Black Eyed Peas Cook with First Crossover Hit

http://reuters.com/newsAr...ID=3312420

Thu August 21, 2003 01:33 AM ET

By Tamara Conniff
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - After 10 years of making socially conscious hip-hop, the Black Eyed Peas have finally found their way to pop success with a new label and an international hit pop song, "Where Is the Love" with Justin Timberlake.

"Elephunk" (A&M Records), released in June, has become the group's most successful album to date, with U.S. sales of more than 235,000 units.

When Ron Fair came to A&M as president more than two years ago, Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine suggested that artists on the Interscope imprint, Mya, Vanessa Carlton and the Black Eyed Peas find a new home at A&M. (The labels are owned by Universal Music.)

"There were a few artists that had languished on Interscope," Fair says. "The Black Eyed Peas in particular were one of these groups that had such a positive critical buzz but had failed to connect with a real record-buying audience, particularly because of the genre of music they were in which was known as 'backpack rap' or 'conscious rap.' There was no real radio format to support them."

The Black Eyed Peas -- featuring lead rapper William "Will.I.Am" Adams, Alan "Apl.de.Ap" Pineda Lindo, Jamie "Taboo" Gomez and new member Stacey "Fergie" Ferguson -- have been going against the gangsta rap style since they formed as a breakdance troupe in East Los Angeles in 1992.

Fair says that when the group began working on "Elephunk" two years ago, they had to make a choice: continue on the backpack rap road alongside such contemporaries as Jurassic 5, the Roots and Dilated Peoples or focus on crossing over into pop.

"The Black Eyed Peas were different from those other groups because they danced, they entertained and they had a sense of humor," Fair says. "They were leaning (toward pop) anyway."

Fair suggested that the group record a song with Timberlake. They embraced the idea mainly because they had befriended Timberlake on the dance club scene.

"Justin played us some stuff, and then I played him a (version of) 'Where Is the Love,"' Gomez says. "The lyrics were complete, but we didn't have a hook for it. I played it for him over the phone, and two days later he called me and (said) he had a hook."

Thanks to the radio hit and their current tour with Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, the Black Eyed Peas are finally getting a larger audience for their decidedly positive image and music.

"To be able to perform in front of 20,000 kids a night singing 'Where Is the Love' is a great opportunity," Gomez says. "We were cats that were brought up by our mothers, and we were brought up to be respectful and to be classy people. We're from the 'hood too, but we chose to be (positive)."

Fair adds: "There are very few records that have a social commentary that are also great pop music. It's a rare trick to have a record that has this kind of lyrical substance connect on such a worldwide level."

The addition of Ferguson to the group brings Fair full circle to his RCA days, when he signed Ferguson as part of the girl group Wild Orchid. "Her look, her style, her sexuality, her vocals and her ability to dance -- it's just adds so much to the Black Eyed Peas," Fair says.

Fair so believes in the Black Eyed Peas' potential that he's given Adams -- the primary creative force behind the group -- his own label, Will.I.Am. Its first release will be a solo album by Ferguson due out next year.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Damn, it's about time. Great song.

I thought the DeeJay song they did with Macy Gray was a hit.
Guess it was a hit in my mind only.

thedoorkeeper said:

That was a hot song, but it got little airplay. The test will be if they can have a hit without Timberlake.

damn i am sick of hearing that fuckin song.
seems they have changed tho.

maybe someone with more knowledge on this can explain:

have BEP sold out?

They're one of the best hiphop acts around IMO. All 3 albums are fucking brilliant.

Much as I like Jurassic 5, their last two albums aren't consistently good - some awesome songs interspersed with filler. Dilated peoples are over-rated. The Roots are sheer quality, but they've been given lots of great press (and rightly so) for a while now, so it's nice to see BEP getting some for once.

Will-I-Am is a genius - his Lost Change soundtrack is an amazing blend of styles and I can't wait for his new album which I think is coming out in a couple of months and is called 'Must B 21'

Request Line was the BEP's song w/Macy Gray.
I knew I'd think of it eventually.
Great song.

My local radio station plays the version w/ Timberlake in it. But anywhere else, I've only heard the version without Timberlake. Thank God.

actually i was about to start a thread about this cd...

one of the best cd's i've bought in years...

'Where is the love' is ok...certainly not my fave. i LOVE 'Shut up', 'The Boogie That Be', 'Hey Mama' and the little ditty found kinda hidden after track 13.

Excellent! lotta fun...makes me wanna shake my ass