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| Photo grabbed from Batas' facebook account. |
One of the most iconic Battle MC in the Philippines today is Mark Rodriguez. Not familiar with the name? He is popularly known as Batas, acknowledged for his foul humor and hard-hitting punch-lines. Since the start of Fliptop Battle League, and until today, his presence in the scene is widely discussed, either appreciated or hated. Regardless of the reaction, from time to time, it seems that his focus is on showcasing his brutal yet creative writing.
Outside
of Rap Battle and Hip Hop, Batas is also a Bassist and Vocalist of the Metal
Band, Sultans of Snap. This is not just an ordinary band because it is
affiliated with Brgy. Tibay, along with Greyhoundz, Stick Figgas and many more.
However,
music is just his hobby. Batas' primary occupation is managing Wild Ones
Tattoo, where he also works as a tattoo artist. And despite his busy schedule,
the man gave me an opportunity to interview him.
Q&A:
Tattoo Questions
Q: How do you
conceptualize your tattoo designs?
A: IT USUALLY STARTS
WITH THE CLIENT. THEY SAY WHAT THEY WANT. I TRY TO INTERPRET IT AS HOW I
IMAGINE IT.
Q: What are your
frustrations as a Tattoo Artist?
A: HMMMM.... A LOT TO
BE HONEST. THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. AND THE MONEY OF COURSE.
COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES, TATTOO ARTISTS HERE ARE UNDERPAID. LASTLY, THE
STEREOTYPES THAT THE SOCIETY DICTATES WHEN IT COMES TO TATTOOS.
Q: Given the chance
to tattoo a Filipina celebrity, who would it be? What will be the design and
which part of the body would it be on?
A: ELLEN ADARNA OR
COLEEN GARCIA. HIP PART. A CUPCAKE OR A FLOWER
Music Questions
Q: If you’ll work
with one Filipino Rapper for one whole album, who would it be? And why?
A: FRANCISM. BECAUSE.
Q: From a scale of 1
to 10, how mature is the Hip Hop scene in the Philippines? How do you think
will it improve?
A: STILL IMMATURE.
BECAUSE MORE THAN HALF OF US ARE STILL CRABS. BY HELPING FELLOW ARTISTS.
MAINSTREAM MEDIA OF COURSE WHEN USED RESPONSIBLY, WILL REALLY HELP THE SCENE AND
THE CULTURE.
Q: Who are your
influences and references as a Musician?
A: TOO MANY TO
MENTION.
Q: If any, what is
your dream for the Philippine Music Industry?
A: FOR US MUSICIANS
TO EARN MORE. AND FOR US TO BE THE BEST MUSICIANS IN THE WORLD.
Please complete the
following sentences.
The best pulutan is SPICY
PEANUTS. ANG BAKLA PAKINGGAN HAHA
I enjoy reading YOUTUBE
COMMENTS.
METALLICA is the greatest of
all time.
My favorite drink is WATER.
Technology CONSUMES
people.
Any advice on younger
musicians?
Batas: work on your
craft. Get better every day. Do what you love to do.
Closing Messages
(Feel Free to advertise and greet people)
Batas:
Www.facebook.com/wild1stattoo
#BalianNgLeeg Saturdays 7pm-9pm on jam 88.3.
Support fliptop. Subscribe to
their youtube channel. Next year I will be doing a lot of music so don’t sleep.
Both hiphop and metal.
----
Author's
Notes: Rare Finds will be a monthly article in my blog wherein I will
feature rare personalities. This interview was conducted on November 2015. Thank you for reading. Thank you Batas!
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