Apl.de.ap

Allan Pineda Lindo known as Apl.de.ap, started 21 years ago, a journey around musics world, fulled of dreams that were getting achieved little by little. With 7 studio albums, whose sales reach over 60 millions of copies, massive tours around America, Europe and Asia, six grammy awards and top hits such as Where Is The Love, Pump It and I Gotta Feeling, thats pretty much the way that Black Eyed Peas has gotten a spot in the music industry. This musical projection was not but a utopia for a Philippine kid, who mixed up his studies with fishing and agriculture as well in order to help his single mother with the feeding of his siblings.

Born in Sapang Bato, Angeles City, Pampanga, in the Philippines, Apl.de.ap dreamed about becoming either an engineer or nursery, however he thought this was impossible due to the jokes made by his teachers and classmates because of the eye disease he has since he was a kid, the popular nystagmus, that causes a vibration involuntary and uncontrollable in his eyes, besides he suffers from blurry vision and myopia that makes it hard to recognize distant objects.

You will do nothing in the future if you are not even able to distinguish the board said Apls teacher at school. I knew it was going to be hard to do something on my own , but music gave me the way to achieve my dreams, I do not need to see well to create music but connect all my senses and have the passion for what I do added Apl.de.ap.

His taste for music started in 1989 when he was 14 and he moved to Los Angeles, California to finish his studies. Apl was part of the adoption program from the organization Pearl S. Buck where American families adopted a Filipino child to provide them education and a better quality of life. It was there, in high school when Apl realized his hearing and taste in music, which showed dancing and humming rhythms based on what he heard around, beside his classmate and best friend William Adams (Will.i.am) with whom years later he would form the band Black Eyed Peas.

Music was for him a scape from all the pain of being far away from his family and in a world which was totally different from The Philippines. The biggest challenge was the cultural shock and all the change. I got so scared, because I was pretty young and I was here all alone without my family, the hardest thing was to be far away from them, and in high school there was a bunch of gangs , but thanks God I always stepped away from it. I had music to focus on explained Apl.

During highschool, Apl and Will.i.am went to the mall on weekends in Glendale, California to practice dancing and rapping, they dance against other dancers and had competitions. They became popular in Glendale with their dance group called: Tribal Nation, but it was until 1992 when they went to Hollywood, California. Their first deal was with Ruthless Records, Eazy Es music label. They recorded a song with the popular rapper, named Merry Mother Fucking Christmas and they were going to release an album under the bands first name Atban Klann. However, that album never came out. Plans changed for Apl.de.ap, Will.i.am and Mc Mookie Mook (Atban Klann members) when Eazy E passed away and their deal ended. But they never give up; in 1997 they were signed to Interscope Records; Jaime Gomez known as Taboo joined the crew and thats how the popular band Black Eyed Peas was born.

When you ask Apl.de.ap about which has been the most satisfying moment in his career so far, his answer wont be exactly all the records he has gotten with the band but the chance to return to his home country at the age of 31: The show in Philippines, I had never cried before coming out to stage as I did that day my whole family was there and it was my country, my people. Apl has become an icon in his home country, in 2006 when Black Eyed Peas showed up for the very first time in The Philippines, the army and the Filipino President welcomed them at the airport and they attended to the concert. Besides, they also commemorated that day in his honor and he has received numerous awards as a role model.

Apl.de.ap has been recognized for his philanthropic work and for representing his culture around the world. In 2006, The Filipino American Library gave the role model award to Apl.de.ap, two years later; XCM Gala gave him a special recognition. More recently, in 2012, Apl was named Peace Ambassador in Philippines, he also received the Presidential Award, The Outstanding Young Men Award and a recognition from the Philippine Arts and Culture. His impact in the Philippines has been showed through different campaigns, Apl.de.ap became tourism ambassador in 2009, and he even released a music video for the song called: Take me to the Philippines. Apl has filmed commercials and signed deals with the most popular beer in Philippines, San Miguel Pale Pilsen, also he joined to Smart Communication for a new campaign, that includes Jump In, a song featuring American idols star, Jessica Sanchez.

In the last four years, Apl.de.ap has been engaged in helping poor kids from Philippines, through The Apl.de.ap Foundation, with which he raises funds to encourage children to study. In 2011, he launched his campaign We can be anything that aims to build 10,000 classrooms around his home country in a period of two years , the singer states that the most important thing for him is to help the children who needs it the most. With no education we can do nothing, if we work hard on something and then it does not work, at least education will be there as a backup, it is a plus, and I like giving opportunities to people especially children who have no chances to study, certainly they deserve it."

He offers not only a place to study for children but also he complemented the Filipino youth learning by building computer labs and a music library for the primary school and high school from the city he grew up. Additionally to Black Eyed Peas, the musician created his own music label called: Jeepney Music, which is an entity of change created to give back to the Philippines and the globe, while simultaneously providing emerging artists and DJs promotional and collaborative opportunities to work with Apl.

Apl.de.ap has showed his talent as a DJ performing at the most important DJ festivals, such as: Tomorrowland and at popular clubs in Dubai, Israel, Ibiza, Philippines, Brazil and United States.

Rapper, songwriter, producer, DJ and proud of his country, thats how you can describe Apl.de.ap, a man that no matter where he goes always carries the Philippine flag on his heart, and focus on giving back to people in need.