A heartbreak can drive someone to soul-search in Sagada, if not mope around. To Albert Guallar, a painful heartbreak led him to write songs, which he describes as a “hard but therapeutic process.”

One of the first he wrote, “Simple Things,” is about his breakup with his high school sweetheart. “I even know the exact date when we broke up,” he says.

He hasn’t stopped writing songs since.

Schumi sings of heartbreak—and people are listening — Multi-colored striped tee, Forever 21

Genetic

“Words just pop inside my head. I think it’s genetic because my Tito Urch (Ernesto Guallar) is a songwriter,” he tells To be You.

When Guallar began uploading tracks on Soundcloud, it was not difficult for him to think of a unique name. He already had a cool nickname: Schumi.

Schumi—from the F1 driver Michael Schumacher—was a pet name given by his mother, a former drag racer in college.

But his tough persona melts through his confessional rap lyrics. Being Schumi allows him to express himself on a personal level.

“Being Schumi saved me from a lot of things,” he says. “At times, when I get sad, Schumi is there to save me. The things I feel as Albert, I express as Schumi.”

Early this year, the 18-year-old rap artist caught the attention of the local hip-hop scene. His debut single, “Bakit Why Not,” which he cowrote with Kiddo Chris, earned a hundred streams on its first month of release and clinched spots on Spotify’s Pinoy Rap Playlist. To date, “Bakit Why Not” continues to go off the charts with over 300,000 streams on Spotify.

Another of Schumi’s songs, “Manila Bae,” was featured on Spotify.

He says the best part of being noticed by Spotify is seeing his name next to Shanti Dope, Chito Miranda and Gloc-9.

“It’s a dream come true,” says Schumi. “Ten years ago, I was this kid singing their songs. Today, my track is next to theirs. It feels surreal.”

Schumi debuted in 2018 with “Sala,” his first single featuring R!S and esseca. Today, his Spotify profile boasts a growing number of over 60,000 monthly listeners.

Mama’s boy

Like his idol and hometown hero Gloc-9, Schumi grew up in Binangonan, Rizal. Raised by a single mom, he describes himself as a mama’s boy, seeing firsthand how she struggled to be an all-around parent.

“It was me and her against the world,” he says. “I owe a lot to my mom. She opened me up to a lot of interests. She supports my hobbies and sponsors my needs. She even bought a studio set for me. I can’t even imagine my life without her.”

While he has yet to snag a record deal, Schumi continues to create more music.

Through his friend esseca, he learned about DistroKid, an online music distributor where he can upload music in all platforms—Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes and YouTube.

“I sold my PS4 to pay for my DistroKid annual membership. It’s worth it. Apply for a distribution plan. That’s my tip for aspiring independent musicians out there,” he says.

When he’s not recording new tracks, he’s at school juggling academics and his role as class president.

This information technology freshman from the University of Santo Tomas also serves as deputy speaker of his college.

On a less serious note, he likes getting his nails done to match his Crocs.

At school, Schumi is shy and keeps a low profile. “I don’t want to be given special treatment. I don’t want to introduce myself as a Spotify artist. I just want them to know me as Albert, a normal student,” he says.

Though a number of his songs are about heartbreak, Schumi wants to move forward and focus on positivity. He also notes the value of authenticity in making music.

“Faking it won’t take you further. When you’re real, you can go through anything. Kapit ka lang sa sarili mo.”—CONTRIBUTED