Alas Alvarez

Joshua Magsilong Alvarez (born March 28, 2001), also known professionally as Alas Alvarez or simply Alas (stylized in all caps), is a Filipino rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is the lead rapper of the P-pop boy band Alamat, who are known for their multilingual, multicultural advocacy. Alvarez is the group's representative for Cebuano speakers. He is the first active member of Alamat to release a solo single with "Don't Play", a hip-hop track written in Cebuano, Tagalog, and English released on February 7, 2025.

In 2026, Alvarez was revealed as a cast member in Hell University, a mystery horror series. He portrays Luke, a "dangerous" member of the fictional Black Blood Gang.

Early life and education Joshua Magsilong Alvarez was born on March 28, 2001 in Davao City. He is of Visayan and Tausūg descent. He dropped out of eighth grade to work and support his family. He was also a youth coordinator for Let's Do It! Philippines in Davao, a grassroots environmental campaign with a focus on uplifting the Lumad (Indigenous ethnic groups in Mindanao). He also trained in sports such as sepak takraw, kickboxing, and MMA. He was given the position of lead rapper in the group and became their representative for Cebuano (Bisaya) speakers. In a feature by Vice News, Alvarez was quoted as saying, "For many years, especially in Luzon, Visayan or the Visayan accent, has often been used as a device for comedy. In our own little way, through the music of Alamat, we seek to contribute in reversing this[…] portrayal of not just Visayans but 'probinsyanos' (people from the countryside) in general. Seeing 'Kbye' reach a large number of people gives me the feeling that we are on the right track." "Noli" , and "Dong-Dong-Ay". He spoke of his process in an interview with Teen Vogue, explaining, "I'm personally the one in charge of beats so I like looking up and including local instruments when I can, like the kudyapi or kulintang." On November 30, 2023, Alvarez won Top Male Rapper of the Year at the 8th P-pop Music Awards.

On February 2, 2025, Viva first announced Alvarez' solo debut, "Don't Play", a hip-hop track with lyrics in Cebuano, Tagalog, and English. The lyrics are from the perspective of a man in love with a woman who plays games with him emotionally. He hopes for her to stop playing those games and be honest about how she feels about him, hence the title "Don't Play". Alvarez wrote, produced, mixed, mastered, and engineered the song by himself. Fellow Viva artist Yen Durano (also known as Yennybooo) and the other members of Alamat joined him at the event. In an interview with Billboard Philippines, Alvarez revealed that "Don't Play" had already been composed in 2021 or 2022, but had undergone many changes through the years. He also shared that his plan was to release a solo album or extended play, but decided that he would release a song every one or two months instead to avoid feeling pressure. Alvarez also released a lyric visualizer video for "Don't Play", which he conceptualized. Samantha Radaza of the Visayan magazine Kasing2 praised the song for leaning into its simple boy-meets-girl narrative without overcomplicating it, as well as Alvarez' songwriting and "charismatic" performance.

In 2025, he was nominated for P-pop Favorite Rapper of the Year at the 10th P-pop Music Awards.

In 2026, Alvarez was revealed as a cast member in season one of Hell University, a mystery horror series. He portrays Luke, a "dangerous" member of the fictional Black Blood Gang. Writing for Kasing2, Radaza named his performance as one of the season's best. Calling him a "screen presence that is difficult to ignore", she stated that his portrayal seemed to be that of a formally trained actor's even though it was his television debut.

Discography

As lead artist Title Year Album "Don't Play"2025Non-album singleAttributed to multiple sources:

Music videos Year Title Artist 2025 "Don't Play" Alas Soloist You Stan The MostAlas