Black Eyed Peas - Music for the soul
The Black Eyed Peas are an ultra-popular hip hop group that originated in Los Angeles, California. They have obtained huge success in the past few years with hit that combines the sounds of hip hop, rap, alternative rap, and pop.
The Black Eyed Peas began forming back in 1989 when will.i.am (William Adams) and Apl.de.ap (Allen Pineda) met and began rapping and performing together around Los Angeles. The duo signed onto Ruthless Records, which was run by Eazy-E. Along with another friend, Dante Santiago, they called their group Atban Klann. However, their debut album was never released. In 1995, Atban Klann renamed the group Black Eyed Peas and replaced Dante Santiago with Taboo (Jaime Gomez). They also added Kim Hill as a background vocalist. The Black Eyed Peas strayed from the norm of the day by dressing differently and styling their music in a different way than the “Gangsta Rap” music of the Los Angeles-based hip hop acts at the time. Through the mid-nineties, the Black Eyed Peas performed on the local club circuit and were soon signed to Interscope Records. Their debut album “Behind the Front” was released in 1998 and earned critical acclaim. The hit single from the album was “Joints and Jam.” Their second album was “Bridging the Gap,” released in 2000 which contained the hit song “Request + Line” featuring Macy Gray.
The Black Eyed Peas breakout album was Elephunk, which was released in 2003, featuring the debut of their new female vocalist, Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson, who replaced Kim Hill who left the band in 2000. From Elephunk came the anti-war anthem “Where is the Love?” which became their first major hit, peaking at number 8 on the United States Hot 100. The song topped the charts practically everywhere else, including six weeks at number one in the UK, where it became the biggest selling single of 2003. Elephunk earned worldwide success and went gold and platinum in the United States, UK, Germany and many other European countries.
The hit song “Let’s Get it Started” was actually called “Let’s Get Retarded.” The song was redone with much less offensive lyrics and became the theme song for the NBA Finals in 2004. The song earned the Black Eyed Peas a Grammy in 2005 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Their next album “Monkey Business” was released in June 2005. The album’s first single, “Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” was a hit in the United States, reaching number three on the Billboard charts. The Black Eyed Peas earned yet another Grammy for the song and the album went triple platinum.
The Black Eyed Peas are currently on tour. Check out their website for more information about tour dates, how to get tickets, and for more information about the band and its music.