The Black Eyed Peas

From their origins in organic hip-hop through an expansion into worldwide dance-pop, Black Eyed Peas have sustained visibility across an unmatched trajectory while championing positivity and unity. Founding members will.i.am, Apl.de.Ap, and Taboo formed the Los Angeles-based collective, which took shape modestly in the late '90s under the sway of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. Their fusion of pop sensibilities and socially aware lyrics produced a breakthrough the following decade via "Where Is the Love?," the group's initial Top Ten single domestically and a chart-topping track stretching from the U.K. to Australia. That socially charged anthem launched an extended run of success anchored by the multi-platinum releases Elephunk (2003), Monkey Business (2005), and The E.N.D. (2009), each stocked with some of the era's most exuberant pop smashes, among them the Grammy-winning sequence of "Let's Get It Started," "Don't Phunk with My Heart," "My Humps," and "I Gotta Feeling." Following The Beginning (2010), their third Top Ten Billboard 200 album, the group entered an extended hiatus before resurfacing with Masters of the Sun, Vol. 1 (2018), a pointed reclamation of their hip-hop foundation. Translation (2020) and Elevation (2022) extended their global dancefloor reach through reggaeton and Afrobeats inflections, yielding crossover Latin successes such as "Ritmo," "Mamacita," and "Don't You Worry," alongside 2024's "Tonight" with Becky G, and drew on an equally varied roster of featured artists.

The earliest ties among the members date to the early '90s, when high school students will.i.am (William James Adams, Jr.) and Apl.de.Ap (Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr.) belonged to Tribal Nation, a breakdancing crew. The pair later shifted emphasis to music, branching out independently as Atban Klann, an enigmatic acronym for A Tribe Beyond a Nation. Eazy-E's Ruthless Records inked the act in 1992, though many within the Ruthless circle remained perplexed by the signing and by Eazy-E's own willingness to align his gangsta aesthetic with Atban's genial, peace-oriented ethos. An album was completed, yet Ruthless ultimately shelved the project, uncertain how to promote a collective whose approach avoided the confrontational boasting typified by N.W.A.

Eazy-E's passing in 1995 ended prospects of further Ruthless releases. Undeterred, will.i.am and Apl.de.Ap enlisted fellow dancer/MC Taboo (Jaime Luis Gómez) and resurfaced as Black Eyed Peas. The newly configured BEP began performing throughout their native Los Angeles, captivating hip-hop audiences with their microphone prowess and captivating them through their choreography. Their 1998 debut, Behind the Front, arrived on Interscope to widespread critical praise, earned not only by the three MCs but also by their live band and backing vocalist Kim Hill. Commercial traction remained modest, with the album reaching number 129 on the Billboard 200; one of its three singles, "Joints & Jam," registered at number 53 in the U.K. The 2000 follow-up, Bridging the Gap, maintained a comparable direction and included guest spots from De La Soul, Jurassic 5's Chali 2na, and Macy Gray. "Request Line," which climbed to number two on Billboard's rap chart, propelled stronger sales than the debut.

The group's direction shifted decisively with the arrival of Fergie (Stacy Ann Ferguson). Previously seen on the television series Kids Incorporated and a participant in the late-'90s vocal group Wild Orchid, whose sound occupied territory between Lisa Stansfield and En Vogue, Fergie supplanted Kim Hill and assumed a central role through her assured, direct delivery. Elephunk, the first Black Eyed Peas album featuring Fergie, broke into the Top 40 on the strength of the Justin Timberlake-assisted "Where Is the Love?," "Hey Mama," and "Let's Get It Started." The lead track, which will.i.am had begun composing after viewing live footage of the September 11 attacks, achieved even greater success abroad, topping charts in Canada, England, Germany, and Australia, among additional markets. "Let's Get It Started" captured Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards.

Two years onward, the quartet ascended further into mainstream prominence with Monkey Business. Triple-platinum certification followed, driven by "Don't Phunk with My Heart" and the lighter "My Humps," which respectively peaked at number three, earned Grammys for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (48th ceremony) and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (49th ceremony). Fergie issued her solo debut, The Dutchess, in 2006; the set produced three number one singles and was executive produced by will.i.am, by then a sought-after producer for artists including Kelis, Diddy, John Legend, Ciara, and Nas. will.i.am returned to his own catalog with the 2007 album Songs About Girls, technically his third solo effort after two earlier exploratory, understated projects on the BBE label.

Black Eyed Peas ended a brief pause in March 2009 with "Boom Boom Pow," the first of three number one singles that collectively dominated the charts for half the year and anchored The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies), released that June. Marked by a pronounced electronic dance aesthetic, the album also generated the hit singles "I Gotta Feeling" and "Imma Be," garnered six Grammy nominations, and secured Best Pop Vocal Album. The quartet followed swiftly in 2010 with their sixth LP, The Beginning, another electronic-infused pop project that yielded singles such as "The Time (Dirty Bit)" and "Just Can't Get Enough." They headlined the Super Bowl halftime show months later, then entered a longer hiatus.

Throughout the ensuing years, Black Eyed Peas members largely pursued individual endeavors. will.i.am sustained production work and solo releases while beginning an extended stint as a coach on The Voice UK, which led to parallel roles on The Voice Australia and The Voice Kids. Apl.de.Ap served as a judge on The Voice of the Philippines. Taboo issued solo material including "The Fight," which chronicled his victory over cancer. Fergie assembled Double Dutchess, her second album. During this interval, Black Eyed Peas issued only a revised version of "Where Is the Love" retitled "Where's the Love?," recorded with a children's choir and numerous high-profile vocalists and celebrities collectively billed as "the World." Released in 2016 as a charity single benefiting will.i.am's educational nonprofit i.am.angel, the track responded to terrorist incidents in Paris and Brussels, the Orlando nightclub shooting, and the police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

With Fergie departed and J. Rey Soul, a vocalist signed to Apl.de.Ap's BMBX label following her appearance on The Voice of the Philippines, now aboard, Black Eyed Peas maintained their emphasis on pressing social themes upon reconvening for their first album in eight years. Crafted in tandem with their Marvel graphic novel of the same name, Masters of the Sun, Vol. 1 represented a committed, hard-edged return to hip-hop featuring contributions from Slick Rick, De La Soul's Posdnuos, A Tribe Called Quest's Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Nas. The project marked their final Interscope release.

Following the 2019 Snoop Dogg collaboration "Be Nice," which originated from the televised songwriting competition Songland, Black Eyed Peas partnered with Piso 21 on "Mami," signaling the direction they would pursue amid growing influences from South American and African dance music. Bolstered by a new Epic recording contract, BEP returned to platinum status in 2019 via the J Balvin-assisted "Ritmo," which reached number one on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart. "Mamacita," a gold-certified team-up with Ozuna, repeated the achievement. "Girl Like Me," featuring Shakira, topped the Latin Airplay chart. All three tracks appeared on the 2020 album Translation, which debuted at number 52 on the Billboard 200. The group sustained their buoyant spirit on Elevation, released in 2022, reconnecting with Shakira on the David Guetta-co-produced "Don't You Worry," then issuing "Simply the Best" with Anitta and El Alfa and "Bailar Contigo" with Daddy Yankee. In 2024 they supplied the single "Tonight" (featuring Becky G) to the Bad Boys: Ride or Die soundtrack, entering the Top 40 of the Pop 100.