In 1988, two high school students named William James Adams Jr and Allan Pineda Lindo met at an all-ages dance venue called Club What? in Los Angeles, unaware that their meeting would birth one of the most commercially successful musical acts of the twenty-first century. Adams adopted the stage name Will 1X, while Pineda Lindo became apl.de.ap, and together they formed a hip-hop dance and music crew known as Tribal Nation. Their early days were defined by a conscious musical style and live band performances that stood in stark contrast to the gangsta rap dominating Los Angeles at the time. Actor David Faustino opened an all-ages club named Balistyx inside the old Whisky a Go Go in 1991, providing a stage for Tribal Nation to perform. Rapper Eazy-E caught their show and signed the group to Ruthless Records, changing their name to Atban Klann. Their first album project, Grass Roots, was shelved at the end of 1993 and never released, but the group released a promo song called Let Me Get Down in 1994, billed as being produced by the Black Eyed Peas, a production team consisting of DJ Motiv8 and Will 1X. Mooky Mook left the group in 1995, and shortly after, Eazy-E died of HIV/AIDS, causing the group's contract with Ruthless to stall. Santiago also left the group, and Will 1X changed his stage name to will.i.am. In 1995, will.i.am and apl.de.ap formed a new group named Black Eyed Pods with Jaime Gomez, known as Taboo, and Kim Hill, a singer who featured on a selected number of their tracks. They later changed Pods to Peas, and unlike the gangsta rap sounds of Los Angeles-based hip hop acts at the time, the trio performed with a live band and adopted a conscious musical style and appearance. After being signed to Interscope Records and releasing their debut, Behind the Front in 1998, the group and their accompanying live band earned critical acclaim. One of the singles from the album was Joints & Jam, and was featured on the Bulworth soundtrack. Singer Sierra Swan appeared as a guest on the 1998 song Fallin' Up. Their second album, Bridging the Gap, released in 2000, produced the singles Weekends featuring Esthero and Request + Line featuring R&B singer Macy Gray. Hill left the band while producing the album, but was still featured on the album tracks for Hot and Tell Your Mama Come as well as in the video for Weekends.
The Pop-Rap Revolution and Elephunk
In 2002, Stacy Ferguson was chosen as the lead singer after being introduced to the band by Santiago, marking a pivotal shift from alternative hip hop to a polished pop sound designed to attract mass audiences. Rolling Stone noted in a positive review that after the group hired a blond bombshell named Stacy Fergie Ferguson and gave up their pursuit of backpack-rapper cred, they had made a kind of spiritual practice of recording futuristic songs, a total aesthetic commitment that extended from their garish wardrobes to their United Colors of Benetton worldview. From Elephunk came Where Is the Love?, which became the Black Eyed Peas' first major hit, peaking at No. 8 on the U.S. Hot 100. It was more successful abroad, topping the charts in several other countries, including seven weeks at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, where it became the biggest-selling single of 2003. The single had similar results in Australia, staying at No. 1 for six weeks. The album subsequently spawned Shut Up, which peaked at No. 2 in the UK and topped the charts and went gold and platinum in the U.S., UK, Germany, and other European markets. The third single from the album, although significantly restyled from the original Elephunk version, Hey Mama hit the top 5 in Australia and the top 10 in the UK, Germany and other European countries and reached No. 23 in the U.S. The song received even more exposure in 2003 when it was featured in the first silhouette television commercial for the iPod. The fourth single from the album was Let's Get It Started. It won a 2005 Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and also received two nominations for Record of the Year and Best Rap Song. In 2004, the Black Eyed Peas embarked on their international Elephunk Tour, touring many countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Their fourth album, Monkey Business, was recorded through 2004 and was released on the 25th of May 2005. Much of the pre-production writing was performed on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus while on the Black Eyed Peas tour of 2004. The album's first single, Don't Phunk with My Heart, was a hit in the U.S., reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned them another Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The song reached three in the UK, and five in Canada, and stayed at number one for three weeks in Australia. Don't Lie, the second single from the album, saw success on the U.S. Hot 100, reaching No. 14, although becoming somewhat more successful in the UK and Australia, reaching a peak of No. 6 in both countries. My Humps, another song from the album, reached number three on the U.S. Hot 100 and number one in Australia. However, many mocked the song for its lyrical content. John Bush, writing for AllMusic, described it as one of the most embarrassing rap performances of the new millennium. Monkey Business debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart, selling over 295,000 copies in its first week and was later certified 3× platinum by the RIAA. The final single from the album was Pump It, which peaked at number 8 in Australia and number 18 in the U.S. In September 2005, the Black Eyed Peas released an iTunes Originals playlist of their greatest hits, as well as some that were re-recorded specially available for purchase through iTunes. It has small stories containing info and commentary about the songs and how the group first met. In Autumn 2005, the Black Eyed Peas set off to tour with Gwen Stefani as a supporting act. In December 2005, they embarked on the European Tour, which toured multiple countries in Europe. The European leg which opened in Tel Aviv, Israel, continued onto Ireland, the UK, France and Germany. After heading to Europe and Asia, they toured the U.S. again. The tour concluded in South America. In addition to touring, the Black Eyed Peas also headlined the halftime show at the Grey Cup on the 27th of November 2005. The Black Eyed Peas starred in a series of web shorts for Snickers, called Instant Def, appearing as a group of hip-hop superheroes. On the 21st of March 2006, the Black Eyed Peas released a remix album, titled Renegotiations: The Remixes to iTunes. In March 2006, the Black Eyed Peas hit the road again as the featured headliner for the 6th Annual Honda Civic Tour with supporting bands Flipsyde and the Pussycat Dolls. They again brought the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus on the tour with them to craft new songs for Fergie's solo debut album. In 2006, they went on tour with the Pussycat Dolls. In 2007, the Black Eyed Peas embarked on the Black Blue & You World Tour, visiting more than 20 countries. This tour was presented by Pepsi, in conjunction with the new Pepsi More advertising campaign, featuring the Black Eyed Peas. They recorded the song More for the new Pepsi spot. On the 31st of December 2006, the tour concluded at Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Black Eyed Peas performed at the UK leg of Live Earth on the 7th of July 2007, at Wembley Stadium, London. They headlined the main Ocean Stage at the Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo, Japan on August 11, and in Osaka, Japan on the 12th of August 2007.
The Energy Never Dies and Chart Records
The group's fifth studio album, The E.N.D, title that stands for The Energy Never Dies, was released on the 3rd of June 2009. The album has a more electronic influence than their previous albums, which will.i.am said was inspired by the Presets' My People. In its first week, the album sold 304,000 copies and debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200. In the United States, the album became the ninth album to top the one million mark in sales in 2009. The album spent 38 weeks within the top 10 of the Billboard 200. The E.N.D was the 7th-bestselling album of 2009 in the U.S. It also debuted at number one in Australia, number two in New Zealand and three in the United Kingdom. The first single Boom Boom Pow was released on the 30th of March 2009, in the U.S. on iTunes. The single sold 465,000 downloads in its first week of digital release, the third-largest number of download sales in a single week overall, and the largest single-week and debut-download totals by a group in the history of digital-download sales, reaching No. 1 on the U.S. The single also reached the top spot in Billboard Hot 100 and Pop 100, being the group's first U.S. No. 1, holding the spot for twelve consecutive weeks. It also reached number 1 in Australia, Canada, and the UK. On May 21, the Black Eyed Peas released I Gotta Feeling as the second single from the album. The single charted at number three and then went to number one on the UK Singles Chart. It debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 behind Boom Boom Pow and later surpassed it, taking the number 1 spot. The Black Eyed Peas joined a group of artists who have held the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously. From the 18th of April 2009, when Boom Boom Pow reached No. 1, through the 10th of October 2009, the last week I Gotta Feeling was at No. 1, the group was on top of the chart for 26 weeks, more consecutive weeks than any other artist. On the 30th of July 2009, Billboard announced that the Black Eyed Peas set a record for the longest successive No. 1 chart run by a duo or group in the Billboard Hot 100's history. I Gotta Feeling hit its fifth consecutive week at No. 1, following 12 weeks at the top by the Peas' Boom Boom Pow. Meet Me Halfway was released as the third single from the album in September 2009. The single reached number one in the UK and Australia. It also peaked at seven on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Imma Be was released as the fourth single in the U.S. on the 15th of December 2009, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. Imma Be to reached number 5 on the Canadian Hot 100. Rock That Body was then released as the fifth single, and reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. In September 2009, the group embarked on The E.N.D World Tour. On the 8th of September 2009, the group performed live for Oprah Winfrey's 24th Season Kickoff Party, on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. An estimated 21,000 dancers in the streets performed a flash mob to the live performance of I Gotta Feeling. Video hosted by YouTube showing the 21,000 dancers. The group performed at the American Music Awards of 2009 with the songs Meet Me Halfway and Boom Boom Pow. They also won 2 out of 3 categories in which they were nominated; Favorite Rock/Pop Group & Favorite R&B/Soul Group. In October 2009, they also were the opening acts for 5 concerts of the U2 360° Tour North America leg. The group performed at the Grammys on the 31st of January 2010. They performed a mash-up of Imma Be/I Gotta Feeling. They won three awards out of the six nominations, including Best Pop Vocal Album for The E.N.D., Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group for I Gotta Feeling, and Best Short Form Video for Boom Boom Pow. On the 30th of March 2010, the Black Eyed Peas were the first group to broadcast a concert live in 3D. In June 2010, the Black Eyed Peas performed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration concert in South Africa. They also performed at T in the Park 2010. In July 2010, the Black Eyed Peas performed in Central Park as part of Good Morning America's free summer concert series. In December 2010 they appeared on the seventh series of The X Factor in the UK performing The Time (Dirty Bit). On the 27th of July 2010, the Black Eyed Peas released a remix album: The E.N.D. Summer 2010 Canadian Invasion Tour: Remix Collection. It was released on iTunes in Canada only during the Canadian leg of The E.N.D World Tour.
The Beginning and the Super Bowl Halftime Show
Their sixth studio album, The Beginning, was released on the 26th of November 2010, and received mixed reviews. The album's first single release was called The Time (Dirty Bit). The music video was directed by Rich Lee. Just Can't Get Enough, the second single from The Beginning was released on the 18th of February 2011. Its music video was released on the 16th of March 2011, and it was filmed in Tokyo. The video was directed by Ben Mor. The group's third single was Don't Stop the Party and it was released on the 10th of May 2011. The video, which is directed by Ben Mor, features on stage and backstage footage of the group during The E.N.D. World Tour and premiered on Vevo on the 12th of May 2011. On May 22, the group appeared on the 2011 Billboard Music Awards and won one of their four nominations, for Top Duo/Group. On the 6th of February 2011, the Black Eyed Peas headlined the Super Bowl XLV halftime show. On the 2nd of April 2011, the group appeared on the 24th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. On the 6th of July 2011, during a concert at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, the Black Eyed Peas announced they would take an indefinite hiatus following the completion of their tour. On the 23rd of November 2011, the group made their last performance for The Beginning Tour in Miami. The group's sixth studio album, The Beginning, was released on the 26th of November 2010, and received mixed reviews. The album's first single release was called The Time (Dirty Bit). The music video was directed by Rich Lee. Just Can't Get Enough, the second single from The Beginning was released on the 18th of February 2011. Its music video was released on the 16th of March 2011, and it was filmed in Tokyo. The video was directed by Ben Mor. The group's third single was Don't Stop the Party and it was released on the 10th of May 2011. The video, which is directed by Ben Mor, features on stage and backstage footage of the group during The E.N.D. World Tour and premiered on Vevo on the 12th of May 2011. On May 22, the group appeared on the 2011 Billboard Music Awards and won one of their four nominations, for Top Duo/Group. On the 6th of February 2011, the Black Eyed Peas headlined the Super Bowl XLV halftime show. On the 2nd of April 2011, the group appeared on the 24th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. On the 6th of July 2011, during a concert at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, the Black Eyed Peas announced they would take an indefinite hiatus following the completion of their tour. On the 23rd of November 2011, the group made their last performance for The Beginning Tour in Miami.
Fergie's Departure and New Voices
In January 2015, an interview on Capital Breakfast, will.i.am confirmed that the group would reform that year for their 20th anniversary. The group released two songs that year: Awesome and Yesterday; the former was included in commercials for the 2015 NBA playoffs. Neither song features contributions from Fergie. On the 31st of August 2016, the Black Eyed Peas released a new version of their 2003 song Where Is the Love?, titled #WHERESTHELOVE. The song, as well as the accompanying video feature all four members of the group, will.i.am, Fergie, apl.de.ap, and Taboo. It is the group's most recent work with Fergie. On the 3rd of June 2017, they performed at the opening ceremony of the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales. The performance, which included a pyrotechnic display, ran long and delayed the second-half kickoff by several minutes. The next day, they performed at One Love Manchester, a benefit concert organized by Ariana Grande. On the 4th of June 2017, a Billboard article rumored that Fergie was departing from the band. will.i.am initially dismissed this, but they announced that she was taking a break from the group to work on her second solo album Double Dutchess, while the remaining members were working on the graphic novel Masters of the Sun. On the 9th of January 2018, Black Eyed Peas released their first single without Fergie, titled Street Livin'. On the 18th of February 2018, will.i.am officially confirmed Fergie's departure in an interview with the Daily Star, also confirming that she would not feature on the group's seventh studio album. The next day, former The Voice of the Philippines season 1 finalist and Team Apl.de.ap member Jessica Reynoso, under the stage name J. Rey Soul, joined the group as a female vocalist and semi-official member. On the 17th of May 2018, the Black Eyed Peas released a single called Ring the Alarm. The single Get It was released on the 10th of July 2018. The music video for Constant pt. 1 and 2 was released on YouTube on the 30th of August 2018. The group released a single named Big Love on the 12th of September 2018. The group released another single titled Dopeness, featuring South Korean rapper CL, on the 25th of October 2018. Their seventh studio album, Masters of the Sun Vol. 1, was released the following day on October 26. This marked their first album since 2010's The Beginning. In 2018 the Black Eyed Peas performed as part of the pre-game entertainment at the AFL Grand Final.
Latin Influences and Modern Evolution
The Black Eyed Peas performed in the closing ceremony of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines. The Black Eyed Peas performed in the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2019. They appeared on the NHL float and performed their latest hit Ritmo. In 2019, the group signed a deal with their new label Epic Records. On the 11th of October 2019, the group released the song Ritmo, taken from the Bad Boys for Life soundtrack (2020). The song debuted at number 100 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the Black Eyed Peas' 17th Hot 100 entry and their first since 2011's Don't Stop the Party. Ritmo peaked at number 26 on the Hot 100. On the 10th of April 2020, the group released the single Mamacita, which featured J. Rey Soul alongside rapper Ozuna. In an interview with Billboard on the 19th of May 2020, Reynoso talked about an upcoming eighth album, describing it as very Afrobeat, Latin vibe, dance , just very uplifting music, which is what we need right now at this time of our life, you know? On the 11th of June 2020, the band revealed the tracklist and album title as Translation, with the release date listed as June 19. While promoting the album, will.i.am said that Fergie had stepped back from the group because she wished to devote more time to her role as a mother. will.i.am continued we're here for her, and she knows how to contact us for a retreat or a breakaway should she wish to return to the group. On the 30th of August 2020, the group's performance of Ritmo closed the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. The performance was met with negative reception due to will.i.am., apl.de.ap and Taboo each performing with an illuminated pelvic area. The band was also criticized by longtime fans who were not yet aware of Fergie's previous departure from the group, or J. Rey Soul's membership. On the 27th of October 2022, across their social media platforms, the group announced their ninth studio album, titled Elevation, which was released on the 11th of November 2022. On the Wonderful World of Disney: Magic Holiday Celebration television holiday special which aired on ABC the 27th of November 2022, the Black Eyed Peas performed I Gotta Feeling and A Cold Christmas.
Philanthropy and Cultural Impact
On the 10th of December 2005, the Black Eyed Peas' cover of the John Lennon classic Power to the People, which was mostly recorded on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, was released by Amnesty International as part of the Make Some Noise campaign to celebrate human rights. The song was later released on the 2007 John Lennon tribute album entitled Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. The Black Eyed Peas dedicated the music video of their 2011 single Just Can't Get Enough to Japan, as the country had been hit by an earthquake. The group filmed the music video a week before the earthquake struck. In July 2011, the Black Eyed Peas founded a school for New York teenagers where students of 13, 19 years can learn video production and music using professional equipment. The Peapod Foundation, in collaboration with the Adobe Foundation, opened the music academy and media Peapod Adobe Youth Voices in Manhattan on July 19. The school will have its facilities in a building operated by the Urban Arts Partnership, which provides art-school programs for adolescents studying in areas of very low income. Young people will be admitted according to the recommendations of their teachers and their expressions of interest in the subjects taught, such as camera work, editing and graphic design. On the 3rd of September 2011, the group performed a concert in Minot, North Dakota to benefit the victims of the 2011 Souris River flood that damaged over 4,000 homes and displaced over 12,000 people in Minot and along the Souris River. Fergie is married to Minot native, Josh Duhamel. On the 30th of September 2011, the group performed a free concert, Chase Presents The Black Eyed Peas and Friends, for over 50,000 people in New York City's Central Park. The event raised over $4 million for the charity. On the 31st of August 2016, the Black Eyed Peas' remake of their song, Where Is the Love?, titled #WHERESTHELOVE was released and will.i.am told in an interview that all proceeds raised from the song will go to his i.am.angel foundation, which funds educational programs and college scholarships in the United States. The Black Eyed Peas appeared in the video game The Urbz: Sims in the City, released November 2004. The game features the band as they help the player gain control of the city. In June 2011, Ubisoft announced they were developing The Black Eyed Peas Experience, a dance video game for Kinect and Wii. On the 11th of November 2011, the game was released internationally in association with Ubisoft.