Hev Abi's breakthrough is part of a wider peak in Filipino hip-hop's popularity caused by mainstream attention and streaming services.
[4] Hev Abi's earliest release on Spotify was the 2020 single "Pusong Bato", which he followed with an extended play (EP) titled Kwentong Jimenez in 2021.
[‡ 1][‡ 2] Hev Abi's newfound social media popularity earned him a string of successful singles, including "Para sa Streets", "QC Girls", and "Lil Kasalanan Shortie".
[6] Aside from being on Esquire Philippines and SunStar Davao's year-end lists of the best OPM releases, Kung Alam Mo Lang received little critical attention.
[‡ 3] After Kung Alam Mo Lang, Hev Abi continued to release singles and collaborations, starting with R&B singer Demi, on "Pakundangan".
[19][20] On August 23, 2024, Hev Abi released his fifth career project and mixtape, bahay namin maliit lamang, which consists of seven songs, including "pasulyap-sulyap" and "julie pakipot", with the latter being an interpolation of Eraserheads' single Ligaya.
[21] Hev Abi was inspired to start making music by emulating his favorite rappers, including Kanye West and Tyler, the Creator.
[13] His lyricism on Kung Alam Mo Lang is more personal compared to the bravado and confidence of his earlier work,[6] and the first half has love songs.
[14] Gelo Lasin, the editor-in-chief of Complex Philippines, ascribed Abi's mainstream success to how his lyrics can be sentimental, confident or "maangas" (proud) without seeming inauthentic or too offensive.