Rap
artist and composer John Rendez is back to the recording scene.
Months
after he returned to the country in August, 2011, the 42-year old
rapper-composer and actor has started to carefully lay out the plans
for a comeback to what he loves doing most - doing rap compositions
and singing them.
It
took him exactly a year to finish the new all-rap album, from
conceptualizing the type and quality of its contents, to composing
the new rap songs, to deciding on some "updates" to his
previous compositions.
Everything
fell into place and on October 1 last year, John Rendez, together
with Ms. Nora Aunor, his long-time friend and now business manager,
has inked a distribution deal with PolyEast Records for the release
of the new John Rendez CD album, titled "Metaldog"/"There
Can Only Be One".
A
follow-up to the self-titled album John did years ago, also bearing
the "Metaldog" tag, with its carrier single, "There
Can Only Be One" (a new original composition), the album is
a decided mix of so-called "high end" rap and what may be
regarded as "low end/pang-masa" hip-hop beat.
The
experience of doing the whole album was as fulfilling as John has
envisioned.
"It's
good to be back to what I love doing most! Couldn't think of any
other thing as fulfilling," said John.
No
less than the bosses from PolyEast Records, Mr. Jesmon Chua and
Mr. Chito Ilagan, the album distributor, would attest to the CD rap
album's great potential to become a qualified hit.
"It's
very positive. It's worth the long wait. I can now say I'm a
professional composer!" John noted.
PINOY
RAP INFULENCE. Eleven original compositions make up this
new rap album by John Rendez, including: There Can Only Be
One, No More Musik By The Suckers, Ratt9MM, Metaldog,
Kembotan, Everybody Sayaw (relieving John's early years
on television, via ABS-CBN's "Ready Set Go!" in the early
'90s). Under the Ground, Sowerzitat?, Domination, Coming
To A Theater Near You, and a semi-novelty Tagalog rap, Plastik
Pala.
"It's
really no great surprise, every rap song, very up-to-date music!"
said John.
For
his second album, John Rendez collaborated with noted music composer,
Jonathan Ong, with mixing (mixdowns) by Robert Javier and Tony D.
"We
clicked together, so good! Wala akong masabi!" he intoned.
"Jonathan Ong is the best! And Tony D. and Robert
Javier, from the Sonic State Studio, in Mandaluyong, very, very good!
"Couldn't
be more 'happier'!" the Fil-Am rapper who hails from Angeles
City, Pampanga, couldn't contain his happiness.
He
said his roots are reflected in the rap songs the album contains.
"These
are heavily influenced by my past. But you know what? It's
also Pinoy rap influence," John stated.
PERSONAL
STATEMENT. Like any other artist true to his calling,
John expresses a kind of mixed feelings about his comeback as a
recording artist, through his new all-rap CD album.
"This
is my music," he said. "This is the quality of
my character.
If you want to know what kind of a person I
am, listen to my music.”
"This
is the statement of the person that I am, at this time; the person
that I was, and also the person (to remember me by)," he
also said, with words deeply felt.
John
hopes that "people try to understand it. I'm not gonna
be something that I'm not; not gonna be something original.”
"I
think, maybe, I'm gonna find a balance of my skills, my state of
mind, and my 'feel' for what's 'in' nowadays. “
"If
you don't like me, it's okay. You can't please everyone. I
just want my music to be given it's own chance."
John Rendez’ album
METALDOG is now available nationwide distributed by PolyEast Records.