The Black Eyed Peas

Notable for their skillful mixing such genres as hip-hop, R&B and jazz, and thought provoking, profound lyrics, the American band The Black Eyed Peas are entitled to be one of the best representatives of the world pop-music. The lineup of this LA-based outfit consists of Allen Pineda Lindo, known as apl.de.ap, Jamie Gomez, giving the moniker Taboo, William James Adams, who picked the stage name will.i.am, and the only female member, Fergie. The story of the group started in 1989 after will.i.am met apl.de.ap. and both decided to form a band under the title Atban Klann. The duet performed nicely in Los Angeles and signed a contract with Ruthless Records in 1992. However, this company failed to release the debut album by the two musicians and in 1995 they started looking for a new label. Around the same time, the group grew to the trio’s size after Taboo joined them, and was renamed to The Black Eyed Peas.

In 1997 the beginning band made an agreement with Interscope Records and, a year later, issued their first long player, Behind the Front. The album collected good reviews from many experts who noticed the confident and revolutionary song-writing approach utilized by The Black Eyed Peas. The release of their subsequent studio work took place in 2000. The making of Bridging the Gap involved a streak of celebrated performers including DJ Premier, Wyclef Jean, Mos Def, De La Soul, Jurassic 5's Chali 2na, and Macy Gray, and the new member of the group, Fergie. The album appeared a colorful and interesting piece, but it was the third record by The Black Eyed Peas that brought them world fame. Elephunk saw the light of the day in 2003. It sold more than seven million copies in the USA and Europe with the hits Where Is the Love?, Shut Up, and Hey Mama finding the everlasting love with the multitudes of music fans from all over the globe. The best evidence of the American band’s success was the nomination for Where Is the Love? to the Best Record of the Year at the forty sixth annual Grammy Award Ceremony. The Black Eyed Peas became the symbol of the music that erased all the boundaries between races, ages, nationalities and genders. In 2004, the song Let's Get Started, renamed to Let’s Get Retarted, was chosen for John Kerry’s presidential campaign. The same composition was featured in the commercial for NBA. In the end, the hit received Grammy as the Best Rap Performance of a Duo or Group 2005.

The Black Eyed Peas once again maintained their status of the American leading pop-act after the release of their album Monkey Business (2005). The record featured a very energetic type of music that sounded splendidly on the stage. Among all the tracks featured there, Don't Phunk With My Heart was the most special as it soared to the third position in Billboard Hot 100. The album harvested an abundance of prestigious national and international awards, while its promotional tour was an event to remember for both the band and the fans. It was the time to take a break and think over what to do next to please the supporters. To keep them busy, The Black Eyed Peas issued a small collection called Renegotiations: The Remixes (2006). In 2009, music lovers were happy to find at stores the group’s new long-anticipated album. Its title, The E.N.D., raised sad ideas about the group’s coming collapse. Nevertheless, will.i.am quickly comforted everybody with the statement that it was simply an acronym for The Energy Never Dies. Before the release of the album, The Black Eyed Peas presented five songs as singles, including the hit Boom Boom Pow. Based on this composition, the group also delivered the mini-album Invasion of Boom Boom Pow – Megamix E.P., featuring six various remixes of the given track. In 2010 the musicians released the sixth studio album titled The Beginning, which demonstrated the development of ideas, presented on The E.N.D. Music lovers again got the powerful and original sound, while experts acclaimed the strong record. The long play The Beginning turned out to be a great proof of the fact that The Black Eyed Peas are going to keep on rocking.