Apl de ap

Allan Pineda Lindo, (b. 28 November 1974) better known as apl.de.ap, is a Hip hip hop musician and member of the The Black Eyed Peas. He was born in the Barangay (Barrio) of Sapangbato, Angeles City, Pampanga, in the Philippines, to a Filipina mother and an AfricanAmerican father. Apl.de.ap stands for Allan Pineda Lindo of Angeles City, Pampanga.[1]

Pineda was born on 28 November 1974 in Barangay Sapang Bato, Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines, to a Filipina and an African-American airman stationed at Clark Air Base. Cristina Pineda, his mother, strove to make ends meet while raising six children. Pineda would help her by making hour-long rides to Angeles City to sell sweet potatoes, corn, sugar cane and rice. It was during these trips when he first encountered his love for music and break dancing. He would later reminisce, "I would see kids at the corner break-dancing and I'm like, 'I wanna do that'."[2] At the age of 11, Pineda was diagnosed with nystagmus, a condition characterized by involuntary eye movements. The Pearl S. Buck Foundation, an organization that finds healthier living environments for abandoned or orphaned Amerasian youths, matched Pineda with a sponsor, Joe Ben Hudgens, through their dollar-a-day program.[2] The young Pineda went to America to cure his condition. During a trip to Disneyland, he expressed an interest in living in the US. Little did he know that his wish would come true eventually. After three years, Hudgens legally adopted him. [1]Pineda remembers: "I left in the afternoon, and it was the saddest sunset ever. I didn't know where I was going. I was 14, and I'm getting on this plane by myself, and I could see the sun set."[3][4] When Pineda got to Los Angeles, California, he attended John Marshall High School. He barely spoke English because he knew only 'Tagalog' and 'Kapampangan' during the time, and he felt overwhelmed. He recalls: "All these kids are like, Where you from? And I was like, From Philippines.[3][4] To help him adapt to his new environment, Hudgens asked for help from his sister's friend, who brought in Will (Will.i.am). Pineda describes Will.i.am as "the very first friend I made in Los Angeles."[3] After a few months, Pineda gained his confidence. Although he was exposed to gangs that surrounded the LA district, he was able to avoid it by indulging himself in music and dancing, a trait he shared with Will.i.am. In his next year in John Marshall HS, he befriended Filipino-American Jaime Lim Munson, better known as DJ Poet Name Life, the Black Eyed Peas' co-producer and mixer. Pineda later transferred to Curie High School in Chicago, IL where he was offered a better chance of musical expression. Once in a while, he still visits the school to reminisce.[1] [edit] Career Pineda and Will.i.am initially formed a break dancing crew called Tribal Nation, which was a regular at various parties and events in South California. From 1992 to1995, the crew was re-named Atban Klann (A Tribe Beyond a Nation), and included MC Mookie Mook, Dante Santiago and producer DJ Motiv8. Atban Klann was signed to Eric Lynn Wright's (Eazy-E) label Ruthless Records. However, their debut album Grass Roots never released, and in 1995, Eazy-E died suddenly due to AIDS.[5] By 1995, Jaime Luis Gmez (Taboo) and Kim Hill joined the group, which again changed its name to the Black Eyed Pods. They released their next album Behind the Front in 1998, andBridging the Gap in 2000. With Black Eyed Peas

It was not up until 2002, when Fergie, their current female vocalist, joined the group, that they had their shot at the big time. The band renamed themselves the Black Eyed Peas. They then released their third official album Elephunk. Where Is the Love? featuring Justin Timberlake was the BEP's first major hit, peaking at #8 in the US Hot 100 and #1 on the UK's Billboard. The group also got similar ratings in Australia. They later released another single, Shut Up, which went Gold and Platinum in the US and other European markets. Included in Elephunk was two other hits, Hey Mama and Let's Get Retarded, as well as The Apl Song, the video for which was directed by Patricio Ginelsa from Kid Heroes Productions, the same firm that made the Fil-Am movie Debut. One interesting feature of the song is the sample of Asin's Balita. In an interview regarding the song, Pineda commented, "Coming from the Philippines my whole goal was to support my family and have a better living situation."[6] The song also has a reference to the suicide of Pineda's younger brother Arnel. The artist said: "Trying to pursue my dream took up a lot of my time, and I got separated from my family a little bit ... I was separated from my brothers and sisters. Some good things happened to them and some bad things happened to some of them."[6] In 2004, the group released Monkey Business, an album in what was already their trademark style. Its singles include the hits Don't Phunk With My Heart, Don't Lie and My Humps, which won them two Grammys. Like in their last album, Apl wrote a song with Filipino lyrics: Bebot, which premiered in July 2006. Bebot (lit. pretty woman, hot chick, babe) featured Asian-American ethnicities in its Generation Two music video which was filmed primarily in Kenneth Hahn Park, LA. Bebot's Generation One music video, meanwhile, was a tribute to Filipino immigrants to America during the early 1900s and founded a small Filipino community in Stockton called Little Manila. Similar communities soon spread and functioned similarly to Chinatown.[7] After Monkey Business, each of the band members pursued individual careers. Pineda returned to the Philippines for a short vacation. In 2009, the BEPs released their album The E.N.D., which introduced new songs such as I Gotta Feeling, Boom Boom Pow, Imma Be, Alive, and Meet Me Halfway, as well as many other remixed hit singles and fan favorites. In addition to the mix is the Tagalog song Mare.[1] Jeepney Music Inc. and Mama Pilipina Pineda soon decided to manage a California-based record label, Jeepney Music Inc., dedicated to helping and teaching aspiring performers in the industry. Recently, Jeepney Music made its way to the Philippines, incorporating RnB, Western hip-hop and rock beats with Pineda's original songs.[1][8] The artist, with Will.i.am as his executive director, is also set to release his solo album, entitled Mama Pilipina, which features his singles Shake (featuring Fergie), Dance With You, Back Away, Repeat It Loud (featuring Madonna and Justin Timberlake), and Put Your Hands Up. The album also includes You Can Dream with Billy Crawford, which debuted onWowowee.[1]