Black Eyed Peas consists of Apl De (rapper), , Fergie (rapper), , Taboo (rapper), , Will.i.am (rapper).
This article is about the American hip-hop group. For the vegetable, see black-eyed pea.
The Black Eyed Peas are an American hip-hop (musical styles: crossover rap/hip hop and alternative rap/hip hop) group from Los Angeles, California, who have enjoyed international pop success. The group is currently composed of will.i.am, Apl.de.ap, Taboo, and Fergie.
The Black Eyed Peas dates back to 1989, when eighth graders will.i.am (Born: Will Adams) and apl.de.ap (Born: Allen Pineda) met and began rapping and performing together around Los Angeles. By 1992, the 16 year-olds had developed a name for themselves. The pair signed to Ruthless Records (run by Eazy-E) after 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. Their debut album was never released because Ruthless did not consider the positive themes reflected in the group's music to be marketable to their audience.
After Eazy-E died of AIDS in 1995 (see 1995 in music), Atban Klann reformed as the Black Eyed Peas, replacing their original third member with Taboo (Born: Jaime Gomez), and having Kim Hill as 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 other Los Angeles-based hip-hop acts at the time. Through the mid-'90s, they performed in the local club circuit alongside fellow acts as Ozomatli and Jurassic 5. After being signed to Interscope Records and releasing their debut, Behind the Front ( 1998, 1998 in music) the group (and their accompanying live band) earned critical acclaim. The hit single from the album was "Joints and Jam", and featured on the Bulworth soundtrack. Their second album was 2000's Bridging the Gap ( 2000 in music).
