Apl.de.ap
Encyclopedia
Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr. (born November 28, 1974) better known as apl.de.ap , is a Filipino-American rapper
, record producer
, and occasional drummer who is best known as a member of The Black Eyed Peas
.
Philippines, to a Filipino
mother and an African American
father. His father, an Airman stationed at Clark Air Base
, abandoned the family shortly after his birth; his mother, Cristina Pineda, raised him and his six younger siblings as a single mother. As a child, apl.de.ap would make an hour-long jeepney
trip to and from school, and helped his family subsist by farming sweet potatoes, corn, sugar cane and rice. The Pearl S. Buck
Foundation, an organization that finds healthier living environments for young abandoned or orphaned Amerasian
children, matched him with a sponsor named Joe Ben Hudgens through a dollar-a-day program. He initially came to the United States at the age of 11 to treat nystagmus, an involuntary movement of the eyes. During a trip to Disneyland, Apl expressed his interest in staying in the United States. It would take another three years for Hudgens to officially adopt him, but at fourteen he moved permanently to the United States to live with Hudgens.
In Los Angeles
, he attended John Marshall High School
where he befriended William Adams
(stage name will.i.am), the nephew of Hudgens' roommate. He went to college at Holy Angel University
. Apl.de.ap's early musical influences were Stevie Wonder
, The Eagles, The Beatles
, A Tribe Called Quest
, De La Soul
, Leaders of the New School
and the popular Filipino rock/folk group, Asin
. Apl was introduced to hip-hop by break dancing. "I would take the jeepney
all the way to Angeles City, and that's how I got introduced to break dancing," he said. "I would see kids at the corner break-dancing and I'm like, 'I wanna do that.'" apl.de.ap revealed to People Magazine in 2011 that he is legally blind in both of his eyes, suffering from nystagmus
and has this condition his entire career. "I'm good at shapes. If I'm not close, even if it's big, I can't read it. I doubted myself for a long time," apl.de.ap said. "I'm comfortable not using my vision. I weave around my problems." He went on to say in the same article that "Until I discovered hip-hop, I felt I wasn't going to accomplish anything." Two of his siblings are dead: his younger brother Arnel committed suicide (this is referenced in The Apl Song in the lines "I guess sometimes life's stresses get you down/Oh brother, wish I could have helped you out"). His youngest brother, Joven Pineda Deala, was murdered at the age of 22 in February 2009 in Porac, Pampanga
.
formed a break-dancing crew called Tribal Nation and performed regularly at Southern California parties and events. From 1992–1995, their crew was re-named Atban Klann
(ATBAN stands for "A Tribe Beyond a Nation") and included MC Mookie Mook, performer Dante Santiago and producer DJ Motiv8. Atban Klann was eventually signed onto Eazy-E
's label, Ruthless Records but Eazy-E's death put an end to their debut album Grass Roots.
Lindo has brought his Filipino culture into his collaboration with The Black Eyed Peas
. He explains his life story in a song called "The Apl Song" on the Peas' 2003 album Elephunk
, which includes a full chorus in Tagalog
sampled from the Asin
song "Balita." The accompanying video, which includes cameos by fellow Filipino-Americans Dante Basco
and Chad Hugo
, is also a tribute to the Filipinos who fought for the U.S. in World War II
; the song reached number one in the Philippines.
"Bebot
" (which is Filipino slang for pretty woman) is another all-Tagalog song on 2005's Monkey Business
album. A music video for "Bebot" was filmed in and around Los Angeles
in early July 2006, including in Kenneth Hahn Park
, where Dr. Dre
's "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" video was also filmed; the video features primarily Filipinos
, Filipino American
s and other Asian-Americans from the Los Angeles
area. The video was directed by Patricio Ginelsa who also directed "The Apl Song" and produced the Filipino-American coming of age movie The Debut. The single was not released in the US but was in the Philippines and several other Asian countries.
Apl.de.ap is working on a solo album. He recently disclosed in an interview that he would be collaborating with fellow Filipino-American Chad Hugo
of The Neptunes
and Illmind
from G-Unit
to incorporate traditional Filipino instruments into his songs. Some of his songs are uploaded on his MySpace
page. On January 3, 2009, he debuted the first single, You Can Dream featuring Billy Crawford
, from his upcoming album on the internationally broadcast Philippine variety/game show Wowowee
. In August, he released a music video for his second single named Mama Filipina.
Apl.de.ap started the Apl Foundation. It is committed in giving back to communities and children within the Philippines and throughout Asia. He also started his own music company called Jeepney Music, Inc. It is currently based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
. It currently handles DJs such as Free School, DJ Rockyrock, DJ MIA, and PoetNameLife.
Apl.de.ap recorded another Tagalog song for The Black Eyed Peas
' fifth studio album, "The E.N.D.
", the song is called "Mare". In 2009, he also had a song entitled "Take Me to The Philippines", in partnership with the Department of Tourism of the Philippines
.
) in 1992, catching the attention of Eazy-E manager, Jerry Heller
's, nephew. Along with another friend of theirs, Dante Santiago, they called their trio Atban Klann
(ATBAN: A Tribe Beyond a Nation). Will 1X (aka will.i.am)apl.de.ap, Mookie Mook, DJ Motiv8 (aka Monroe Walker) and Dante Santiago formed Atban Klann. Their debut album, Grass Roots
, was never released because Ruthless founder Eazy-E had died.
After Eazy-E died in 1995, Atban Klann reformed and changed their name to Black Eyed Pods, and then Black Eyed Peas. Dante Santiago was replaced with Jaime Gomez (Taboo
), and Kim Hill
became a steady background singer. Unlike many hip-hop acts, they chose to perform with a live band and adopted a musical and clothing style that differed wildly from the "Gangsta Rap
" sounds of Los Angeles-based hip-hop acts at the time. 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. Their second album was Bridging the Gap (2000), which had the single "Request + Line
" featuring Macy Gray
.
In 2003 Fergie became the fourth member of the group and the group gained international fame being the today 6 time Grammy Awarded hip hop group with an estimated of 60 million records sold worldwide.They released their third album "Elephunk
", with the hit singles "Where Is the Love?
" and "Shut Up". Their next album Monkey Business
, was a worldwide success, certified 4× Platinum
in the U.S., and spawning two singles, "My Humps
" and "Don't Phunk with My Heart
".
In 2009, the group became one of only 11 artists to have simultaneously held the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Billboard Hot 100
, with their singles "Boom Boom Pow
" and "I Gotta Feeling
", with the next single "Meet Me Halfway
" achieving similar success, from the album The E.N.D.
. These three singles topped the chart for an unprecedented 30 consecutive weeks in 2009. The album later 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
" which managed to peak in the Top 10 of Hot 100. "I Gotta Feeling" became the first single to sell more than 1 million download
s in the United Kingdom
.
The Black Eyed Peas were ranked 12th on the Billboards Decade-End Chart Artist of the Decade, and 7th in the Hot 100 Artists of the Decade.In November 2010, they released the album The Beginning
. The first single of the album was "The Time (Dirty Bit)
" and topped the charts in many countries. In February 2011, the group performed at the Super Bowl XLV
halftime show. The album's second single was "Just Can't Get Enough
" and was released in February 2011. The music video was filmed in Japan
one week before the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
. The third single "Don't Stop the Party
" was released in May 2011. In July 2011 the group announced that they are taking a break and have denied breakup rumors.
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and occasional drummer who is best known as a member of The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
.
Early life
Pineda was born in BelfastPhilippines, to a Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
mother and an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
father. His father, an Airman stationed at Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991...
, abandoned the family shortly after his birth; his mother, Cristina Pineda, raised him and his six younger siblings as a single mother. As a child, apl.de.ap would make an hour-long jeepney
Jeepney
Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating...
trip to and from school, and helped his family subsist by farming sweet potatoes, corn, sugar cane and rice. The Pearl S. Buck
Pearl S. Buck
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu , was an American writer who spent most of her time until 1934 in China. Her novel The Good Earth was the best-selling fiction book in the U.S. in 1931 and 1932, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932...
Foundation, an organization that finds healthier living environments for young abandoned or orphaned Amerasian
Amerasian
In its original meaning, an Amerasian is a person born in Asia, to a U.S. military father and an Asian mother. The term has sometimes been used to describe a person in the United States of mixed Asian and non-Asian ancestry, regardless of the circumstances....
children, matched him with a sponsor named Joe Ben Hudgens through a dollar-a-day program. He initially came to the United States at the age of 11 to treat nystagmus, an involuntary movement of the eyes. During a trip to Disneyland, Apl expressed his interest in staying in the United States. It would take another three years for Hudgens to officially adopt him, but at fourteen he moved permanently to the United States to live with Hudgens.
In Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, he attended John Marshall High School
John Marshall High School (Los Angeles, California)
John Marshall High School is a high school located in the Los Feliz district of the City of Los Angeles at 3939 Tracy Street, in Los Angeles, California, USA.Marshall, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District...
where he befriended William Adams
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
(stage name will.i.am), the nephew of Hudgens' roommate. He went to college at Holy Angel University
Holy Angel University
Holy Angel University is a private Catholic university located in Angeles City, Philippines. Founded in 1933, it is considered the first Catholic school in the country that was founded by the laity as well as the first Catholic high school that was co-educational .Sitting on a...
. Apl.de.ap's early musical influences were Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, The Eagles, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
, De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, Leaders of the New School
Leaders of the New School
Leaders of the New School was a Long Island, New York-based hip hop crew.-History:The crew was composed of Uniondale, New York, natives Charlie Brown and Dinco D ; North Amityville, New York native Cut Monitor Milo ; and Busta Rhymes , who was originally from Brooklyn, New York but later moved to...
and the popular Filipino rock/folk group, Asin
Asin (band)
Asin is a Pinoy folk and folk rock band from the Philippines. They started as a trio in the late 1970s, and was originally known as the Salt of the Earth]...
. Apl was introduced to hip-hop by break dancing. "I would take the jeepney
Jeepney
Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating...
all the way to Angeles City, and that's how I got introduced to break dancing," he said. "I would see kids at the corner break-dancing and I'm like, 'I wanna do that.'" apl.de.ap revealed to People Magazine in 2011 that he is legally blind in both of his eyes, suffering from nystagmus
Nystagmus
Nystagmus is a condition of involuntary eye movement, acquired in infancy or later in life, that may result in reduced or limited vision.There are two key forms of Nystagmus: pathological and physiological, with variations within each type. Nystagmus may be caused by congenital disorders,...
and has this condition his entire career. "I'm good at shapes. If I'm not close, even if it's big, I can't read it. I doubted myself for a long time," apl.de.ap said. "I'm comfortable not using my vision. I weave around my problems." He went on to say in the same article that "Until I discovered hip-hop, I felt I wasn't going to accomplish anything." Two of his siblings are dead: his younger brother Arnel committed suicide (this is referenced in The Apl Song in the lines "I guess sometimes life's stresses get you down/Oh brother, wish I could have helped you out"). His youngest brother, Joven Pineda Deala, was murdered at the age of 22 in February 2009 in Porac, Pampanga
Porac, Pampanga
Porac is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 102,962 people in 15,686 households.Porac is the largest town in Pampanga...
.
Career
He and will.i.amWill.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
formed a break-dancing crew called Tribal Nation and performed regularly at Southern California parties and events. From 1992–1995, their crew was re-named Atban Klann
Atban Klann
The Atban Klann was a hip hop group whose members were Will 1X, apl.de.ap, Mookie Mook, DJ Motiv8 & Dante Santiago. The Atban Klann were signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records...
(ATBAN stands for "A Tribe Beyond a Nation") and included MC Mookie Mook, performer Dante Santiago and producer DJ Motiv8. Atban Klann was eventually signed onto Eazy-E
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
's label, Ruthless Records but Eazy-E's death put an end to their debut album Grass Roots.
Lindo has brought his Filipino culture into his collaboration with The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
. He explains his life story in a song called "The Apl Song" on the Peas' 2003 album Elephunk
Elephunk
-Commercial response:In the United States, Elephunk reached number 14 on the Billboard Top 200 and is their first album to chart in the top 15. It gained even more commercial success in the UK Album Charts where it reached number 3. It has sold over 1.6 million copies in the UK and...
, which includes a full chorus in Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
sampled from the Asin
Asin (band)
Asin is a Pinoy folk and folk rock band from the Philippines. They started as a trio in the late 1970s, and was originally known as the Salt of the Earth]...
song "Balita." The accompanying video, which includes cameos by fellow Filipino-Americans Dante Basco
Dante Basco
Danté Basco is an American actor, voice actor, poet, and dancer. He is best known for playing Rufio in the 1991 live-action Peter Pan film Hook...
and Chad Hugo
Chad Hugo
Charles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist...
, is also a tribute to the Filipinos who fought for the U.S. in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; the song reached number one in the Philippines.
"Bebot
Bebot
"Bebot" is a promotional single from The Black Eyed Peas' fourth studio album, Monkey Business. The single was released in the Phillippines, Asia and Australia on August 4, 2006. The title of the song is derived from a Filipino slang word analogous to "babe", playing the English slang term for "hot...
" (which is Filipino slang for pretty woman) is another all-Tagalog song on 2005's Monkey Business
Monkey Business (album)
-Track listing:Notes*"My Humps" contains a hidden track "So Real".*"Audio Delite at Low Fidelity" includes a hidden track "Change".Sample Notes*"Pump It" samples "Misirlou" by Dick Dale....
album. A music video for "Bebot" was filmed in and around Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in early July 2006, including in Kenneth Hahn Park
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area or "Hahn Park" is a state park and recreation area in the California Department of Parks and Recreation system...
, where Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" video was also filmed; the video features primarily Filipinos
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
, Filipino American
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
s and other Asian-Americans from the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area. The video was directed by Patricio Ginelsa who also directed "The Apl Song" and produced the Filipino-American coming of age movie The Debut. The single was not released in the US but was in the Philippines and several other Asian countries.
Apl.de.ap is working on a solo album. He recently disclosed in an interview that he would be collaborating with fellow Filipino-American Chad Hugo
Chad Hugo
Charles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist...
of The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
and Illmind
Illmind
Illmind is a Filipino American hip hop producer from Bloomfield, New Jersey. He participated in Beat Society, competing against well-known acts like Kanye West and Just Blaze. Illmind has created music for underground artists such as Little Brother, Boot Camp Clik, Akrobatik, Supastition, and El...
from G-Unit
G-Unit
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City formed by 50 Cents. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mix tapes...
to incorporate traditional Filipino instruments into his songs. Some of his songs are uploaded on his MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page. On January 3, 2009, he debuted the first single, You Can Dream featuring Billy Crawford
Billy Crawford
Billy Joe Crawford is a Filipino-American recording artist, singer-songwriter and philanthropist.Crawford is a Bilingual Filipino Singer. His second language is English and he is conversational in French. Crawford not only lived in New York City, USA, but also in Paris for five years and for one...
, from his upcoming album on the internationally broadcast Philippine variety/game show Wowowee
Wowowee
Wowowee was a Philippine noon-time variety show broadcast by ABS-CBN. The show premiered on February 5, 2005, and aired live on weekdays and Saturdays. The show was also broadcast worldwide through ABS-CBN's The Filipino Channel...
. In August, he released a music video for his second single named Mama Filipina.
Apl.de.ap started the Apl Foundation. It is committed in giving back to communities and children within the Philippines and throughout Asia. He also started his own music company called Jeepney Music, Inc. It is currently based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class.The...
. It currently handles DJs such as Free School, DJ Rockyrock, DJ MIA, and PoetNameLife.
Apl.de.ap recorded another Tagalog song for The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' fifth studio album, "The E.N.D.
The E.N.D.
According to review aggregator Metacritic, The E.N.D. received an average of 60 out of 100 indicating mixed to average reviews from music critics, based on fifteen critiques, higher than their 2005 album Monkey Business but lower than their 2003 breakout Elephunk, with critics agreeing that the...
", the song is called "Mare". In 2009, he also had a song entitled "Take Me to The Philippines", in partnership with the Department of Tourism of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
1995–present: Success with The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas date back to 1988, when eighth-graders William Adams (will.i.am) and Allan Pineda (apl.de.ap) met and began rapping and performing together around Los Angeles. The pair signed to Ruthless Records (run by Eazy-EEazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
) in 1992, catching the attention of Eazy-E manager, Jerry Heller
Jerry Heller
Jerry Heller is best known for managing West Coast rap group N.W.A. and rapper Eazy-E. He is co-founder and CEO of Ruthless Records. Heller managed War, Average White Band, Marvin Gaye, Michel'le, A.L.T...
's, nephew. Along with another friend of theirs, Dante Santiago, they called their trio Atban Klann
Atban Klann
The Atban Klann was a hip hop group whose members were Will 1X, apl.de.ap, Mookie Mook, DJ Motiv8 & Dante Santiago. The Atban Klann were signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records...
(ATBAN: A Tribe Beyond a Nation). Will 1X (aka will.i.am)apl.de.ap, Mookie Mook, DJ Motiv8 (aka Monroe Walker) and Dante Santiago formed Atban Klann. Their debut album, Grass Roots
Grass Roots (Atban Klann album)
Grass Roots is the debut album by the Atban Klann, a group that would one day become the Black Eyed Peas. It was planned to be released on October 6, 1992 for Ruthless Records, distributed by Relativity Records and featured production from the mentor of Will 1X who is DJ Motiv8...
, was never released because Ruthless founder Eazy-E had died.
After Eazy-E died in 1995, Atban Klann reformed and changed their name to Black Eyed Pods, and then Black Eyed Peas. Dante Santiago was replaced with Jaime Gomez (Taboo
Taboo (rapper)
Jaime Luis Gómez , better known by his stage name Taboo, is an American singer, actor, and rapper best known as a member of the group The Black Eyed Peas.-Personal life:...
), and Kim Hill
Kim Hill (soul musician)
Kim Hill is an American soul singer-songwriter, best known for being the backup vocalist in the hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas. She left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Fergie in 2002...
became a steady background singer. Unlike many hip-hop acts, they chose to perform with a live band and adopted a musical and clothing style that differed wildly from the "Gangsta Rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
" sounds of Los Angeles-based hip-hop acts at the time. After being signed to Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
and releasing their debut, Behind the Front
Behind the Front
Behind the Front is the debut album by American hip hop group Black Eyed Peas, released in 1998.-Background:Most of the tracks were demos for the Grass Roots album, with added verses by new member Taboo. The song "Joints & Jam" appeared on the soundtrack of the movie Bulworth, where it was billed...
(1998) the group (and their accompanying live band) earned critical acclaim. One of the singles from the album was "Joints & Jam
Joints & Jam
"Joints & Jam" is the debut single by American hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas, taken from their debut studio album, Behind the Front. The song features the vocals of Kim Hill. The song is featured in the Bulworth soundtrack...
", and was featured on the Bulworth
Bulworth
Bulworth is a 1998 American film co-written, co-produced and directed by the film's star, Warren Beatty. It was loosely based on the life of Beatty's friend, Tennessee political figure John Jay Hooker. It co-stars Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, Don Cheadle, Paul Sorvino, Jack Warden, and Isaiah...
soundtrack. Their second album was Bridging the Gap (2000), which had the single "Request + Line
Request + Line
"Request + Line" is a song by American hip hop group Black Eyed Peas, taken as the second single from their second studio album, Bridging the Gap. The song features vocals from Macy Gray. The song gave the band their first top forty hit in many countries worldwide, also becoming their first entry...
" featuring Macy Gray
Macy Gray
Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
.
In 2003 Fergie became the fourth member of the group and the group gained international fame being the today 6 time Grammy Awarded hip hop group with an estimated of 60 million records sold worldwide.They released their third album "Elephunk
Elephunk
-Commercial response:In the United States, Elephunk reached number 14 on the Billboard Top 200 and is their first album to chart in the top 15. It gained even more commercial success in the UK Album Charts where it reached number 3. It has sold over 1.6 million copies in the UK and...
", with the hit singles "Where Is the Love?
Where Is the Love?
"Where Is the Love?" is a song recorded by the American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas for their third album, Elephunk. It is the band's first record to feature Fergie. The song features vocals from Justin Timberlake, although he is not officially credited on the single release.The single was...
" and "Shut Up". Their next album Monkey Business
Monkey Business (album)
-Track listing:Notes*"My Humps" contains a hidden track "So Real".*"Audio Delite at Low Fidelity" includes a hidden track "Change".Sample Notes*"Pump It" samples "Misirlou" by Dick Dale....
, was a worldwide success, certified 4× Platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
in the U.S., and spawning two singles, "My Humps
My Humps
"My Humps" is the third single by The Black Eyed Peas from their fourth album, Monkey Business. It samples a section of the song "I Need a Freak" by Sexual Harassment, as well as the 1989 song "Wild Thing" by Tone Lōc and "It's Automatic" by Freestyle. Released in 2005, it reached number three in...
" and "Don't Phunk with My Heart
Don't Phunk with My Heart
"Don't Phunk with My Heart", titled "Don't Mess with My Heart" on some radio edits, is a song by The Black Eyed Peas from their fourth album Monkey Business. It was released as the lead single from the album on May 10, 2005....
".
In 2009, the group became one of only 11 artists to have simultaneously held the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, with their singles "Boom Boom Pow
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song by The Black Eyed Peas released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, The E.N.D. The song uses the auto-tune vocal effect, and blends the genres of Electro-rap, dance-pop, electro hop and hip hop....
" and "I Gotta Feeling
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is the second single from The Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album The E.N.D., produced by the French DJ David Guetta. The song was released on May 21, 2009 and debuted at number two on the Canadian and Billboard Hot 100 on the week of June 27, 2009, behind the group's "Boom Boom...
", with the next single "Meet Me Halfway
Meet Me Halfway
"Meet Me Halfway" is a song by American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas. It was released as the third promotional single from their fifth studio album The E.N.D. It was later released as the album's third single...
" achieving similar success, from the album The E.N.D.
The E.N.D.
According to review aggregator Metacritic, The E.N.D. received an average of 60 out of 100 indicating mixed to average reviews from music critics, based on fifteen critiques, higher than their 2005 album Monkey Business but lower than their 2003 breakout Elephunk, with critics agreeing that the...
. These three singles topped the chart for an unprecedented 30 consecutive weeks in 2009. The album later produced a third Hot 100 number-one placement with "Imma Be
Imma Be
"Imma Be" is a song performed by the American hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas taken from their fifth studio album The E.N.D. The song's title is a slang expression, meaning "I am going to be" or "I will be" [something or some activity]. Initially released as a promotional single, the song went on...
", 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
Rock That Body
-Personnel:*Songwriting — William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gómez, Stacy Ferguson, David Guetta, Mark Knight, Adam Walder, Jean Baptiste, Jamie Munson, Robert Ginyard*Production — David Guetta, will.i.am, Mark Knight, Funkagenda*Keyboards — Mark Night, Adam Walder...
" which managed to peak in the Top 10 of Hot 100. "I Gotta Feeling" became the first single to sell more than 1 million download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
s in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The Black Eyed Peas were ranked 12th on the Billboards Decade-End Chart Artist of the Decade, and 7th in the Hot 100 Artists of the Decade.In November 2010, they released the album The Beginning
The Beginning (The Black Eyed Peas album)
The Beginning received generally mixedreviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 47, based on 19 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews."Monica Herrera wrote for...
. The first single of the album was "The Time (Dirty Bit)
The Time (Dirty Bit)
"The Time " is a song by American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas from their sixth studio album, The Beginning. The song was released as the album's lead single on November 5, 2010. The chorus of the song samples " The Time of My Life" from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing...
" and topped the charts in many countries. In February 2011, the group performed at the Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
halftime show. The album's second single was "Just Can't Get Enough
Just Can't Get Enough (The Black Eyed Peas song)
"Just Can't Get Enough" is a song by American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas. The song was written by members William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez and Stacy Ferguson, along with Joshua Alvarez, Stephen Shadowen, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Julie Frost, for the group's sixth studio album,...
" and was released in February 2011. The music video was filmed in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
one week before the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. The third single "Don't Stop the Party
Don't Stop the Party
"Don't Stop the Party" is a song by American group The Black Eyed Peas. The song was written by members will.i.am, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez and Stacy Ferguson, along with Joshua Alvarez, and LeRoy, and produced by will.i.am. and DJ Ammo for the group's sixth studio album, The Beginning...
" was released in May 2011. In July 2011 the group announced that they are taking a break and have denied breakup rumors.
Awards
- 2008 - Special Citation - Myx Music AwardsMyx Music AwardsThe MYX Music Awards honor the biggest hitmakers in the Philippines. They debuted on MYX at Onstage Greenbelt on June 6, 2006.MYX viewers from all over the Philippines decide the winners in 17 major categories via sms text messaging....
- 2010 - Best Hip-Hop/Rap Performance: Take Me to the Philippines - Filipino-American Vocal Arts Society Online Music Awards