a while and figured out how to come up with all seven volumes — how to divide 28 years of songwriting and make it make sense as a whole collection of seven chapbooks,” she said.

The result is a set of seven chapbooks, each organized around themes that recur throughout Pollisco’s music.

The poet’s journey

The first three volumes focus on Pollisco’s personal story.

Pagkatao traces the development of the poet, reflecting on his roots in Binangonan, Rizal, and how those experiences shaped the artist now known as Gloc-9. Pangarap gathers poems about ambition — his dream of becoming a songwriter and rapper, and the evolving meaning of success. Pursigi explores perseverance, discipline, and the determination needed to pursue one’s calling.

From the personal, the next two chapbooks expand toward storytelling.

Pag-ibig examines love in its many forms — from familial devotion to romance and heartbreak. Komunidad portrays the everyday characters who inhabit neighborhoods: the people we encounter daily, the ones we care for, and those whose stories quietly unfold around us.

The final two volumes turn to the social and political dimensions of Pollisco’s work.

Lipunan reflects on the kind of society Filipinos collectively build, shaped by compassion, prejudice, and the choices people make. Bayan presents stories of the nation told from the perspective of ordinary citizens — voices often overlooked in mainstream narratives.

Taken together, the seven chapbooks trace a movement from the inner self to the broader realities of community and nation.

The title of the series comes from a phrase Pollisco has used for years as a hashtag and as a line in one of his songs.

“I always use that phrase, ‘makata sa Pinas,’ kasi noong ako nagsisimula… mayroon kasi akong line sa isang kanta na ‘dahil ang pag-usad hindi ganoon kadulas kapag ika’y makata sa Pinas.’

“Medyo ’yung mga times na nagsisimula ako, ikukudkod mo talaga ’yung sarili mo sa dingding para lang mayroon kang maabot. Kaya nagsimula akong gamitin ’yung makata sa Pinas — ’yung struggles mo as an artist (I always use that phrase, ‘makata sa Pinas,’ because when I was starting out, I had a line in one of my songs that says, ‘Because progress is not that smooth when you are a poet in the Philippines.’ When I was just beginning, you really had to scrape yourself against the wall just to get somewhere. That’s why I started using ‘makata sa Pinas’ — it reflects the struggles you go through as an artist),” he shared.

Words beyond music

Presented as poems, Pollisco’s lyrics reveal a different texture. Without the rhythm of rap or the pulse of a beat, the lines stand quietly on their own, inviting readers to slow down and linger on the words.

The seven volumes — with cover designs by JC Lo and book design by Dan Durante — offer a portrait of Pollisco’s creative life across nearly three decades.

For younger readers, aspiring artists, and people in general, Pollisco has this simple message:

“Huwag kang titigil. Huwag kang mawawalan ng pag-asa. Lagi kang magsisikap. Paulit-ulit, lagi ’yan ang sinasabi ko.

“But I think what’s most important is bata ka pa lang, mahanap mo na ’yung passion mo. Bata ka pa lang, so mayroon kang oras na magkamali, mayroon kang oras na matumba, mayroon kang oras na madapa.

“Pero sa totoo lang, kung makita mo at sure ka sa sarili mo na ito talaga ’yung passion mo — ito ’yung mahal mo — hindi ka magbibilang ng tumba, hindi ka magbibilang ng dapa. Ang gagawin mo lang talaga is to follow kung sino ka sa mga pangarap mo.

“Iyon ’yung importante — ’yung process. Minsan makikita nila ’yung end result. Madali lang naman tingnan ’yung end result. Pero kapag malaman mo ’yung process, mas maa-appreciate mo siya (Don’t stop. Don’t lose hope. Always keep striving. But what’s most important is that while you’re young, you discover your passion. When you’re young, you have time to make mistakes, to fall and to stumble. Once you are sure that this is truly your passion — what you really love — you stop counting how many times you fall. You simply follow who you are and pursue your dreams. That’s what matters most: the process. Sometimes people only see the end result, and that’s easy to look at. But when you understand the process behind it, you appreciate it much more).”

With Makata sa Pinas, the words that once traveled through microphones and speakers now find a second home on paper — reminding readers that, at its heart, rap has always been poetry.