The guys of Dumaguete-based rap trio Midnasty are at it again. Enlisting fellow Visayan rapper Cookie$, Midnasty is back with their collab single “Wa Na Wa”, released under Warner Music Philippines. The track kick-starts Spotify’s Kalye X campaign, the streaming platform’s first-of-its-kind initiative that aims to showcase the depth of Pinoy hip-hop culture and allow a pair of emerging and established rappers from the three major islands of the Philippines to make music together.
Each Spotify Single, starting with Midnasty’s “Wa Na Wa”, was released from August to October. The spirited tandem of Midnasty and Cookie$ presents their song as an ode to the prolific Bisaya Rap scene. Talking about the track, “‘Wa Na Wa’, which means ‘di mawala / di nawawala’ in Tagalog, is a song that celebrates the small and big wins – and ultimately enduring the process of one’s life journey triumphantly,” Midnasty explained. “Working on Wa Na Wa, we felt like the project was a breath of fresh air with its sound and message. The process of crafting this song was ignited by the concept of celebrating all the little and big wins we’ve experienced over the years. We were given three choices of artists to work with, and we chose Cookie$ because we think his energy is perfect for the track.”
Cookie$ first met Nik Kho of Midnasty in December 2019 at a common friend’s house where they instantly connected over their shared passion for music. When the pandemic hit, there were a lot of message exchange, and Cookie$ who was in Atlanta at that time virtually wrote a track with Nik called “Aygpadool” together with Ark Kho and Hero Tunguia. “Wa Na Wa” is their first face-to-face collaboration where the trio of Midnasty is complete.
Midnasty is an established name in the hip-hop scene that took more than 20 years to build. The rap trio was founded in 2001 by twins Fry and Murray Kho, and the goal was to put Dumaguete City and Visayan culture on everybody’s radar. They began exploring the genre, and together with their friends Mark Villamil Ausejo, and brothers Earl Neil and Jose Ramon, who joined the group later on, Midnasty was all set for the mission. Midnasty now has over 100M play counts on media platforms and a massively-acclaimed album enjoyed live by thousands of fans during their nationwide tours.
Job Mari Penalosa, also known as “Cookie$”, has been steadily building his own music catalogue. He began his musical journey in high school as the drummer of a youth organization and Cebuano bands, Drop Decay and Shuffled. He then moved to Atlanta in 2013 where he got immersed in the international rap scene. Cookie$ then flew back to the Philippines to carve his name in the Filipino hip-hop industry.
Midnasty and Cookie$ are both fueled by their common goal, and “Wa Na Wa” stands as a testament to their dedication and innovation, promising to propel Visayan rap music loud and far enough for the world to hear.
“Wa Na Wa” is now on all your preferred digital music platforms. For the latest updates on your favorite musicians, follow Warner Music Philippines on their social media pages.
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