As Pinoy as the jeepney

VIRTUAL beer bath for apl at the presscon. Photo by Richard Reyes

His color is African-American and his Mohawk hairstyle harks back to the punk tribes of Britain. No matter, apl.de.ap proudly wears his Pinoy identity on his ring—a two-finger-wide, silver model of a jeepney with “Angeles Pampanga” carved on it.

The Los Angeles-based, Filipino-American hip-hop artist is here to shoot a TV commercial for San Miguel Beer (SMB) Pale Pilsen, which formally signed him to an endorsement deal at a press conference on Monday at the San Miguel Corp. head office in Ortigas Center.

There was no hesitation on his part when he got the offer, apl said, “because the product is made in the Philippines.”

Besides, he pointed out, his “favorite things” to do in life, whenever time permits, are going home to Pampanga, hanging out with friends and family, and “drinking San Mig in a pitsel.”

Rock star

Looking every inch the flashy rock star in a custom-made red leather jacket with spikes and studs that SMB executives had given him, apl revealed his ongoing projects while his group, the Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas (BEP), is on indefinite hiatus.

A solo album is in the works, which will include collaborations with another Fil-Am and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, Bruno Mars, as well as international Pinoy pop star Charice, and young Pinoy YouTube discovery Arjohn Gilbert.

“Arjohn is from Pampanga, too,” apl said. “I want to help develop [his talent] … I’ll be recording him here. But mostly it will be in the US.”

Apl will be covering more Asin songs on the new record (“The Apl Song” from BEP’s 2003 album “Elephunk” was sampled from Asin’s “Balita”); plus a Florante original. The album will be released on Interscope and Jeepney Music, his independent label.

Advocacy

VIRTUAL beer bath for apl at the presscon. Photo by Richard Reyes

Born Allan Pineda Lindo—whose American serviceman father left his Filipino mother shortly after apl’s birth in Sapang Bato, Pampanga—the Pinoy BEP has been involved of late in advocacy projects focusing on education.

Last year, he got Hewlett-Packard to sponsor desktop computers, and Ayala Foundation to provide books, for his alma maters Holy Angel University and Sapang Bato Elementary School.

“They’re doing great!” apl said of the students, whose progress he diligently monitors. “I’ve got a couple of scholars who will study in Holy Angel after graduating from Sapang Bato. And I’ve been collaborating with technologists in San Francisco who will teach the kids how to write computer codes.”

At the press con, San Miguel Brewery president Roberto N. Huang announced that apl’s contract “goes beyond endorsing” the product. He said SMB and San Miguel Foundation were partnering to help apl realize his vision of building 10,000 classrooms for poor Filipino schoolchildren.

SMB, apl confirmed, is bankrolling the construction of eight classrooms.

Apl’s new TV commercial will also feature Kris Aquino, who arrived a few minutes after the press con started. “I’m just so flattered to be doing this with you,” Kris told apl. She thanked him for doing the country proud through his music.

Asked how crucial it was to have celebrity endorsers and how the practice translated to product sales, Huang said: “It’s hard to quantify … It’s more our way of giving back to consumers … for them to enjoy those commercials.”

Reading from a prepared speech, apl told SMB officials and the media, in straight Filipino: “Walang katulad ang mainit niyong pagtanggap sa akin (Nothing beats the warm reception you are giving me).”

The TV commercial, which advertising agency McCann Erickson is producing, started shooting on Monday and would wind up within the week.