MANILA — With just 12 words, newcomer rapper Ron Henley sums up the arc of his career so far. “If you want to be the best, be part of the best,” he says to describe his relation with MCA, the record label that released his impressive debut EP entitled “Wala Pang Titulo.”



Ron’s statement also tells something about his previous illustrious associations before he went solo. Bitten by the rap bug at age 14, he met fellow rapper Loonie, who shared his passion for Eminem. They formed a group called Stick Figgas and joined the “Rap-Public of the Philippines” contest in a noontime show where they met their icon, the master rapper FrancisM.



The late rapper took Stick Figgas under his wing and included them in Rap-Public’s compilation album. Ron and Loonie eventually went solo but they decided to maintain their core group.



Five of the 6 tracks on his debut EP are collaborations with established and upcoming female singers. Sino Sikat?’s Kat Agarrado provides the soulful foil to Ron’s gung-ho rapping in “Hagdan” while Yumi, Pow Chavez, Muriel and Bea Valera turn on R&B power in four other tracks.



He admits to have spent some time in rehab. To combat the boredom of being in confinement, he turned to songwriting and the first fruit of his forced seclusion was “Hagdan,” one of the EP’s distinctive tracks.



“The song summarizes my experience in rehab. The 12-step program was an eye-opener. It made me see the big picture, that personal changes happen slowly, one step at a time,” Ron explains. — Agencies