Photo: Piamagalona at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Francis Magalona, known to the Philippines as Francis M, is a figure I deeply admire. Born to actor parents in Manila, he turned breakdancing into a launchpad and became a foundational force in Pinoy hip hop. His range floors me, rapper, songwriter, producer and actor, all delivered with real results, capped by a Presidential Medal of Merit. Losing him in 2009 at just 44 was a genuine cultural blow. Pioneers who give a nation its own musical voice deserve outsized respect, and nearly every younger Filipino rapper has learned from his example. I hold artists like him in the highest regard.
Overview
Francis Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known as Francis M, was a Filipino rapper, songwriter, and actor. He is regarded as an influential figure in Pinoy hip hop. Magalona was a son of actors Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran. He started as a breakdancer and appeared in the teen comedy film Bagets 2 (1984) and the variety show That's Entertainment (1987) while building his rap career.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Francis Magalona
- Name (Japanese)
- フランシス・マガロナ
- Reading
- ふらんしす・まがろな
- Born
- October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Dragon
- Origin
- Manila, Philippines
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- rapper / singer / songwriter / record producer / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- San Beda University
Awards & achievements
- Presidential Medal of Merit
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Rapper — see all → · Singer — see all → · More people from Philippines →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.