The late Francis Magalona would have been proud to see a rapper uniquely reinvent himself, becoming a flag-bearing achiever in the process. That’s no wishful thinking considering the icon’s reputation as a patriot, and the fact that Kyle Gianan, who goes by the name Krazykyle in the local rap scene, recorded a tribute piece for him called “Dear Kuya.”
For his massive and magnificent collection of antique bottles, Kyle had been labeled “The Filipino Picker” by History Channel back in August 2018, or just a month after he released his latest piece of music yet. That little detail on Spotify where “Dear Kuya” also happens to be his most streamed track to date meant that a new, exciting chapter in his career began at that point in time.
With TV shows like American Pickers, Storage Wars, and Pawnstars, collecting old bottles has become a life-changing routine for a modern-day magbobote like Kyle. He is considered to be one of the youngest to pick at such a level.
Kyle has been featured on several international and local TV shows and served as resident tagasuri of Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho for episodes involving antiques. He was himself picked as subject for CNN’s Story of the Filipino, while his exposure on History Channel saw him with foreign host Jamie Dempsey picking bottles around Makati and Mandaluyong. The latter city is home to his Museo ng Kahapon of classic Filipino-crafted bottles.
A graduate of Business Management in De La Salle University, Kyle travels to provinces, going house to house for hidden treasures, as well as acquiring items online and in auctions.
“The adrenaline rush when you suddenly recall your mom opening you a fresh bottle of milk chocolate before going to school is simply priceless,” shared Kyle whose other songs dropped in digital stores by Warner Music Philippines include “Walang Tapon” and “I Want You Back,” featuring R&B singer Luke Mejares.
Kyle’s collection features the Halili bottle, valued as a treasure and once owned by a governor named Fortunato Halili. Another is the first crown-capped bottle introduced in the Philippines which became the tansan we now know.
He has a lot of Royal bottles including the rare Royal Amber, and the one branded Royal Tru Orange and made famous by Francis M. himself with his hit song “Ito Ang Gusto Ko.”
"Basta hinawakan ni Kuya Kiko, mahal ko yan,” expressed the hip hopper whose first music video was directed by the Master Rapper.
The so-called Millennial Magbobote spearheaded the Facebook group Mga Lumang Bote that gathers the top and most active bottle collectors in the country and exists as a key marketplace for sellers and buyers of such antique stuff. It currently has more than 13 thousand members.
A book titled MaBOTEng Usapan, which Kyle co-wrote with historian Jaime Salvador Corpuz should further cement his distinctive spot in current Pinoy pop culture.
