Sad, Shocking Friday.

I remember it was hot that day. It was a bit breezy, but it felt humid, so it didn't help alleviate the weather conditions at all. After Friday prayer at home and a quick lunch, I decided to clean the oven toaster because the pit was a bit grimy from the burnt cheese that oozed from pizzas and whatever else we put in it to reheat food. I was listening to one of the more popular FM radio stations while scrubbing the grills and the pit of the toaster with an aluminum foil (it works, take it from an unofficially diagnosed OCD me! ), when the DJ announced that Master Rapper Francis Magalona had passed on, as it was announced by Vic Sotto on their noontime show Eat Bulaga. Daaaang. I was so struck with the announcement that I stopped cleaning and sat down. I had just read some of his entries a week ago from his Multiply site and then this comes out. I left the kitchen and turned the TV on to check out EB, and sure enough, while they were continuing on with their segments, the hosts' eyes looked red from crying and weren't as lively as they usually were.

Francis Magalona succumbed to Cancer at the age of 44. He had AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia with Mixed Lineage) or MLL. Francis died due to multiple organ failure “secondary to severe sepsis and secondary to pneumonia. He is survived by his wife, Pia Maria Arroyo-Magalona and eight children, including celebrity Maxene Magalona.

I felt so saddened by the demise because I am a fan. I listen to hip-hop. My musical preferences in this genre lean more on the foreign artists because of HD's influence, but when it comes to the local scene, I am partial to FM because his songs makes sense, relaying positivity with lyrics so beautifully written speaking of pride for one's lineage; pride for oneself; for being Filipino; for being one.

The past weekend was filled with updates about his wake, tributes to his name and achievements, and revelations of who he was as a father, a husband, a friend, a colleague to other musicians and an artist. It made me even more sad to know all these things; I know he would have been able to do so much more had he not had to battle the Big C. His songs have bridged generations of listeners and fans, and I am just a speck in the sea of admirers who grieve for his loss.

One Love

Rest In Peace, FrancisM.

**Image courtesy of Miguel Gallardo. Thank you!