Members
The Black Eyed Peas is made up of four members. Rapper will.i.am is the unofficial leader of the group, and provides the majority of the rap vocals. His counterparts, Apl.De.Ap and Taboo, have been with the band since their conception in 1995, and also provide rapping vocals. Fergie, the female addition to the band, joined in 2003, after a previous female vocalist, Kim Hill, departed in 2003.
Many fans and critics claim The Black Eyed Peas mainstream success is owed to Fergie, whose addition triggered Elephunk, the bands 2003 album, and launched the band as a worldwide smash success. Fergie has gone on to produce an independant album, as has will.i.am.
Albums
Behind The Front was released in 1998, was relatively successful for a new hip hop band. Bridging the Gap was released in 2000, and took another significant step towards the bands success. Compared with the more recent follow ups, however, these two early albums are virtually unknown by Black Eyed Peas fans, and emphasise the bands hip hop roots far more than their later pop albums.
Elephunk was released in 2003, and is marked as the break-through album for the Black Eyed Peas. The single Where is the Love? featuring Justin Timberlake scored the band their first number one hit in the UK and Australia, and entered the top ten in the US. This was followed up with other big singles such as Shut Up, Hey Mama and the contentiously titled Let's Get Retarded. When released as a single, the band changed the song lyrics to Let's Get It Started, winning them a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2005.
Monkey Business was released in 2005, and tread a similar path to Elephunk. Similar in design, sound and success, the band had found their recipe for incredible popularity. The album's singles include Don't Phunk With My Heart, Don't Lie and My Humps. The singles scored well internationally and earned them another two Grammys.
After Monkey Business' success, Fergie and will.i.am persued individual interests and the band didn't reform until 2009 to produce their fifth studio album The E.N.D. It's first single Boom Boom Pow, once again climbed the charts internationally, and marks a new artistic direction for the band. With a heavier hip hop sound, the band appear to be returning to their hip hop roots.
The Music
The Black Eyed Peas represent a unique sound that manages to merge hip hop and pop with a sense of humour that proliferates through all their music. Songs such as My Humps or Let's Get Retarded, show a band wiling to make fun of themselves and have so far been rewarded for this attitude. The merging of rap with a mainstream female pop vocal, as provided by Fergie, makes The Black Eyed Peas a band that many may try and replicate, but virtually none have reached success.
You can find out more about the band at their official website www.blackeyedpeas.com, or will.i.am's blog at www.dipdive.com.
