Illest Morena: Keeping it real from Mandaluyong to the top
From the lively streets of Mandaluyong City, Illest Morena has risen to become a powerful voice in music. Her journey as a female emcee shows that staying true to yourself is key to creating meaningful art. This is clear in her latest music video for “Stinkalink,” a popular track from her debut album, ‘Morenita.’
2024 was a significant year for Illest Morena. She released her first full-length album, headlined several major shows, including Billboard’s Mainstage Concert, and won the Top Kalye Song Award for “Faded (Raw)” at the 2024 Spotify Wrapped Party.
Despite her success, the 23-year-old artist remains grounded and focused on living life to the fullest. In a recent interview, she offered a glimpse into her daily routine, sharing, “I light up an incense because it makes me feel relaxed. Then, I would make my coffee, journal my feelings, and work.”
Rooted in Community
Illest credits her upbringing in Mandaluyong City for shaping her musical taste and inspiring her creativity.
“I used to live in Addition Hills, the most congested, most populated area in our city. So, the houses are very close to each other. My neighbors would often play songs from Pinoy hip-hop artists such as Ron Henley, which I’m a huge fan of,” she recalled.
Her home also played a role in her love for R&B, with songs like Jay-R’s “Bakit Pa Ba?” leaving a lasting impression.
“Although I’m a rap artist, I love exploring R&B when it comes to my music because it really takes me back to a time when things were simpler and life felt lighter,” she explained.
Working with fellow artists from Mandaluyong helped her develop her unique and authentic style.
“There was a certain time in my early music days when I couldn’t write and they [Guddhist Gunatita and Ghetto Gecko] invited me to their studio so we could make some songs. I feel like it really created this great foundation for me in terms of lyricism because I hung out with some of the greatest hip-hop artists from Mandaluyong,” she emphasized.
Her album reflects her personal growth as an artist, exploring themes of desire, affection, and ambition.
From a Spark to “Stinkalink”
The song “Stinkalink” began with a beat given to Illest by her producers Radical and SEIS, originally titled “Sneaky Link.”
Following her instincts, she connected with the music but wanted to change its meaning. Drawing from her own life, she used her early relationship experiences as inspiration.
“During this time, I wrote ‘Slow Burn,’ a song about my boyfriend and our romance. So, when the beat [for Stinkalink] was given to me, I was already in a relationship and didn’t feel like writing something about sneaky links. And it sort of pushed me to instead reminisce about the early stages of our relationship since we started as friends and I wasn’t so sure if he liked me back at the time,” she shared.
This story became the basis for the “Stinkalink” music video, which playfully references popular 2000s chick flicks like Mean Girls and White Chicks.
“We had two weeks to prepare for the music video. I’ve always wanted to fulfill my early 2000s chick flick fantasy and I tried doing that for ‘Pick Up,’ but we didn’t have the budget at the time. As for the storyline, it was inspired by the period when my boyfriend and I used to party and we weren’t honest about our feelings. But we would get clingy with each other only when we’re drunk,” she said.
The music video features appearances from Sassa Gurl, Zae, Arkin Magalona, and Jonas Belgica.
Illest explained that Sassa Gurl’s cameo was inspired by fans noting their resemblance. Her dance battle with Zae was a tribute to the women who paved the way for her in the industry.
“We decided that Sassa would play the old version of me since I get a lot of comments about how we look alike. Then, my dance battle with Zae was so fun to shoot since I was doing it with the artist who made me feel like it was possible to be a female rapper in this country,” she shared.
She chose Jonas Belgica, a longtime friend, to play her love interest because he resembled her partner. Arkin Magalona’s appearance honored his father’s legacy in Filipino hip-hop.
“He [Arkin] is one of the few people I always meet during parties and I knew that he would kill the role of a party boy,” she said.
For Illest, the presence of her dedicated fans made the experience truly special.
“My relationship with my fans is very tight. They inspire me as much as I inspire them.”
