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Musicians collaborating with their idols always marks a significant milestone in their careers. Portland rapper Talilo Marfil just hit one, thanks in part to help from two philanthropic artist funds.
Thanks to support from Portland hip-hop mainstay Cool Nutz, Marfil’s manager, the Oregon Community Foundation and the Art for Justice Fund, Talilo debuted a new single featuring underground legend Tech N9ne. Talilo goes toe to toe with Tecca Nina on “My Shoes,” which sees the King of Darkness beckon forth the Filipino rapper to his throne. “My Shoes” debuted Oct. 30 to YouTube, but Marfil will premiere his single and music video at Outside the Frame’s Reel Ambitions gala at Hollywood Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 7.
Outside the Frame trains houseless and marginalized youth in cinema craft. Marfil learned from the nonprofit organization after completing a prison sentence in 2011, and is honored to debut his dream duet for OTF’s benefit.
“They taught me the skills to direct, film, edit—and most of all believed in me to see projects through,” Marfil shares via email.
Portland rap mainstay CoolNutz and Marfil’s manager connected him to Strange Music, Tech N9ne’s record label, passing along a snippet of Talilo’s song “puppets.” He said he wrote “My Shoes” as a challenge to social judgment.
In the music video, Talilo and Tech N9ne appear in a dark, red-lit chasm surrounded by black-clad figures in white masks, meant to represent society’s judgments. Talilo’s ancestors also appear in pre-colonial Bisayan attire to back him up. The rappers each spit rapid-fire verses sniping at anyone who would take a shot at them. Talilo’s gestures and traditional Filipino tattoos—most by Spiritual Journey Tattoo, but including those added by esteemed tattoo artist Apo Whang-od—are enhanced by electric animated effects.
“You all love to judge the things I do/But you ain’t never stepped in my shoes,” Talilo opens, later switching between English and Tagalog. Tech N9ne busts out a few bars riffing off his co-star’s name.
“The hero, never gonna go pass the ego/Cerebral/So fast, illegal/People, that’s Talilo,” Tech N9ne raps before echoing his own name with his signature boom. The video ultimately closes with a lingering detail shot of a gold mask on Tech N9ne’s black leather throne, surrounded by skulls and flames, which Marfil says represents overcoming others’ prejudices.
Marfil says that Tech N9ne’s cosign has validated him.
“This was huge for me as someone who struggled with my own self-worth with my life experience from being homeless and incarcerated and on paper in multiple systems of care,” he said. “I had to work on building myself up to get to this moment and I salute the multiple mentors I had in my life that reminded me of my strengths, my tenacity and resilience.”
Nili Yosha, OTF’s executive director, knows Marfil is resilient. She recalled how when she first met Marfil, after being rejected to film a music video for a song he hadn’t recorded, he returned not only with a completed song, but also recruited 15 friends to be his actors and crew.
“Talilo taught me to trust the kids and trust myself,” she says via email. “They have amazing stuff inside that needs to come out, and it’s gonna come out in spite of us or with our support. We get to choose where we stand.”
SEE IT: Outside the Frame’s Reel Ambitions: Films by Youth Who Have Experienced Homelessness at Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-493-1128, hollywoodtheatre.org. 7 pm Thursday, Nov. 7. $9–$180 suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds.