[ENG] Not Just a Side Dish Anymore

ficco · Administrator

Just when you thought the assembly line of malodorous nookie-hop was making it safe to turn off your radio, the Black Eyed Peas are ready to open the stove for another hot plate of nutritiously positive fare. Will.i.am, Apl.de.ap, and Taboo make up the group which is all about keeping it real. With their next album scheduled for release in September, Black Eyed Peas are touring with No Doubt and Lit -- this mouthwatering dish will land in San Diego on August 3.

The billing of this alternative hip-hop trio with alternative rockers and a diva/ska band is raising eyebrows. But BEP are veritable Ghandis with rockin’ sitars compared to Exhibit or Eminem’s rump-shakin’ samplefest. The Peas’ main mission is to take a legion of "Peabodies" (the Peas’ equivalent of Deadheads) and construct the link between hip-hop and rock. The title of their upcoming album makes their current mission clear enough: Bridging the Gap.

In fact, their initial decision to sign with Interscope (declining a more lucrative offer from Sony 550) was because of the label’s widespread collection of artists. Whereas Sony had focused into specialty areas of rap and hip-hop, Interscope had rap, rock, ska, hip-hop, soul, and every other genre card. The Peas felt the eclectic arsenal would be a better environment for their goal.

The Peas are the soft-voiced carriers of a tradition -- shucking the thug life hip-hop mold and inserting a healthier lyrical regime more characteristic of jazz and soul. Their ancestors in this genre have had much success winning crossover audiences: the Roots, De La Soul, Arrested Development, A Tribe Called Quest. All of them toned down the bombast, inserted the philosophically healthy wit and smooth style of songspeak.

The popular state of hip-hop is a pompous mess of consumerism fueled by the carrot-dangle of the rich and infamous: every Dre, Dogg, and Jay is making hip-hop albums that focus on "bitches," money, and being tough. Their videos have scantily clad women assed-out and jigglin'. Strapped into glitter get-ups or the latest thug-wear, they prance up to the camera to model their Rolexes and luxury cars.

It’s gotten to the point where one forgets the original intent from the days when Melvin Van Peebles pioneered rap music with his spoken urban tales put to a jazzy backdrop. Back then, rap musically and poetically relayed the life of the real black citizen. These days, while being sold the virtues of the Benz, fans are often scraping up bus fare and believing their key to self-realization is a fat bank account and a svelt, bitch-whackin’ persona. Now that’s ‘cool’. . .

The Peas, in this regard, are the anti-rap group. Their fashion is as understated as the bargain rack of a thrift store. Not interested in the latest brand-name clothing, new car line, or their body weight in gold, the Peas actually take a strong stance against materialism in their lyrics. Take their first big single from Behind the Front, "Falling Up": "I see you try to dis or function by statin' that we can't rap/Is it because we don't wear Tommy Hilfiger or baseball caps?/ We don't use dollars to represent/We just use our inner sense and talent/Don't try to represent no set just so we could get some respect."

Peabodies often compare the band predecessors like the Roots and De La Soul for their combination of hip-hop, soul, jazz, and Latin beats. The Peas don't particularly mind the comparisons since these are their musical relatives, but even a casual listen reveals a distinct vocal interplay between the three MCs and a bit more classic soul than the psychedelic/funk-focused De La.

Their current success at appealing to audiences of every genre stems from another difference from the majority of hip-hoppers -- the Peas are backed by a four-piece, live band instead of a suitcase of tape loops. Their band, the Beat Pharmacy, includes top-notch backing singers and musicians. Mixed with their mellow MC bits are organ, guitar, bass, drums, congas, synthesizers, theremins, turntables, even violin, flute, and cello.

Whereas East Coast acts have traditionally been tape-oriented, BEP’s live band fits with a long tradition among West Coast hip-hop acts. Groups like Alphabet Soup, Kofy Brown, Hammer, Spearhead, and Too Short favored a live sound. Producers like Dre, the Egyptian Lover, and Ant Banks often make efforts to include live instruments in their work.

The good-time, party music the Peas put together is reminiscent of early hip-hop and, for many listeners, a welcome change from what's on the radio today. It's a veritable "Bitches' Brew" for music lovers.

The trio was formed in Southern California. In high school, Will and Apl formed a dance group. The two took their dancing stylistics to an L.A. teenage nightclub off Melrose called Ballistyx. It was a popular spot for those who love to dance and stay out past curfew. The club's manager, David Faustino, was famous for playing Bud Bundy on Married with Children. It was the kind of place where circles would form around the adept rump-shakers in the hall while the audience member shimmied in the spotlight. Dance battles were frequent, many in which Will and Apl threw in their moves.

Will's rapping won contests at Ballistyx every summer and, in 1992, Will and Apl signed with Ruthless Records as the Atban Klann. (Atban stands for "A Tribe Beyond a Nation). They recorded about 30 songs, but the album was repeatedly postponed until, eventually, they left Ruthless and renamed themselves.

Will and Apl joined with Taboo, an old friend from Ballistyx who came into the mix as an additional MC. They started playing around L.A., hitting up the Roxy, Whiskey, and LMU, building their following. Onstage there were acrobatics; behind them was an eight-piece band. People stared quizzically, but still bobbed their heads. Their innovative style and performance drew in audiences who didn't usually like rap. They went on to win BMI and ASCAP showcases in 1995 (when they discovered the power of honorary BEP, Kim Hill, as a backup singer) and Interscope Records picked them two years later.

Will.i.Am, the animated storyteller, grew up in East L.A., where he played piano and became fluent in Spanish cuss words. He’s the lead MC and maintains a strict involvement with everything BEP, including contract negotiations, photographer selection, and merchandising. He co-produced their debut album.

Apl.De.Ap was raised in the Philippines before moving to Glendale. He is soft spoken and wants to learn how to play the drums and eventually buy a few apartment complexes when the smoke clears.

Taboo Nawasha’s name honors an ancient Chachoney tribe warrior from the Battle of Little Big Horn. He’s a student of culture, and a human pogo stick -- his energy is always rampant and a driving force at BEP shows. He’s the MC who hurls himself into the crowd. He's of Mexican and Native-American descent, and expresses himself and his cultural tradition through dance and dress. He’s the only parent in the group, with a five-year-old son named Josh.

Black Eyed Peas’ pre-old school approach to hip-hop is dissolving not only musical boundaries, but cultural ones as well. The Peas avoid racial pigeonholing and tell tales from a human perspective, allowing their hip-hop to relate across the racial spectrum.

Behind the Front dropped quite a bomb into a hip-hop world that thought it had seen the last of Tribe-infected alternative hip-hop. From 1997 to 1998, BEP recorded 50 songs at a Los Angeles recording studio. From those, they selected the 16 tracks that became their debut. Their goal was lofty, but they wanted to make a record that transcended time and era as well as demographics.

Macy Gray -- a friend of the band and at the time unsigned -- laid down her Soul Mama Marge Simpson vocals for a few tracks (one, a Beatles cover, was left off the record for legal reasons). Wyclef Jean was also on the list of contributors.

The first single, "Joints and Jam," appeared on the Bulworth soundtrack and the unique video, in which the members appear to get sucked toward the TV screen and get stuck there while they perform the entire song, propelled the trio into the fast lane. At the 1999 Source Awards, the Black Eyed Peas were nominated for Best New Group. L.A. Weekly named them Best New Artist and Best Rap Group of 1999.

Sans bad attitude, platinum chains, and ice, the group was embraced by hip-hop fans who love the way they keep it real. Will, fresh from a nap, stresses that records sales have nothing to do with whether or not an artist is real.

"If millions of people know your shit, then you're not real hip-hop? That's not necessarily true." He sits in silence for a moment and contemplates the true definition of hip-hop. "It's a collage form of music. [Artists] take from every form of music to make hip-hop. Hip-hop is always changing. I can't define it in the state that it's in now."

Their music is inspired by the everyday situations of life and early hip-hop. "Hip hop circa 1987 to 1993," Will says. "If those years never existed, I wouldn't be doing hip hop."

Will hopes that the Peas’ music will affect audiences the same way it affects him -- by helping fans forget about the bad times. The group wants fans to feel good about themselves. Many artists are solely in the rap game for money and so switch up their styles to go along with the changing times. When it comes to the Peas, Will believes that money does have some influence. "It is about making money, and it isn't," he says. "We aren't going to change to make money."

It had been rumored on the Black Eyed Peas' Website that Internet bootlegging of their music caused the release date of their new album to be pushed back. Once again, Will gives a two-sided answer. "It did, but it didn't. Basically, we had to go back and put on some new songs, some new material." When asked what fans can expect from the new album, Bridging the Gap, Will laughs and says, "You can expect it to come out."

Fans can also expect some fresh collaborations with other great artists. "We worked with De La Soul, Mos Def, and Les Nubians," Will says. "Macy Gray is on there, too. Apl also helped to produce three songs." The band has lined up a bevy of guest appearances for the new LP, including Wyclef Jean, Dave Grohl, Lenny Kravitz, and Gang Staar’s DJ Premiere.

The first single off the new album, "The B.E.P. Empire" (performed with Premiere), is being added to radio across the country. With Bridging the Gap, Black Eyed Peas continue to appeal to all tastes. They take a certain pride in touring with artists from every genre (except country). They would like to bring the people who like rock together with the people who like hip-hop -- a noble cause they're sure to accomplish.

And what does the future hold for Black Eyed Peas? "Produce, produce, produce," Will says. "I would like to own my own record label and clothing line."

And that's not all Will has planned for the future: "Learn, learn, learn," he says.