Spitting bars behind bars: Hev Abi takes the stage at Quezon City Jail

MANILA — Jailed rapper Hev Abi, whose real name is Gabriel Abilla, continued to pursue his craft as he performed inside the Quezon City Jail during the kickoff ceremony of the National Correctional Consciousness Week.

Although his face was blurred in a video posted by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Quezon City Jail-Male Dormitory on Sunday, social media users identified the rapper through his tattoos.

Hev Abi performed some of his hit songs, including “Babaero” and “Alam Mo Ba Girl,” with fellow inmates singing along.

The Facebook post has garnered some 2 million views as of Monday.

“Celebrating the spirit of correctional service, rehabilitation, and the potential for positive change,” the Quezon City Jail-BJMP said in its caption.

Hev Abi was arrested in April in Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City, after authorities served a search warrant for firearms. The search yielded a 9mm pistol, a magazine, and live ammunition.

The search team also recovered four sealed plastic bags containing a substance confirmed to be cocaine, as well as 11 cartridges suspected to contain liquid marijuana.

Hev Abi, who has 5.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, is known for songs such as “WELCOME2DTQ” and “Para Sa Streets.”

Other high-profile detainees at the Quezon City Jail include Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta, Congressman Martin Romualdez, former Congressman Mike Defensor, and several former Department of Public Works and Highways officials and other government personnel.