Right after electrifying the stage with his unreleased single “WIND IT!” at the Filipino Music Awards with artists Illest Morena and Fana, Black Eyed Peas’ Apl.de.ap returns to his dressing room to take a breath. There, Rolling Stone Philippines struck up a quick conversation with him about where Filipino music should be headed next. He believes it’s going global.
Illest Morena is among the newer OPM acts that Apl says excite him the most, especially in the realm of hip-hop. He named rapper Flow G and Filipino hip-hop mainstay Gloc-9, and also mentioned the six-piece rock band SunKissed Lola. “It’s something I’ve never heard before. [Their music] is in Tagalog, but the musicality is like… world stage,” Apl says of the band hailing from Zambales, which is a stone’s throw away from his home province of Pampanga.
After Black Eyed Peas’ Manila show in August, the rapper has been going around the Philippines pursuing other endeavors, such as his 100 Million Coconut Trees for the Climate project in Liliw, Laguna and Brooke’s Point, Palawan. He cited the project as a “return to [his] roots,” being the grandson of a farmer.
Whether it’s in agriculture or music, Apl has always been about bringing Filipino talent to the global stage. He says, “Right now is the moment. OPM is being recognized around the world. I see a lot of videos on YouTube, of people abroad making reactions to Filipino artists. I’ve never seen that before.”
“It’s kind of like when you cook chicken adobo. You just want to keep it for yourself, because it’s your home cooking. But I think knowledge-wise, it’s time to share our chicken adobo,” he added. “It’s just going to grow bigger from now on. I like how new artists are finding their own genre without having to follow the Western style all the time. They’re making their own. It’s a revolution.”
When asked what more local artists need, Apl says, “Us. Sometimes, we wait until they make it outside of the Philippines to support them. I think we should support them from the beginning. It’s like K-Pop. The whole country is behind the artists and the community. So, we need to do the same thing.”
Apl also reflected on the rising trend of marketing music on TikTok. “Don’t make music for TikTok. Just let TikTok create the trend, so you keep the integrity of music,” he said. “We spend a lot of time in the studio trying to perfect sounds. We want the new generation to enjoy how we used to listen to music, and also to train their brains to listen to music again for hours.”
Instead, he says, companies should be investing more in quality and promotion. “I think it’s time to put in some capital in the artists, in the quality, and promotion. Even a great movie needs some promotion. I think we need to start promoting OPM not just in the Philippines but around the world.”
He adds, “This [Filipino Music Awards] is a great stepping stone in creating value and recognizing our own. That’s why this awards show is so important.”
Filipino Music Awards 2025 is presented by Modern Media Group Inc.
Produced by AGC Power Holdings Corp.
Catch the official telecast on TV5 on the following dates:
Part 1: October 25, 2025 | 9:45 PM
Part 2: October 26, 2025 | 9:30 PM
Official Styling Partners Patricia Pascual Designs, Continuiti, and AECIA
