“That’s not what ‘Masamang Damo’ is about. But… the fact that people thought it could be about that person? That tells you everything about the toxicity in this industry.” Jessa reveals that the idea for the re-recording came not from a place of revenge, but from a therapy session. In 2022, following her very public battle with anxiety and burnout, her therapist suggested she “revisit old songs that felt like poison.”
“Before this, I was a 90s relic to some. Now, I’m the woman who burned her own demons on stage. Target exclusive? The only target was my past self. And I hit the bullseye.” jessa zaragoza masamang damo target exclusive
When Jessa released her raw, stripped-down version of the classic folk-rock anthem “Masamang Damo” (Weed), it was initially met with confusion. The original track, popularized by the band Asin, is a political allegory about societal ills. But Jessa’s version—slower, more sorrowful, and hauntingly personal—felt different. Then came the “target exclusive” leak: a rumor that the song was aimed directly at a specific, unnamed person in the music industry. “That’s not what ‘Masamang Damo’ is about
“I saw the rumor,” Jessa says, her voice calm but firm during our exclusive Zoom call. “They said I was targeting a ‘veteran diva’ who stole my backing band. They even named a specific ‘target exclusive’ contract where I was allegedly blacklisted from a major casino residency.” In 2022, following her very public battle with
“When you sing a protest song like a lament, people assume you are accusing someone. They think the ‘exclusive target’ is a rival. But the exclusive target was . I was eradicating the old Jessa who accepted disrespect.” The Industry Fallout: Who Did Everyone Think It Was? While Jessa refuses to name names, she confirms that three different camp managers from rival singers reached out after the song’s release. “One of them threatened a libel case. Another sent a ‘peace offering’ of expensive wine. I didn’t drink it.”
Jessa confirms: “I did receive a letter saying my version ‘encroached on a trademarked arrangement.’ But ‘Masamang Damo’ is a public domain folk song. You cannot own a weed.” The climax of this controversy happened on July 12, 2024, during Jessa’s “Soul Reset” concert at the Music Museum. Midway through the show, a section of the audience held up placards reading: “Who is the masamang damo?”
In this exclusive deep-dive, Jessa Zaragoza reveals the pain, the rivalry, and the ultimate redemption behind the viral controversy. The term “target exclusive” began circulating on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok after a blind item from a showbiz columnist hinted that Jessa’s new rendition was not a cover, but a “sub rosa diss track.” The blind item claimed that the “masamang damo” referred not to actual weeds or political corruption, but to a notorious “rival singer” who allegedly sabotaged Jessa’s concert series in 2019.