Talk It Out with Jodi Leib

Published in All Access Magazine on September 19, 2003
Interviewed in June, 2003

Jodi Leib: I'm on tour with the very special Apl.de.Ap from The Black Eyed Peas.
 

Apl.d.Ap: Whatz up, ya'll.

Jodi Leib: How ya doin Apl?

Apl.d.Ap: Doing good. You know...just a little tired, but we're gonna keep this going.

Jodi Leib: What motivates you, what's your passion, what drives your being?

Apl.d.Ap: What drives me is my family, cause I'm from Philippines, I'm adopted. My whole goal is to bring my family over here, so they can have a better living, cause it's hard in the Philippines to have this lifestyle.

Jodi Leib: That's really special. And what do you hope they will accomplish?

Apl.d.Ap: My siblings will get a better education. My sister, I put her through Nursing School in the Philippines, but I want her to get a job over here, because, you know, the pay is much better, and, just get my other siblings into a better school so they can be whatever they want to be.

Jodi Leib: You guys are the most Down-to-Earth group! Your heart is just so in the right place! I'm just amazed by it. How do you find your spirituality? Where do you come from to regroup and to be able to have such a strong identity?

Apl.d.Ap: I think for me it comes from where I'm from, like when I go back over to Philippines and I see how life is like over there, that's what grounds me. When I come back over here, it's like, damn, I've got opportunities that a lot of people don't have, you know? So I just try to take all that opportunity and work it, you know, cause you never know when it's going to end, you know?

Jodi Leib: Yes! So, never give up. What are some words of wisdom you could offer your fans?

Apl.d.Ap: I'd say "The next day, try harder." That's what I have on my phone when I turn it on.

Jodi Leib: Nice. It's true because there are so many obstacles in life. You could easily get bogged down by all the barriers that are set before us, but how do you break through? How do you gain the confidence to take it to the next level?

Apl.d.Ap: It's just as you go, and you keep on doing the same things, you're going to progress yourself. Then you start learning new things as you're doing it. You go through the motions and it becomes like a pattern. After a while you memorize it so good, you start coming up with new things. You know, that's how I do it, and I say my Serenity Prayer.

Jodi Leib: I say that!

Apl.d.Ap: Yeah.

Jodi Leib: And praying for the willingness.

Apl.d.Ap: Yeah, yeah. The willingness. You know, when I can't have something that I want, I'm just like...

Jodi Leib: We can do it...Dear God...

Apl and Jodi together: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

Jodi: I made up one. I have my own.

Apl.d.Ap: Oh yeah?

Jodi Leib: Yeah. Dear God, grant me the willingness to be open to new ideas and new people, grant me the serenity to like who I am, and the ability to have fun in life.

Apl.d.Ap: Nice. That's dope. Yeah, you gotta have fun in whatever you do, ya know. That's how it is. When you enjoy it, you do it better.

Jodi Leib: Totally. Thank you so much Apl. You're so beautiful.

The Black Eyed Peas are currently on tour with Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera.

Please visit www.blackeyedpeas.com for more band information.