​Guapdad 4000 celebrated the release of his new album, 1176 in good 'ole Bay Area fashion. The event had great food, music, and the hyphy vibe. The complimentary menu included chicken adobo lumpia and egg and peach mango lumpia with Ube Magnolia Ice Cream by The Lumpia Company. You can't forget the drinks, Trapiscato and Presecco from E-40's Earl Stevens Selection. Then the music was a mix of Bay Area​ classics and songs off the latest project.

Guap tells MYX Global that he's grateful for the opportunity to make music and to have this kind of platform to share it with. Then to have people like it and show up is something he could only hope for. The event brought out Filipino small businesses to one of the biggest event since coronavirus started.

The album focuses on growing up in West Oakland as a young Black-Filipino man. It was only fitting to have producer Illmind executively produce the album. "An album about '1176' the house I was living in has to pay that homage to my Filipino side. That's what I was raised in, what I was raised around. That's what I want to talk about."

Guap did more than pay tribute to his childhood home, but also his grandma creating Lola Appreciation Day on March 19, 2021. It was a heartwarming and tear jerking day. People shared the love they had for their own grandmas and for Guap it was “comforting for him to put it [love] out there,” during a tine we need it the most with the rise of Asian hate crimes.

One of the tracks, Chicken Adobo is a love song on an authentic Filipino dish. The music video was shot in Hawai'i and featured Princess Nae & Bretman Rock's family food truck, "Mama Merces Kitchen." The collab between Guapdad and Mama Merces Kitchen was an OTP. The family owned truck by Edmund Laforga was apart of the video that also featured their mom, Mama Merce. With Filipino-Americans inching toward the spotlight Guapdad 4000 is proud to be part of the movement alongside H.E.R., Saweetie, P-Lo and many more, helping pioneer the new space for generations to come. He looks to continue to encourage people to come out, be proud and talk about their heritage.

Cover Photo Credit: Guapdad 4000 Facebook

Music video photo credits: Brian Bautista @trafficjam808z

MYX Global featured artist, Guapdad 4000 is about to hit 1M plays in one week for his song, “Chicken Adobo.”

Creatives, chefs, artists, singers, DJs, producers, let’s see what you got with the #chickenadobochallenge - whether it’s a cover or your own new verses to the song, a cooking video with your Lola, TikTok dance video with your kids or a remix, excited to see them all! Tag @guapdad4000, @illmindproducer & @MYXglobal with #chickenadobochallenge by 4/30/2021.

The best videos will be featured on TV on MYX, socially shared & get #1176 merch items!

Download the instrumental here.

Lyrics:

Illmind You’re my Lodi...
How I fell in love with you, it was beautiful
Like Chicken Adobo how you fill me up
Being by myself is scary, but love is scarier
I'm just tryna make it in AmericaHow I fell in love with you, it was beautiful
Like Chicken Adobo how you fill me up
Being by myself, but love is scarier
I'm just tryna make it in America, yeahSummer '010, mama on bin
So bust out the rin, bust out the spin, piecin' it in
Brother get in, mothers get in, we goin' in, fuckin' shit up
Like when you cookin', make that shit up
Bring the hoes over, then makin' 'em cookBoy I had hopes, since snotty my nose, dirty my clothes
Fuck this is vogue, when my uncle on voes
And my cousin on fours
Wide open, how I come in your lane
Ibuprofen how you numbin' the pain
Only thing I change about you's your nameHow I fell in love with you, it was beautiful
Like Chicken Adobo how you fill me up (Adobo)
Being by myself is scary, but love is scarier (scary)
I'm just tryna make it in America (America)How I fell in love with you, it was beautiful (yeah, yeah)
Like Chicken Adobo how you fill me up (yeah, yeah)
Being by myself, but love is scarier (yeah, yeah)
I'm just tryna make it in America (it's a check)In the Summer I got you, and Winter I got you
I follow your body, and Spring for your tropics
I'm changin' your name, so call up your mama
If you don't got it then call up your papa
If you don't got him, then fuck it you got me
Bring you to Oakland and show you where I been
Bring me back home and show me your problems
And we can go solve 'em, it's just you and I
The best at light of every game because we always slide
People get cancelled everyday, you do no wrong in my eyes
Hold me down like you, been holdin' me down baby
'Cause that's exactlyHow I fell in love with you, it was beautiful
Like Chicken Adobo how you fill me up (Adobo)
Being by myself is scary, but love is scarier (scary)
I'm just tryna make it in America (America)How I fell in love with you, it was beautiful (yeah, yeah)
Like Chicken Adobo how you fill me up (yeah, yeah)
Being by myself, but love is scarier (yeah, yeah)
I'm just tryna make it in America (it's a check)

Share this page with friends & family for more info, the lyrics & instrumental: www.myx.global/chickenadobochallenge. ?

With Filipino gaining popularity these days, it's not surprising that Chef Harold Villarosa is set to have his own show with Bon Appétit. Chef Harold is bringing the versatile flavors of Filipino food and showing us fusions bridging classic and new recipes.

Filipino born, and South Bronx raised, Chef Harold Villarosa received his earliest culinary and agricultural education in the bukid (rice paddies) of Iloilo. He emigrated to the U.S. at 9 years old which opened his perspective. Chef came to a world where progressive ideas and personal freedom abound, while issues like food justice remain a daily challenge. With an instinctual understanding for flavors and nourishing others, Harold entered the industry at age 14. Since then, Chef has worked for Michelin starred restaurants while infusing his community projects. He recently opened a restaurant comedy club concept in Union Square called The Stand.

We had the chance to chat with him and ask about his career, his favorite Filipino dishes, and his collab with Bon Appétit.

Can you tell us about your culinary journey, how did it start?
It all started at McDonald’s, having that early perspective on food and business really set me up for success. 

A lot of us can relate to get their start at the good 'ole Mickey D's!

So you started cooking because you wanted to buy sneakers. What was the first pair of sneakers you bought?
The first pair of sneakers I ever bought with my check from McDonald’s was the blue foamposite “Penny Hardaways.”

We all know the struggle of asking our parents for something we want and they say, "You have to work for it if you want something."

How did the Filipino work ethic help in working your way up from fast food chains to Micheline rated restaurants? Who are people you admire?
I didn’t really know that it was Filipino food work ethic, I thought it was just immigrant work ethic. My mom and dad instilled in me early on that hard work pays off. Working in those restaurants I just kept my head down and tried my best. My skill sets weren’t the best but I showed up on time everyday and I think that kept me from getting fired.

Who taught you how to cook Filipino food? Do you have a go-to dish to cook for parties?
I learned really from a Dominican chef named Miguel Trinidad who was the owner of Maharlika and Jeepney, two amazing Filipino restaurants in NYC. He opened my eyes to the possibilities and showed the similarities between Caribbean food and soul food, which at that time I was into.

My go to dish at parties? I’m really into cooking adobo right now. I really adobo everything up just to find the right mix. I like to switch it up and add coconut milk and red chillies. 

We have our next late snack lined up! Hello grilled cheese adobo!

How did growing up in the South Bronx influence your cooking style and flavors?
I’m open to everything lol. Coming from the South Bronx, I’ve eaten so many kinds of different foods, from African and Dominican to Colombian and Halal - it really made me have an open mind. It gave me a chance to identify the people with the food and appreciate their culture as a whole. People put love into food when they make it for those they care about. So every time I ate at a friends house, that mom or grandma put so much love into it. That vibrated throughout my being. And that’s how I try to cook now, sending positive energy to the food so it can be received positively. 

You’re also a hip-hop fan, do you listen to music while you cook? If so, what’s on the playlist, any Original Pilipino Music (OPM) songs?
I’m a big Griselda fan right now but I’ve also been switching it up a lot lately and listening to a lot of these young cats. Guapdad 4000 from the bay is hot.

We'll have to manifest a collab between Chef and Guap for a chicken adobo remix!

Here at Myx Global, we’re about bridging Filipino talent internationally, what made you take that step to crossover to the West Coast with your bistro in San Francisco?
I think that, just like you guys, I wanted to bridge the gap between East Coast FilAms and West Coast FilAms. I want to be the connector and the cool Unkle that says, "It’s okay to be a Filipino in America. We got our own swag and here’s some food.” 

The Bay is the spot to do it. There’s a high vibration of Filipino culture and appreciation while also being a place for progressive social work to be done. A place where we can tap into the political realm real quick. So we have an opportunity to be social leaders and show what the next generation of Filipinos can do, all while showing respect to our elders who got us here.

Can you tell us more about the Insurgo Project and its mission? Also, how would you explain the Unkle Harold brand?
The Insurgo Project was really done out of necessity in the low-income neighborhoods we come from. We wanted to give the tools for the next generation to be successful in the food space and the business space. We created a curriculum to show how you can create generational wealth and financial wellness, while having a social impact initiative attached to your brand. 

The Unkle Harold’s brand is the outcome of all the sh*t I talk. I couldn’t create a curriculum and teach thousands of students about building a brand and business if I didn’t do it myself. This brand encompasses the social aspect of a food brand with sustainability and social impact as pillars. We want to create a franchise model that helps put the idea of food being healthy and knowing where it came from it also doesn’t hurt your pocket book.

What can we expect to see on your collaboration with Bon Appétit?
You can expect to see a lot of collaborations with the community that I’ve built throughout my career. From food stuff to social impact stuff, it’s about continuing the narrative of knowing where you came from and giving back to that community. Never forgetting who helped get you there and using your platform to help those people become successful too. 

10. Filipino food is on the rise globally, what are your top 3 Filipino dishes that you recommend everyone should try if they never had Filipino food before?
I think we can do Chicken Pyanggang, which is chicken with a burnt coconut sauce. Then let’s go with Inihaw, which can be anything grilled but let’s go with the chicken feet. Lastly, you’ve got to try the roasted pork, Lechon. This is a Filipino staple, especially with longganisa and lemongrass.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Chef Harold! We're excited to check out your show on Bon Appétit and we'll be trying out this dishes for sure!

MORE ON CHEF HAROLD VILLAROSA
Chef Harold has made numerous news and media appearances and was recently on Vices “Munchies” kitchen demo for his signature Crab fried Rice. He was also featured in NY1 ‘s New Yorker of the week for his work in the community . In 2019 , Chef Harold was invited to be part of the annual TED summit in Vancouver, B.C to speak on his non-profit work in NYC.

Chef Villarosa currently is a member of the Black Culinary Alliance; The Experimental Cuisine Collective in conjunction with NYU’s Chemistry Department; and holds a Culinary Arts Degree from the Culinary Academy of New York. He is also the current Culinary Ambassador for the US embassy for Denmark

Cover Photo Credit: Chef Harold Villarosa Website