Diploma by Gloc-9

“Ang tula kong ito ang tinuturing kong diploma”

Rapping these words from the title track of his new album “Diploma,” GLOC-9 may not have achieved an actual college degree yet, but deep in his heart he knows already has one - his compositions, his songs, his hits - achievements that made him who he is in the music industry today.

Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean he is turning his back to a real college diploma. GLOC-9 or Aristotle Pollisco in real life, in fact, is currently a second year nursing student. Indeed, that’s why he called his latest album just that. “It can mean two things: one is stated in the song and the other is me going back to school to finish college,” the award-winning rapper said.

Now signed with major label Sony BMG Music Entertainment, GLOC-9 couldn’t be any prouder with his third album.

“This is very special to me because I never imagined how different my songs will sound from my previous albums. “A lot of effort was put in musicality and arrangements which surprised me. I never thought it could be done in rap music as what most people do with mainstream pop.”

“Diploma” marks a 360 degree turn in GLOC-9’s songwriting. Part of his mission nowadays is to bring positive influence to his audience.

“Before, I would just get a pen and write songs not really knowing its effect to the listeners. Now I think of its consequences especially with children. Likewise, I learned to enjoy every moment of writing a song.”

But still, GLOC-9’s lyrics are as real as you can get, yet dishes out a bit of wisdom. Taking him a year to finish the 14-track all-Tagalog album, he culled his songs from various motivations: a good song, a good film, a person or his/other’s personal experiences.

One of those borne out of these inspirations is the carrier single “Lando.” A song mirroring the reflection of our harsh society, GLOC-9 brings to life a story of a taong-grasa.

“Whenever I see one, I always wonder what led him to a life like that. I thought of a story about two lovers. The boy is poor, the girl is rich but still they fell in love despite the difference in social status. But what they thought was a perfect life suddenly went tragic because of a crime that eventually caused him to become a ‘taong grasa’,” It was a moving story, very affecting especially after seeing the music video which was helmed by the young and upcoming director Jay Pacena II.

Aside from being his most memorable song to date, GLOC 9 considers the track a blessing for two reasons: “When I wrote ‘Lando’, it was like someone was already dictating the next line to me. I finished it in three and a half hours.” The second is his rare collaboration with two of the most respected names in the industry - master rapper FrancisM and Parokya Ni Edgar vocalist Chito Miranda.

FrancisM, which GLOC-9 considers as his first and his biggest influence, lent his voice to sing the song’s refrain written especially for him by Miranda. “I’m so grateful and it was really a big honor to have worked with both of them.”

Other guests in “Diploma” include teen singer/actress Lovi (“Lov na Lov”), Czarina Rosales (“Blues Niyang Itim”), Loonie of Stick Figgas and Konflick of Death Threat (“Sila”) and Mitchell (“Kayo”).

Rock meets rap as Gobas and Reg Rubio of Greyhounds joins GLOC-9 in “The Task Is Done,” a track encouraging people to live their dreams and that nothing is impossible. Vic Mercado of Bamboo mans the drums in the interlude “Demo Tape.”

Nelly’s hit “E.I.” was such a personal favorite, GLOC-9 decided to adapt the song to a new single he called “B.I.” Likewise an Eraserheads fan, he sampled the band’s hit “Torpedo” with JP Cuison of Kiko Machine doing the refrain vocals.

GLOC-9 further expresses who he is as a rapper in “Lapis at Papel” while he enumerates the bad experiences people had to go through and tells the listeners to just dance the problems away in “Sumayaw Ka.”

Hailed by critics and respected by his peers, GLOC-9 has released two albums and worked with established names in the industry like FrancisM, Cookie Chua, Bayang Barrios, PKSO and Dice & K9 to name a few. He is also a recipient of the Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards for three straight years (2005-2007) as Best Rap Artist and achieved feats at MYX and MTV Music Awards.

Dubbed as the fastest rapper in the country, GLOC-9 can rap up to 200 words per minute. His name was given by Ronald Solanga of Death Threat attributing his speed and clarity of words when rapping.

“Diploma” is now out in CDs at leading record stores under Sony BMG Music Entertainment and is presented in cooperation with Barangay LS 97.1 and Club O. For more information on GLOC-9, log on to www.sonybmg.com.ph.