小简介
从洛杉矶初出茅庐的黑眼豆豆合唱团(Black Eyed Peas)，是一支深受灵魂乐、爵士乐与拉丁节奏与现场演唱精神所启发的放克/嘻哈队伍，由will.i.am、apl.de.ap、Taboo 三位团员所组成，在1998年与2000年先后发行了两张获音乐评论网站All Music Guide四颗星喝采的专辑《Behind The Front》与《Bridging The Gap》，他们跨越类型音乐，并多元采撷拉丁、印地安、亚洲民族旋律的音乐地球村创作态度深获音乐人肯定，第2张专辑《Bridging The Gap》就吸引了难民营合唱团(The Fugees)创作主将怀克里夫金(Wyclef Jean)与DJ Premiere携手掌舵制作大任，葛莱美奖最佳女歌手得主梅西葛蕾(Macy Gray)、嘻哈名团De La Soul、Mos Def、Jurassic 5、法国节奏蓝调/爵士女子乐团Les Nubian也来助阵，其中与梅西葛蕾合唱的"Request Line"攀登饶舌单曲榜亚军。
不断在创新的黑眼豆豆合唱团，2003年乐团亮出了全新力作《Elephunk放克大象》，乐团有了新朋友─来自洛杉矶的Stacy 'Fergie' Ferguson，Fergie原本只是单纯的在现场演唱场合以乐会友，却因大家在录音室磨出惊人的火花，进而获邀加入黑眼豆豆合唱团。此辑中团长will.i.am在节奏铺排上花尽巧思，像是请来超级男孩合唱团单飞巨星贾斯汀(Justin Timberlake)友情献声，呼吁世人抛开成见、散播真爱关怀的TOP 40单曲"Where Is The Love"，还有崭露快嘴饶舌步调的"Hands Up"，彷佛人声乐器传奇路易斯阿姆斯壮(Louis Armstrong)唱法的歌曲"Smells Like Funk"，还有运用现场乐器、乐曲取样、鼓器等配套结构，全新的节奏变装佳作包括:与专辑销售超白金的蟑螂老爹乐团(Papa Roach)合作的"Anxiety"，与葛莱美奖五项大奖新贵艾莉西亚凯斯(Alicia Keys)合作的"Let's Get Retarded"，取样玛丹娜(Madonna)成名作"Holiday"改编而成的趣味大作"Labor Day (It's A Holiday)"，以及团员apl.de.ap纪念在菲律宾过世的兄弟的歌曲"The apl Song"。黑眼豆豆合唱团人气直窜，超级男孩贾斯汀跟克莉丝汀(Christina Aguilera)2003年夏季巡回演唱会就邀请黑眼豆豆作为热门嘉宾。整体而言，will.i.am 对于专辑的完成可是再满意也不过的了，觉得大家绝对会场开心胸迎接黑眼豆豆的新方向。
Positive messages and breakdancing are integral parts of hip-hop culture, but by 1990 those elements had been temporarily eclipsed by the tough gangsta image and bleak but compelling lyrics of West Coast groups like N.W.A. However, despite sharing a zip code, Black Eyed Peas' vision goes beyond the cracked-sidewalk vignettes and sampled gunfire of Los Angeles' gangsta style. The socially conscious group's earliest connections go back to high school, when will.i.am and apl.de.ap were part of Tribal Nation, a breakdancing crew. Eventually the pair focused more on music — hip-hop, specifically — and split off into their own as Atban Klann, their esoteric name an acronym for A Tribe Beyond a Nation. Eazy-E's Ruthless Records signed the group in 1992, but many in the Ruthless camp were puzzled by the group and the enthusiasm of Eazy, who had no problem reconciling his own gangsta style with the peace-minded breakdancing of Atban. Although an album was recorded, Ruthless shelved it, unsure how to market a group whose style wasn't dependent on violent braggadocio like N.W.A.
The death of Eazy-E in 1995 signaled the end of any further deals with Ruthless. Undaunted by the experience, will and apl recruited another dancer/MC, Taboo, and reappeared as Black Eyed Peas. BEP began playing shows around L.A., impressing hip-hop fans with their mike skills and dazzling them with their footwork as well. In 1998 their debut, Behind the Front, was released to critical acclaim — not only for the trio of MCs, but for their live band and backing vocalist Kim Hill as well. Featuring guest appearances from Jurassic 5's Chali 2na, De La Soul, and Macy Gray, BEP's sophomore effort, Bridging the Gap, was released in 2000. The group's third album, 2003's Elephunk, featured a new member (Fergie, who replaced Kim Hill) and became their biggest hit yet, storming the Top 40 with three singles ("Where Is the Love?," "Hey Mama," "Let's Get It Started"). Two years later, the quartet returned with a heavily crossover date, Monkey Business, which pushed them into the stratosphere courtesy of the hit singles "Don't Phunk with My Heart" and "My Humps." Fergie released a solo album, Dutchess, in 2006. It was executive produced by will.i.am who released his own solo album, Songs About Girls, in 2007. Two years later, the hit single "Boom Boom Pow" announced the group's return for The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies).
