In ‘Maduming Timog,’ Hev Abi breaks out of his mold

Along Timog Avenue in Quezon City, zip code onse-oh-tres, lies an unassuming music studio where I spoke with rapper and R&B artist Hev Abi for Young STAR. While I expected to interview the suave personality apparent in his songs, I instead found myself sitting down with the humble, soft-spoken musician behind the visage, real name Gabriel Abilla.

It's been two years since Hev Abi's first album, Kung Alam Mo Lang. We spoke two days before the launch of his sophomore effort, Maduming Timog. He had no idea how the public would react to it.

“Kahit saang anggulo mo tignan—kung paano namin ginawa, kung tungkol saan, kung gaano kaliwanag, kung gaano kadilim—wala silang pinagkaparehas sa isa’t isa,” the artist said of his two works. If there ever was a similarity between the two, he added, it’s the great care he took in making them. But the second album demanded more of his nurture as it offered a wider playroom for the artist to do things he hadn't yet done: “Tutal nandito na rin naman tayo sa pwesto na pwede nating gawin ang mga bagay na ‘di pa natin nagagawa dati.” 

Maduming Timog contains 19 tracks produced and arranged by Hev Abi himself with guidance from NJ Subong, a close collaborator since 2023, partly responsible for the artist’s hits. “‘Yung role ko is palabasin kung ano ang gusto niyang maging end product,” said Subong. “Alam niya kung ano ang tunog (pero) ‘di niya alam paano gawin, help ko siya d’on.”

Hev Abi conceptualized Maduming Timog like a stream-of-consciousness poem. “Minsan nga nauuna ‘yung simpleng thought lang. Parang isang linya lang, nagiging isang buong kanta na kinabukasan,” Hev Abi explained. “Minsan isang sobrang lumang instrumental lang siya na mababalikan ko na uubra pang maisama sa bagong album. Minsan, nauuna ‘yung video. Hindi siya nagkaroon ng iisang process.”

Even with the hefty volume of tracks, Hev Abi alluded to a lot of cut content. As for the album’s assembly, he likened it to a jigsaw puzzle in lieu of a linear procedure. “‘Pag natatapos namin ‘yung kanta, alam na namin kung pang-ilan siya eh. Parang nung binubuo namin ‘yung album, fill in the blanks siya. Ito, pang-17 ito, pak! Ito, pang-apat, pak!” 

Timog is in the heart

Throughout the interview, Hev Abi and co maintained a come-what-may attitude towards Maduming Timog’s yet-to-come reception. They were aware of how much it deviates from the artist’s past sound. Regardless of how it’ll be received, however, Hev Abi feels fulfilled.

“Ever since naman, lahat ng music na ginagawa ko, authentic sa’kin. Oo, nage-gets ko sila na paiba-iba ako ng tunog. Kahit gan’on naman, ‘yung mga ginagawa ko, ‘yun ang mga gusto kong gawin. Nagkataon lang talaga na malikot ‘yung utak ko.”

Now that the album is out, it appears he was spot on when it comes to fans noticing the music change. A general consensus seems to welcome the variety. As of writing, the album reached #1 on Apple Music’s PH Albums Chart.

Tracks in Maduming Timog include Faded Off, which marks Hev Abi’s first major English track; Sacred Heart, which pertains to Brgy. Sacred Heart, his home base; and Valerie, which references one of his inspirations, Amy Winehouse. Walang Hiya is what stuck most with Hev Abi. This, along with Hangga’t May Oras Pa ‘Ko, is what he thinks will be future classics.

Timog Avenue, the locale where Hev Abi grew up, has been a prominent entity throughout his discography. I had been trying to interview Hev Abi since his meteoric rise in 2023. Back then, I would’ve asked what Timog meant to him, expecting fondness in his responses. When I finally got to ask him, now two years later, I got an answer I wasn’t expecting.

“Dito sa album, dinurog na nga namin ‘yung bato-bato (ng Timog) eh. Kumbaga ano na, ‘‘Yoko na! Agh! T*ngina niyo!’” he laughed.

Nonetheless, Hev Abi professed that since Timog is where he continues to live, Timog is where he continues to pick up inspiration for his material. Associating other places like Hollywood, ‘70s New York, and Gotham City with the album, “madumi” to the artist isn’t pertaining to the dirtiness of Timog but the bad attitudes of its inhabitants.

The album has no narrative storytelling per se, but it does follow a point of view: that of Sonny Jones, a contrasting persona to Hev Abi. “‘Yung trip na ‘yon, nickname-nickname lang sa IG ‘yon eh. Pero naging inside joke siya d’on sa album na, ‘T*ngina, hindi si Hev Abi ‘yan, si Sonny Jones ‘yan.’”

The album cover sees him bloodied with a smoke, reminiscent of The Weeknd’s After Hours. Listeners witness this persona living off his worst vices throughout the album: in Ayusin ang Sira, he sings, “Pero ayoko na munang ayusin ang sira, at parang masarap nga rin sa’kin ngayon na ‘di ayos ang sira.” In Valerie, he declares, “Sa droga at usok nalulunod, mga sarili, ‘di mapigilan, ‘di ko matigil, ‘di masabihan, ‘di mapakali.” A few tracks later in Hangga’t May Oras Pa ‘Ko, near the album’s end, he is resigned as he shouts at the top of his lungs, “‘Wag mo na ‘ko asahan magbago, at hanggang may oras pa ‘ko, hindi matatapos, aagos nang aagos.” This is a person who has a choice, and he’s chosen to go further down, down, down.

Life on top

Per Billboard Philippines, Kung Alam Mo Lang enjoyed a 16-week streak as the most-streamed OPM album on Spotify until May 2024. It also stayed in the top spot for most Spotify streams overall for six weeks from February to March 2024. For a time, Hev Abi was the top guy in OPM, having multiple tracks in Billboard PH’s Top Philippine Songs of 2024 year-end list. He not only toured Quezon City but also Australia and Canada.

“Bilang bagets na biglang mapupunta sa gan’ong puwesto, na mapapa-retire mo ‘yung ilang magulang sa buong angkan niyo, medyo nakakayanig din siya nang bahagya,” the artist said.

“Hindi ko pa masabi, actually, kung ano nang nadampot ko d’on kasi feeling ko hindi pa rin ako tapos sa (success ko),” Hev Abi added. “Parang nagangapa pa rin ako kumbaga; kung titignan ko sarili ko, ‘di ko pa kayang tumakbo mag-isa.”

When I asked what personal life events had happened between here and then, he looked down in deep thought and uttered a single word: “Marami.” He may have evolved, but he’s still the same Gabriel Abilla, the same Hev Abi who is always true to himself. When I asked later on how he feels about all these, he smiled and spoke a softer word: “Blessed.”

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Hev Abi’s sophomore album, Maduming Timog, is available to stream on all major music streaming platforms now.