Alvin James P. Manlutac (born August 19, 1991), known professionally as Al James, is a Filipino rapper, singer and songwriter. He is known for his songs "Pahinga", "Pa-Umaga" and "Latina".
Al James | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alvin James P. Manlutac |
| Born | August 19, 1991 Philippines |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2016–present |
Career
editAl James graduated with a degree in fine arts and design at the University of Santo Tomas. He became involved in hip-hop where he met his collaborators, collectively known as "Baryo Berde Atbp", there. The group now has 11 members.[1]
His exposure increased with the release of "Ngayong Gabi", collecting over 25 million views in 18 months. He was praised by Highsnobiety for "his syrupy flow and purple imagery make for a chill counterpoint to the chaos of life in this dense megacity".[2] He has crossed over from underground to mainstream as his song "Ngayong Gabi" reached #1 on Wave 89.1's primetime hit in December 2017. So far,[when?] he is not signed with any record label.[3] According to an interview with FHM, one of his hip-hop contemporaries he follows is Shanti Dope. He was paid to remix his own single "Pahinga" by McDonald's for their Summer Desserts advertisement campaign entitled "Palamig Ka Muna".[4]
Following the release of the music video for "Ngayong Gabi", which was premiered on Myx, he was named as the Myx Featured Artist for October 2018.
Discography
editSingles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHL [5] | |||
| "Pahinga" | 2016 | — | Non-album single |
| "Ngayong Gabi" | 2017 | — | |
| "Pa-Umaga" | 2018 | 94 | |
| "Latina" | 2019 | — | |
| "Repeat" | 2020 | — | |
| "PSG" | 2022 | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | |||
As featured artist
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHL [6] | |||
| "Outthrow!" (with Shanti Dope) | 2017 | — | Shanti Dope |
| "Lagi" (with Gloc-9) | 2018 | — | Tulay |
| "Soju" (with Austin Lee) | — | Non-album single | |
| "Iladnasanwakan" (with Ron Henley) | — | ||
| "Ilalim No. 1" (with Jim P) | 2019 | — | |
| "Madali" (with Lola Amour) | 2022 | — | The Lunchtime Special |
| "Gusto" (with Zack Tabudlo) | 2023 | 88 | 3rd Time's a Charm |
| "Tequila Rose" (with Hellmerry) | 2024 | 41 | Non-album single |
| "Yoko Na" (with Josh of SB19) | — | ||
| "Kunan Mong Pic" (with O Side Mafia and BRGR) | 22 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | |||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Crossover King". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ^ "10 Filipino Rappers You Need to Know". Highsnobiety. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ^ "Meet Al James, the crossover hip-hop phenom with a penchant for thirst". Youngstar. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ^ "The FHM Field Guide: We Check Out Suez & Zapote With Al James". FHM. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- Aguilera, John Paulo. "The Low-Key Hip-Hop Genius Of Al James". FHM. Retrieved July 9, 2018. - ^ Peak charts at Philippines Hot 100:
- Pa-Umaga: "Philippines Hot 100 (Week of July 6, 2024)". Billboard Philippines. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ Peak charts at Philippines Hot 100:
- "Philippines Hot 100 (Week of July 6, 2024)". Billboard Philippines. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.