Gloc-9, pinagbawalan kantahin ang 'Upuan' sa ilang shows at events?! | i-Listen

Overview

This episode is an i-Listen interview with rapper/poet Glock-9 (introduced as Aris Polisco 9). He explains how his songs are built from real-life characters, Tagalog storytelling, and social issues. He also discusses why certain songs are “forbidden” to perform on TV or at events.

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Main Plot / Flow of the Episode

Opening

• Glock-9 shares that he’s wanted to speak for a long time.
• The conversation quickly shifts to his songwriting process:
  • He says he “hears” people in his head—characters like Lando, Elsa, Ernesto, and Magda—and writes as if they’re real individuals.

Early Influences

• He traces his love for writing to:
  • school writing contests
  • growing up around a sari-sari store
• From the store, he absorbed countless stories from customers and neighbors.

Songwriting Method

• He notes he doesn’t play instruments.
• Instead, he:
  • records melodies on his phone (over 200 voice recordings)
  • writes lyrics that “fit” the melody
• The show teases him with the idea that music often comes first, while his words give the story its human core.

Backstory of “Simpleng Tao”

• He explains how his hit “Simpleng Tao” began:
  • its popularity
  • how it celebrates ordinary people
• He also acknowledges a creative/hip-hop background, including co-writing with Christian Martinez.

OFW and Family Themes

• Glock-9 shares personal experience about his father working abroad (Saudi).
• He describes how distance shaped his memory—especially through voice tapes.
• Those feelings become fuel for songs about separation and longing.

Characters as Social Commentary

He connects specific songs to real-world premises, including:

• “Magda”

  • presented as a different portrayal of women and dignity
  • clubgoers even request him to sing it

• A story about a patient from a mental hospital

  • used to explain the emotional logic behind his “song worlds”
  • reinforces his “don’t judge outward appearance” theme

Forbidden Songs + Public Hospital Work

• A major emphasis is that his politically/socially relevant songs—especially “Upuan”—sometimes get blocked from performances.
• Glock-9 links this to what he learned while working as a nursing/public-hospital student, witnessing suffering and unfairness firsthand.

Closing

• He talks about:
  • perseverance
  • mentoring
  • future work (including a new single featuring Bishnu)
• He ends with a hope for a more compassionate Philippines—cleaning one’s own “yard” first, then spreading that care to others.

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Highlights, Jokes, and Standout Reactions

• “Barker” to “kitchen helper” origin joke

  • Glock-9 (and/or the interviewer) recounts vivid working-life details:
    • being a “barker” (calling passengers/people)
    • later working as a kitchen helper at a Japanese fast-food commissary
  • The contrast supports the episode’s core idea: ordinary survival work becomes song material.

• “You’re sitting on my chair” moment

  • A playful bit about Glock-9 not being the one “hanging outside,” but sitting where passengers could be seen—framed to explain the “barker” role.

• Tagalog “deep Tagalog” identity

  • He humorously ties his Tagalog storytelling style to upbringing around Binangonan/Cardona and Morong, Rizal, suggesting his Tagalog feels naturally “deep” for narrative purposes.

• “Crying is not allowed here” (laughter)

  • A comic-sad exchange appears in a song-reaction context.
  • The underlying point remains serious: overseas hardship and family emotion become complicated by expectations of what you should—or shouldn’t—do.

• Fat/sharp-weapon “questions” theme

  • In discussing character invention (especially Lando/Elsa narratives), he describes wondering what life led people who look “different” to their current state.
  • He then shares an absurdly funny anecdote about what his son would do if his father were fat: “I’ll give you money…”

• Club-request pressure

  • He says he gets most nervous when people request his character songs—because he’s singing about real lives, not just performing.

• “Upuan” being forbidden

  • The interview keeps returning to being told not to sing certain pieces, framed as frustration with censorship and political power.

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Key Themes Emphasized

• Storytelling as empathy

  • Glock-9 argues his songs feel real because he writes by putting himself into other people’s shoes.

• Simple people, big emotions

  • From “Simpleng Tao” onward, he centers marginalized workers, OFW families, women’s dignity, and misunderstood individuals.

• Hard work and survival

  • His sari-sari store childhood, barker work, and healthcare/survival background are presented as texture for his art.

• Social relevance & censorship

  • He insists songs gain a life of their own—and if “Upuan” still reflects present politics, that’s precisely why it gets targeted.

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Appearing Personalities (As Stated / Mentioned)

• Glock-9 (guest; also referred to as Aris Polisco 9 / “Tag Binangonan, Rizal”)
• K David (host / interviewer)
• Aris Polisco (intro framing; tied to Glock-9’s identity)

Mentioned figures and characters

• Elsa, Lando, Ernesto, Magda, Angelo, mermaids (song-world characters)
• Christian Martinez (co-writer)
• Enrique Santos (mentor comment)
• Mike Villeegas (commentary)
• Rosanna Roces (film inspiration reference)
• Sir Kicks / Sir Gigs / Francis M. M (mentor/idol figures referenced)
• Bishnu (featured on an upcoming single)
• Kenny Rogers (referenced in the “voice tapes with background music” anecdote)