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Black Eyed Peas Biography
Ever since they were a
fledgling group in the environs of Los Angeles, the Black Eyed Peas have
flaunted a passionate, energetic hip-hop spirit people have always been
drawn to.
They've earned fans worldwide
with their inventive approach to hip-hop music, inspiring people with
loose rhymes, and a positive spirit and funkafied vibe. On Elephunk, the
group's third album, that spirit seems to course through their beings even
more than ever.
The Black Eyed Peas--will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and newcomer Fergie--named
the album Elephunk to conjure up a big, deep funk sound. Produced in its
entirety by will.i.am and apl, the album boasts a mix of live instruments
and traditional hip-hop samples and beats. It also mixes the group's
breathless verbal acrobatics with a very conscious view of the world.
BEP's music has always been firmly entrenched in hip-hop, but also with an
eye to other musical forms. Elephunk, more than previous albums, seems to
transcend the simple genre categorization, something will.i.am admits was
intentional, both lyrically and musically. "This is a hip-hop record,
but we didn't go into this with hip-hop on our mind," says will.i.am.
"We were just thinking of good songs, good music.
We didn't want to say anything
typical, like, 'My style is this, and my rhymes are like that.' A couple
might have slipped in, but we were really tired of saying things like
that."
Elephunk was recorded in three different spurts over two years, beginning
in 2001. "We would record about eight songs each time,"
remembers will.i.am. "Then each time we went back, I felt I'd changed
and grown as a producer. So we'd do eight more songs, and those eight
would be better than the previous eight. It kept going until we were
done."
will.i.am's rhymes are clever
and irreverent, but it's his work as a producer on Elephunk that he's most
proud of. Songs like "Where Is The Love" (with Justin
Timberlake), the quickstepping fast-rap of "Hands Up," and the
Louis Armstrong growl of "Smells Like Funk" demonstrate not just
a sophisticated ear for new sounds but a head for interesting arrangements
and tight songwriting. will.i.am's talent lies in his ability to mold live
instruments, samples, and drum machines into a uniform sound. He's always
taken a musically broad perspective, and on this album, it shows more than
ever.
"My volition as a producer has definitely grown," he says.
"I think my understanding of music has grown: I've discovered new
ways of manifesting my thoughts into reality, and I know my equipment
better."
Elephunk also welcomes a new member into the BEP fold: Los Angeles native
Fergie. The singer met will.i.am at BEP shows around town and was invited
to join in on a recording session. In the studio, one song turned to three
turned to five turned to an invitation to join the group. Says Fergie
about her experience, "This group is just totally open to new ideas
and directions."
Some of those new directions on Elephunk include songs like
"Anxiety," which matches the Black Eyed Peas with popular
platinum rock band Papa Roach, whom they met and bonded with on tour. The
group's are really similar says will.i.am. "The energy between us was
thick. When we started talking to them, it was a real conversation, like
we were 60 and just hangin' out at a bus stop."
The song itself relates the tension of the world today with personal
struggles the members of the different groups have gone through into one,
hard-hitting rhythmic jam. "These last couple of years haven't been
easy," says will.i.am. "Is it guilt? Stress? Uncertainty over
what's going to happen in the next five years? Is it rap? Hip-hop? The
fact that everyone is clubbin' and gun-totin' and we're thought of as just
some fashionable motherf--kers? It's a whole bunch of stuff going
on."
Overall, will.i.am couldn't be happier with the way the album's turned
out, and he feels people will be open to the new directions the Black Eyed
Peas are going in. "The audience is smarter than they've ever
been," he says. "Maybe 10 years ago, they were run-of-the-mill,
but these kids today aren't the same. They've got it together."
Black Eyed Peas Links
Stacy Ferguson
Website
Black
Eyed Peas Official Website
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