This Los Angeles, California, USA-based multi-ethnic rap crew joined artists such as Black Star, Jurassic 5 and the Roots at the forefront of the cultural and musical renaissance in hip-hop at the end of the twentieth century. The manifesto of Will.I.Am (b. William James Adams Jnr., 15 March 1975, Los Angeles, California, USA), Apl.de.Ap (b. Allen Pineda, 28 November 1974, Pampanga, the Philippines) and Taboo (b. Jaime Gomez, 14 July 1975) is clear. They aim to unite musical communities by serving up radio-friendly tunes while maintaining their hardcore integrity.
Will.I.Am and Apl.de.Ap first met in 1989 as eighth grade students, and began performing around the Los Angeles district as Atban Klann. An abortive recording contract with Ruthless Records left them wary but unbowed, and after recruiting Taboo in 1995 the newly named Black Eyed Peas were finally rewarded with a major label contract with Interscope Records. The trio’s 1998 debut, Behind The Front, adopted the musical aesthetic of the Roots, with the three MCs rhyming in front of a live band that eschewed samples and scratching to create an organic, up-tempo groove. Up-and-coming soul singer Macy Gray was featured on one track, and repeated the favour two years later on the trio’s second album, Bridging The Gap. Sticking to their non-confrontational manifesto, this superb album confirmed Black Eyed Peas as the spiritual and musical heirs of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. Despite all the critical plaudits, however, the album suffered the same fate as its predecessor in failing to set the charts alight.
After a brief hiatus, the Black Eyed Peas reunited in 2003 with female vocalist Fergie (b. Stacy Ann Ferguson, 27 March 1975, Hacienda Heights, California, USA; ex-Wild Orchid) now a full-time member. Their third album, Elephunk, generated a surprise UK chart-topper in September with the brilliant single ‘Where Is The Love?’, which featured that year’s favourite former boy band singer, Justin Timberlake. The Black Eyed Peas enjoyed a second UK hit in December when the follow-up ‘Shut Up’ reached number 2, and further transatlantic hits confirmed the group’s remarkable rise as a commercial force. Elephunk also finally broke the group in their native America and went on to achieve double platinum status. Released in autumn 2005, their fourth album Monkey Business was premiered by the hit single ‘Don’t Phunk With My Heart’. The album, which narrowly missed the top slot in the USA, also featured the transatlantic hit singles ‘Don’t Lie’ and ‘My Humps’. A growing number of critics bemoaned the fact that Ferguson’s strident vocals now seemed to be dominating the group’s sound.
