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.
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
- Occupation
- rapper / singer / songwriter / record producer / actor
2. Background
- University
- San Beda University
Awards & achievements
- Presidential Medal of Merit
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Francis Magalona born?
October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009.
Where is Francis Magalona from?
Francis Magalona is from Manila, Philippines.
What does Francis Magalona do?
Francis Magalona works as rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor.
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 or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.