Francis Magalona

Francis Magalona
Born	Francis Michael Durango Magalona[1] (1964-10-04)October 4, 1964 Manila, Philippines
Died	March 6, 2009(2009-03-06) (aged 44) Pasig, Philippines
Resting place	Loyola Memorial Park, Marikina
Other names	Francis M Master Rapper The Man from Manila Kiko The Mouth The Filipino King of Rap
Spouse	Pia Arroyo ​ (m. 1985)​
Children	8, including Maxene, Frank, Saab, and Elmo
Parents	Pancho Magalona (father) Tita Duran (mother)
Relatives	Enrique B. Magalona (grandfather)
Musical career
Genres	Hip hop alternative hip hop rap rock political hip hop
Occupations	Rapper songwriter actor
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1984–2009
Labels	OctoArts International Inc. (now PolyEast Records) (1989–1993) BMG Records (Pilipinas), Inc. (now Sony Music) (1994–2006)
Musical artist

Francis Michael Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known as Francis M, was a Filipino rapper, songwriter, and actor. He was 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.

His songs "Mga Kababayan", "Man from Manila", "Ito Ang Gusto Ko", "Kabataan Para sa Kinabukasan", "Watawat", "Luv 4 Lyf", and "Lando" (with Gloc-9) have each won the Awit Award for Best Rap Recording, while "Kaleidoscope World" is another notable single. His notable albums include Rap Is FrancisM (1992), FreeMan (1995), Happy Battle (1996), The Oddventures of Mr. Cool (1998), and FreeMan 2 (2000). Magalona also ventured into rock, fronting the band Hardware Syndrome. His music addressed social issues including politics, drug addiction, colonial mentality, and intellectual property rights. In television, Magalona was a presenter for MTV Asia, Channel V Philippines, and the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga! (1997–2009). He was also a judge on Philippine Idol (2006).

Magalona died of leukemia in 2009, aged 44.