He's rocked stages across the globe and built a successful career as one-fourth of the hit group Black Eyed Peas (BEP), but apl.de.ap did it all without being able to fully see.
The 36-year-old rapper, born Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr., recently revealed to People Magazine that he is legally blind and was diagnosed with the rare disease nystagmus, a challenging obstacle which he claims to have overcome.
The condition, which involuntarily makes the eye move, has been as difficult as one would expect given the group's demanding physical schedule, but apl claims he's figured out a way to manage the affliction. "I doubted myself for a long time... I'm comfortable not using my vision. I weave around my problems," explained the Filipino entertainer.
As part of the Black Eyed Peas, apl has sold millions of albums worldwide, recently selling more than 11 million copies of their 2009 album 'The E.N.D.' The group embarked on their extensive 'The E.N.D. World Tour' in September 2009 and finished the jaunt in November 2010.
BEP will next grace the stage during the Super Bowl XLV as the game's halftime show performers.
It means he can see, but has extremely bad eyesight. I went to school with someone who was legally blind. He wore glasses and still had to put a piece of paper right up to his face to read it. It was sad.
So doesn't that make him the second BEP with a condition? Doesn't Will.i.am suffer from constant ringing in his ears (tinnitus)?
Yeah but Tinnitus is a very common symptom, with over than 50m people in the US suffering from it. I have it too, it's annoying but you can live with it.
I see the angle their going with; Will has tinnitus, Apl is blind, Fergie has a crippling case of gout. Support us while you can, we might not live past the age of 40.
