With a Filipino-themed EP coming up and a landmark deal with GMA Music under way, Grammy-award winning rapper Apl.de.ap intends to increase his artistic presence in home soil, where he plans to highlight “more amazing Filipino artists,” and create songs with hit-makers the likes of Lola Amour and Flow G.
MORE MUSIC SHARING, COLLABS
After formalizing his distribution partnership with GMA Music for the three-track EP, which includes a collaboration with OPM rock icon Bamboo, the Filipino-American rapper opened up about being home more and tapping local musicians – both as a way of giving back, and to keep his own creative juices flowing.
“I think nowadays it is me discovering more amazing Filipino artists here in our country, and I think they need to be more highlighted and heard around the world,” Apl.de.ap, born Allan Pineda Lindo, said when asked what keeps him motivated at this stage of his career.
“There is so much music to discover… so many kabayans to help. I am one of the lucky ones to have gotten the opportunity to make music for the world, and now I wanna bridge the gap and support our local music and artists,” the Black Eyed Peas founding member told GMA Regional TV News in an interview.
His upcoming GMA Music-distributed EP, for one, carries themes of national pride and global Pinoy spirit, bannered by the carrier single “Why,” in a collaboration with fellow former The Voice Philippines coach Bamboo.
The EP includes “Turn Around” featuring Fil-Am artist and Black Eyed Peas touring member J. Rey Soul; and a track entitled “Pinoy United” with Datu Khomeini, a Mindanaoan artist known as the ‘King of Moro Songs.’
Asked for local favorites from the country’s a-booming music scene, the Pampanga native excitedly said “so many!”
“I am discovering a lot of amazing artists, [I] collaborated with Sunkissed Lola. I wanna do a song with Lola Amour. More traditional. I am rediscovering our old school traditional music and incorporating it into my style,” Apl.de.ap shared.
“So, so many – from Illest Morena, Bamboo, Flow G, it is never ending. I am barely scratching the surface,” he added.
This desire to place more imprint on the local scene is one of the major reasons why Apl.de.ap has frequented the Philippines as of late, “I am making it a point to be home a lot, so I get to discover and meet different artists here.”
ADVOCACIES, PHILANTROPHY
Another compelling reason behind Apl.de.ap’s scheduled visits in the country is his advocacies focusing on the under-represented youth sector as well as agriculture.
The Apl.de.ap Foundation International (APLFI), a nonprofit organization “dedicated to empowering and supporting youth in need,” continues to raise funds to build classrooms, labs, and studios for young learners and creatives.
“Just helping our kabayans and the youth. Education is a ticket out of poverty, so we need to provide more education, vocational schools. With the world changing, we need to upskill our people to be able to compete and participate in what's going on around the world,” Apl.de.ap shared.
His farming advocacy, meanwhile, manifests itself through OMTSE, a non-government organization (NGO) that helps transform local agriculture into climate infrastructure by restoring degraded soil, enabling local farmers, and simply planting more trees.
Apl.de.ap’s advocacy traces its roots back to his farming-centric upbringing, being born and raised in Pampanga where he spent much of his childhood as his Filipino grandfather’s “designated Kalabaw driver.”
