Black Eyed Peas
Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) are an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo. The group's lineup during the height of their popularity in the 2000s[5] featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hill in 2002. Originally an alternative hip hop group, they subsequently refashioned themselves as a more marketable pop-rap act.[4] Although the group was founded in Los Angeles in 1995, it was not until the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003 that they achieved high record sales.
This article is about the American hip hop group. For the legume, see Black-eyed pea.
Black Eyed Peas
- Black Eyed Pods (1995)
- The Black Eyed Peas (2003–2017)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- 1995–2011
- 2015–present
The Black Eyed Peas' first major hit was the 2003 single "Where Is the Love?" from Elephunk, which topped the charts in 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it spent seven weeks at number one and went on to become Britain's biggest-selling single of 2003. Their fourth album, Monkey Business, was an even bigger worldwide success, and became certified 3× Platinum in the United States. In 2009, the group became one of only 11 artists to have simultaneously held the number-one and number-two spots on the Billboard Hot 100, with their singles "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling", which topped the chart for an unprecedented 26 consecutive weeks.
The album The E.N.D. produced a third Hot 100 number-one placement with "Imma Be", making the group one of few to ever place three number one singles on the chart from the same album, before being followed with "Rock That Body" and "Meet Me Halfway", which peaked in the top 10 of the Hot 100. "I Gotta Feeling" became the first single to sell more than one million downloads in the United Kingdom.[6] At the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony, held in January 2010, they won three awards out of six nominations. In November 2010, they released the album The Beginning. In February 2011, they performed in the Super Bowl XLV halftime show. Shortly after, the group announced they would be going on indefinite hiatus to pursue other activities, eventually reuniting in 2015.
In 2018, Fergie was announced to have left the group after making sporadic appearances with them since their return in 2015. That year, she was subsequently replaced by J. Rey Soul for touring, who also appeared as a featured artist on select tracks on the group's seventh album, Masters of the Sun Vol. 1. They released their eighth album, Translation, in June 2020 and their ninth, Elevation in November 2022.
The Black Eyed Peas have sold an estimated 80 million records, making them one of the best-selling groups of all time.[7] They were ranked 12th on Billboard's 2000s Decade-End Artist of the Decade Chart, and 7th on the Hot 100 Artists of the Decade.
History
1988–1994: Musical beginnings
In 1988, while attending two different high schools, William James Adams Jr and Allan Pineda Lindo Jr met at the all-ages dance venue Club What? in Los Angeles. They formed a hip-hop dance and music crew named Tribal Nation. Adams took the stage name Will 1X while Pineda Lindo adopted the name apl.de.ap. Their friends joined the group – Dante Santiago and Mooky Mook, followed shortly by DJ Motiv8. Actor David Faustino opened an all-ages club named Balistyx in 1991 inside the old Whisky a Go Go, and Tribal Nation played there. Rapper Eazy-E caught their show and signed the group to Ruthless Records, changing the group name to Atban Klann. Their first album project, Grass Roots, was shelved at the end of 1993, never to be released. They released a promo song "Let Me Get Down" in 1994, billed as being produced by the Black Eyed Peas: the production team of DJ Motiv8 and Will 1X. Mooky Mook left the group in 1995, and Eazy-E died of HIV/AIDS. The group's contract with Ruthless was stalled, so Santiago also left the group. Will 1X changed his stage name to will.i.am.[8]
1995–2001: Behind the Front and Bridging the Gap
In 1995, will.i.am and apl.de.ap formed a new group named Black Eyed Pods with Jaime Gomez (Taboo), and Kim Hill, a singer who featured on a selected number of their tracks. They later changed "Pods" to "Peas".[9] 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 and appearance style. After being signed to Interscope Records and releasing their debut, Behind the Front (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 (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".
Appearances
On September 8, 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".[51] 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.
On March 30, 2010, the Black Eyed Peas were the first group to broadcast a concert live in 3D.[52] In June 2010, the Black Eyed Peas performed "Where is the Love?", "Pump It", "Meet me Halfway", "Boom Boom Pow", and "I Gotta Feeling" at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration concert in South Africa. The concert had over 700 million viewers worldwide, making it the biggest event the group performed in. They also performed at T in the Park 2010 on the NME Stage on the Friday July 9 and Oxegen in Kildare, Ireland on Saturday July 10 on the Vodafone stage. In July 2010, the Black Eyed Peas performed "Boom Boom Pow", "Rock That Body" and "I Gotta Feeling" 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)".
The group headlined the Super Bowl XLV halftime show on February 6, 2011. On April 2, 2011, the group appeared on the 24th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
After taking a few years on hiatus the group made their first live appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final in Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on June 3, 2017. The following day the group performed at the One Love Manchester benefit concert on June 4, 2017. They performed "Where Is the Love?" with headliner Ariana Grande.
In 2018 the Black Eyed Peas performed as part of the pre-game entertainment at the AFL Grand Final.
The Black Eyed Peas performed in the closing ceremony of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines.[53]
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 (Bad Boys For Life)."
On the Wonderful World of Disney: Magic Holiday Celebration television holiday special which aired on ABC November 27, 2022, the Black Eyed Peas performed "I Gotta Feeling" and "A Cold Christmas."[54]
Philanthropy
On December 10, 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, 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.[55] 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.[56] On September 3, 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.[57] Fergie is married to Minot native, Josh Duhamel. On September 30, 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.[58] The event raised over $4 million for the charity.[59]
On August 31, 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.[60]
Other media
In June 2011, Ubisoft announced they were developing The Black Eyed Peas Experience, a dance video game for Kinect and Wii.[61] On November 11, 2011, the game was released internationally in association with Ubisoft.
Current
Touring
Former
Timeline