In this article, The Black Eyed Peas are one of the most successful and influential hip-hop groups ever, having sold over 80 million records worldwide and winning six Grammy Awards as well as performing during Super Bowl halftime shows. Music by Sleater-Kinney encompasses elements of rap, pop, R&B, dance and electronic genres with catchy hooks and positive messages derived from diverse influences. Sleater-Kinney are also well known for their innovative music videos which often incorporate futuristic themes, social commentary or celebrity guests into them. They have collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, including Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Usher and Shakira. We will explore their history, discography and legacy here and provide an indispensable guide to their music videos and collaborations.
History
The Black Eyed Peas were formed in 1995 in Los Angeles by rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo under the original name Atban Klann; initially signed to Ruthless Records under Eazy-E’s label Ruthless Records until after Eazy-E died and they departed without him as their label; their new name becoming Black Eyed Peas upon Eazy-E’s death being dropped and eventually changing again after Eazy-E’s passing in 1995 before switching back onto Ruthless Records under Ruthless Records to become Ruthless Records before ultimately dropping all together after Eazy-E’s passing away and changing names several times before becoming Black Eyed Peas; their debut album Behind the Front came out to great reviews with its alternative hip hop style and live instrumentation as well as guest appearances by Macy Gray De La Soul and Wyclef Jean among others.
In 2001, they added singer Fergie to their lineup, and released Elephunk in 2003 – marking a significant shift in sound with more pop and dance elements being integrated. Elephunk sold over 9 million copies worldwide and earned the group their first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
Monkey Business, released in 2005, went on to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide and produce four hit singles: “Don’t Phunk with My Heart”, “Don’t Lie”, My Humps”, and Pump It”. Additionally, collaborations were featured between Sting, James Brown, Jack Johnson as well as Live 8 (USA), the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) as well as 2006 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony (FOWCA).
After a brief hiatus, they returned in 2009 with their fifth album The E.N.D (The Energy Never Dies). This marked a departure from their previous works, as they experimented more with electronic and dance music. It was an enormous commercial success selling over 11 million copies worldwide while topping charts across multiple countries; additionally it produced five number-one singles on Billboard Hot 100 such as “Boom Boom Pow”, “I Gotta Feeling”, “Meet Me Halfway”, “Imma Be” and “Rock That Body”. Additionally it won three Grammy Awards including Best Pop Vocal Album; additionally setting a record as longest running number-one album by duo or group on Billboard 200.
In 2010, The Beginning marked their return to an electronic and dance sound, featuring collaborations with David Guetta, Afrojack, LMFAO and LMFAO. It sold over 3 million copies worldwide and produced two hit singles: “The Time (Dirty Bit)” and “Just Can’t Get Enough”. They performed at Super Bowl XLV halftime show that year alongside Usher and Slash.
In 2011, The E.N.D. announced their intention to go their separate ways, and released their first compilation album The Best of The E.N.D. with both old and new tracks. Will.i.am released two solo albums during his hiatus; willpower and Masters of the Sun Vol. 1. During that time he served as coach on both The Voice UK and Australia while Fergie released her second solo album Double Dutchess while hosting reality show The Four: Battle for Stardom while apl.de.ap released his solo EP Rebel and also became judge on The Voice Philippines/ Teens while Taboo released his single “The Fight”, while writing memoir Fallin’ Up: My Story.
In 2016, to commemorate their 20th anniversary, they reunited to release a special version of “Where Is the Love?,” featuring several artists like Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige, Usher and Jamie Foxx. This song was dedicated to those affected by the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting and used to raise money for various charities. In 2018, Masters of the Sun Vol. 7 was released by this band. This album marked their return to their original hip-hop sound and featured guest appearances by Nas, Slick Rick, Nicole Scherzinger and CL – though without Fergie who had taken an indefinite leave from the group. Translation was their eighth album released in 2020 and inspired by Latin music; featuring collaborations from J Balvin, Maluma, Shakira and Ozuna – drawing praise from critics and fans alike and producing three hit singles: Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life), Mamacita and Girl Like Me”. This release received positive critical response and proved highly popular.
Discography
The Black Eyed Peas have released eight studio albums, one compilation album, two extended plays, 28 singles and 31 music videos since 1997. Their discography can be seen below:
- Behind the Front (1998)
- Bridging the Gap (2000)
- Elephunk (2003)
- Monkey Business (2005)
- The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies) (2009)
- The Beginning (2010)
- Masters of the Sun Vol. 1 (2018)
- Translation (2020)
- The Best of The E.N.D. (2011)
- Renegotiations: The Remixes (2006)
- Invasion of Boom Boom Pow – Megamix E.P. (2009)
Music Videos
The Black Eyed Peas are known for creating entertaining and innovative music videos, often with futuristic themes or social commentary and featuring celebrity guests as stars or guests of honor. Some of their most notable videos are:
- “Where Is the Love?” (2003): This video depicts members of the group holding signs posing questions about the world such as, “Why are we still at war?,”, “Why do we bomb each other?” and “Why does hate kill love?”. Justin Timberlake co-wrote and sang on the chorus for this song which won them an MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video and nomination for Video of the Year.
- “Pump It” (2006): This video, inspired by the 2003 movie Kill Bill, follows an American pop band in a car chase against some ninjas trying to stop them from playing their music. Martial arts moves, sword fights and explosions can be seen throughout. Dick Dale’s song Misirlou provides background music. Nominated for an MTV Video Music Award as Best Choreography.
- “Boom Boom Pow” (2009): Set in the year 308, this video portrays a group of performers as digital avatars, holograms and cyborgs transformed by CGI, green screen and motion capture effects; its references include The Matrix, Blade Runner and Tron. It won a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video as well as being nominated for MTV Video Music Award Best Hip-Hop Video.
- “I Gotta Feeling” (2009): This video depicts LMFAO and their friends prepping for an evening out in Los Angeles before celebrating at various locations – rooftop, club and mansion. David Guetta, Kid Cudi, Katy Perry and members of LMFAO all make appearances in this clip that was nominated for two awards – Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video and MTV VMAs Best Pop Video respectively.
- “Meet Me Halfway” (2009): This video shows the band members in various fantasy settings to represent their longing for one another: will.i.am in an urban area, Fergie in a jungle setting, apl.de.ap in outer space and Taboo in the desert. This combination of live action and animation created a surreal and psychedelic aesthetic and was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects.
- “The Time (Dirty Bit)” (2010): This video depicts the group and their fans at a party where they use a smartphone app that alters their faces into pixelated versions of themselves. Clips from Dirty Dancing inspired their sample of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” found in its chorus, making this song nominated for MTV Video Music Award’s Best Crash Cover Award.
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