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Kardinal Offishall

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Kardinal Offishall

Kardinal Offishall at eTalk in 2008.
Background information
Birth name Jason D. Harrow
Born May 12, 1976 (age 35)
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres Canadian hip hop
Occupations Rapper, songwriter, record producer
Years active 1994-present
Labels MCA Records, Kon Live Distribution, Geffen Records, Konvict
Associated acts Akon, Black Jays, Sean Paul, Colby O'Donis, Rihanna, 50 Cent, T-Pain,
Jason D. Harrow[1] (born May 12, 1976),[2] better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall (play /kɑrdɨˈnæl fɨˈʃæl/),[3] is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.[4][5]
In 1997, Kardinal released his debut album, Eye & I, on independent label Capitol Hill Music, to critical acclaim.[6] In 2000, he released the EP, Husslin', also independently on Figure IV Entertainment, which helped establish him as one of Canada's best hip-hop producers.[7][8] The same year, Kardinal signed with major label MCA Records, and released his second album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 in 2001. The lead single, "BaKardi Slang", became his first single to appear on a U.S. Billboard chart.[9] After releasing the single "Belly Dancer" in 2003, he left MCA Records after it was absorbed by Geffen Records.[10]
In 2005, Kardinal released his third album, Fire and Glory, on the Canadian division of Virgin Records.[8] The single "Everyday (Rudebwoy)" became a top twenty hit in Canada. In 2008, his fourth album Not 4 Sale was released on Kon Live Distribution, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. The album was a critical success, spawning the hit single "Dangerous".[8] The single was his first to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number five.[9] Kardinal will release his fifth album—his second under Kon Live Distribution—Mr. International in 2012.

Contents

 [hide

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life and career beginnings

Harrow was born in Scarborough, Ontario,[11][12] in Toronto's east end, and raised by Jamaican immigrant parents. From the ages of 2 to 13, he lived in the city's Flemingdon Park neighbourhood. He moved back to Scarborough for two years, before finally settling in Oakwood–Vaughan, in the city's west end.[13][14][15] While in high school, he would throw parties at the Alexandra Park Community Centre.[14] He also is a former York University student but did not complete his degree.[16]
He started rapping at the age of eight and was winning competitions by the time he was 12. Also at the age of 12, he performed live and on stage for the first time, with Nelson Mandela in attendance during Mandela's first visit to Toronto.[8] By 1993, he decided to change his alias "KoolAid", and went by the moniker "Kardinal Offishall" after being inspired by the great 17th century French politician Cardinal Richelieu.[17]

[edit] 1996-1999: Eye & I

Kardinal was signed to a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music Canada at the age of 20.[citation needed] In 1996, he released his first single "Naughty Dread", which was featured on the Rap Essentials Volume One compilation and earned him a Juno Award nomination for Best Rap Recording. In 1997, Kardinal released his debut album Eye & I on Capitol Hill Music. The only single from the album, "On wit da Show", had considerable video play on MuchMusic. The album received rave reviews from music critics.[18][19] Allmusic stated that Kardinal "blended soul, dancehall, reggae, hip-hop, and a wholly inventive approach to beats on his 20-track debut album, Eye & I."[20] Unfortunately, the album was poorly distributed in Canada, and a lack of radio support resulted in the album receiving limited commercial attention.[18][21] Over 4,000 copies of the album were sold in its first three months of release.[8] In 1998, he was featured on the Juno-winning single "Northern Touch" with the Rascalz, Choclair, Checkmate and Thrust.

[edit] 2000-2003: Husslin' and Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1

Husslin' was an EP, released April 11, 2000. It was released independently on Figure IV Entertainment and distributed by Fat Beats Records in the United States. The title track, "Husslin'", was one of the hottest 12" singles of 2000.[22] "And What?", featuring Saukrates, was released as a single in 1999. "Husslin'" and "Mic T.H.U.G.S." also appear on Kardinal's second studio album, Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. An updated version of "U R Ghetto When", known as "U R Ghetto 2002", is on the Quest for Fire album. In 2000, Kardinal signed with MCA Records. He released the album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 in 2001, which spawned the hits "BaKardi Slang" and "Ol' Time Killin'".One year after its release, 25,000 copies of the album were sold in Canada.[23] It received generally favorable reviews from music critics. The Source gave the album 3½ out of 5 mics.[23] RapReviews.com gave it a 7/10 rating, calling it a "mixed bag," and stating "there are also some perfect 10's to be found here."[24] The A.V. Club gave the album a favorable review, praising it's "impressive musical and lyrical consistency."[25] Allmusic gave it 2½ out of 5 stars, noting that Kardinal "displays only flashes of promise here."[26] The album was nominated for Best Rap Recording at the 2002 Juno Awards.
After MCA folded in 2003, Kardinal's highly anticipated follow up album Firestarter Vol. 2: The F-Word Theory was shelved along with the single/video for "Belly Dancer" featuring Pharrell, and Kardinal eventually found himself without a label. Had the album been released, there would have been production from Timbaland and The Neptunes, among others. He released an independent mixtape titled Kill Bloodclott Bill

[edit] 2004-2007: Fire and Glory & Not 4 Sale

in 2004 with his production company, Black Jays, and he also released his second major-label album titled Fire and Glory on November 15, 2005, through Virgin Records in Canada only. Hits on Fire and Glory include "Everyday (Rudebwoy)" and "Heads Up". RapReviews.com gave the album an 8.5/10 rating, stating "Fire and Glory is a better album than Firestarter Vol. 1," and "aside from having better lyrics than most of his counterparts, Kardinal's unique style also sets him apart."[27] The album was nominated for Rap Recording of the Year at the 2006 Juno Awards.
Not 4 Sale is the fourth studio album by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, released September 9, 2008 on Kon Live/Geffen Records. Its his second international major-label album, after 2001's Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. It was a critical success, spawning the top 5 Billboard Hot 100 single "Dangerous", and the minor hit "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)". 11,869 copies of the album were sold in the United States, in its first week of release. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 40. As of February 15, 2009, the album has sold 34,822 copies. In Canada, it debuted at number 8 on the Canadian Albums Chart, with 4,247 copies sold in the first week. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Allmusic gave it 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "an entirely solid album", also stating "this freedom fighting and socially conscious writing is tempered with hooky club tracks that never fail."[14] USA Today gave it 3 out of 4 stars, noting "his potent blend of hip-hop and dancehall gives him a flavor all his own."PopMatters gave the album a 6/10 rating, writing "although many of the tracks here are glossy pop productions, Kardinal has not really changed since he was first heard in the '90s."The album won the award for Rap Recording of the Year at the 2009 Juno Awards.

[edit] 2010-present: Mr International

In 2010, he was included in the Young Artists for Haiti's version of "Wavin' Flag" in an effort to raise money for disaster relief. He starred along with many Canadian stars. Also in 2010, he was featured in Raghav's single "So Much".

[edit] Discography

[edit] Awards

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "MTV". MTV. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  2. ^ Kardinal Offishall > Overview Allmusic. Accessed on November 16, 2009.
  3. ^ "Red Bull Music Academy". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  4. ^ "Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  5. ^ "XXL Magazine". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  6. ^ Kinder, Gentler Rap, Eh? Ottawa Citizen. Accessed on October 15, 2009.
  7. ^ Husslin' > Overview Allmusic. Accessed on October 15, 2009.
  8. ^ a b c d e Kardinal Offishall > Biography Allmusic. Accessed on October 15, 2009.
  9. ^ a b Kardinal Offishall > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles Allmusic. Accessed on October 15, 2009.
  10. ^ Kardinal Offishall - Man on Fire Exclaim!. Accessed on October 15, 2009.
  11. ^ "Whaddat?". Whaddat.com. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  12. ^ McKinnon, Matthew (2005-03-22). "CBC". Cbc.ca. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  13. ^ Kardinal Offishall [Interview] HipHopCanada. Accessed on January 22, 2011.
  14. ^ a b Kardi's Second Key 2 The City CHARTattack. Accessed on January 22, 2011.
  15. ^ Mike Ross (2006-02-17). "Jam! Showbiz". Jam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  16. ^ "York University's 52nd Birthday". York University. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  17. ^ "Exclaim". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  18. ^ a b Kinder, Gentler Rap, Eh? Ottawa Citizen. Accessed on November 1, 2008.
  19. ^ Kardinal Offishall, with guests SEE. Accessed on October 21, 2009.
  20. ^ Kardinal Offishall > Biography Allmusic. Accessed on November 1, 2008.
  21. ^ Kardinal Offishall - Man on Fire Exclaim!. Accessed on November 1, 2008.
  22. ^ Husslin' > Overview Allmusic. Accessed on October 19, 2008.
  23. ^ a b Has Canadian hip-hop truly "arrived"? HipHopCanada. Accessed on October 18, 2009.
  24. ^ Cite error: Invalid tag; no text was provided for refs named kardi; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text
  25. ^ Firestarter Volume 1: Quest For Fire The A.V. Club. Accessed on October 18, 2009.
  26. ^ Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 > Overview Allmusic. Accessed on September 24, 2009.
  27. ^ Kardinal Offishall :: Fire and Glory RapReviews. Accessed on September 28, 2009.

Rabu, 16 November 2011

The Lonely Island Biography

The Lonely Island
"Lonely Island" redirects here. For the island in the Russian Arctic, see Uyedineniya Island. For the song by the Parliaments, see Lonely Island (song). For the location in J.R.R. Tolkien's universe, see Tol Eressea.
The Lonely Island
Background information
Origin Berkeley, California
Genres Hip hop, comedy
Years active 2001–present
Labels Universal Republic
Website thelonelyisland.com
Members
Andy Samberg
Andy Milonakis
Akiva Schaffer
Jorma Taccone

The Lonely Island is an American comedy troupe composed of Akiva "Kiv" Schaffer, Jorma "Jorm" Taccone, and David Andrew "Andy" Samberg, best known for their comedic music. Originally from Berkeley, California, the group is currently based in New York City. The group broke out due to their collective work from 2005–2011 on Saturday Night Live. Samberg and Schaffer continue to work at the show, with occasional input from Taccone.[1]

Once on the show, they wrote "Lazy Sunday", a music parody video that became an instant hit on YouTube.[2] Following the success of this digital short, the group produced the Emmy-winning "Dick in a Box", "Jizz in My Pants", "Like a Boss", and the Grammy-nominated "I'm on a Boat",[3] which have subsequently had huge success both on SNL and on the internet, and prompted the release of the 2009 album, Incredibad.[4] In 2011, the group released their second album, Turtleneck & Chain, which featured songs from such SNL digital shorts as "I Just Had Sex", "The Creep", and "Jack Sparrow".

In August 2007, the group premiered its first feature film, Hot Rod.[5]
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Saturday Night Live
* 2 Musical style
* 3 Discography
o 3.1 Incredibad
o 3.2 Turtleneck & Chain
* 4 Collaborations
* 5 Filmography
o 5.1 Hot Rod
o 5.2 Awesometown
* 6 Individual projects
* 7 References
* 8 External links

[edit] Saturday Night Live

Beginning in junior high school, Samberg, Schaffer, and Taccone began creating live comedy skits that expanded to comedic shorts, music parody (both songs and videos), and one full-length television pilot, before being invited to write portions of the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, which Jimmy Fallon hosted.[2] Impressed with the group's material, he brought the trio to the attention of Lorne Michaels, the producer of Saturday Night Live, who agreed to see them. Performing stand-up comedy in his free time, Samberg fulfilled a lifelong dream by auditioning for the show. He was called back for a second audition a few weeks later and was ultimately invited to be a cast member; Schaffer and Taccone were invited to join the writing staff based on their work in the trio.[2] Since their arrival, the group has written some popular bits in recent SNL history, most notably, the SNL Digital Shorts (collectively) and MacGruber (Taccone, with John Solomon and cast member Will Forte).

Everyone who has gambled with the marine corps, it's gone well. We figured it couldn't hurt to see how long we could ride it.
Samberg, Entertainment Weekly, 2007[6]

Uncertain if Michaels would approve of a wacky pre-recorded skit on the show, the group borrowed a video camera and filmed a faux lettuce commercial starring Samberg and fellow SNL cast member Will Forte. They presented the finished product to Michaels in December 2005, who liked the short and agreed to air it.[2] It was the first of what would become a regular feature of the program, called Saturday Night Live's Digital Shorts.[2] "Lazy Sunday", the second digital short, enjoyed runaway success in the virtual media, as fans responded with t-shirts and response videos.[2] Many of these shorts have skyrocketed to internet fame, including "Natalie's Rap" (with Natalie Portman), "Iran So Far" (with Adam Levine), "Jizz in My Pants", "Shy Ronnie" (with Rihanna), and "I'm on a Boat" (with T-Pain), the latter of which was nominated on December 2, 2009, for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 52nd Grammy Awards.[3]

The song "Dick in a Box", which was performed with Justin Timberlake, won the 2007 Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.[7] Credited for its production are Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Justin Timberlake, in addition to Katreese Barnes and Asa Taccone for music.[8] Based on 1990s contemporary R&B, such as Keith Sweat, Jodeci, and R. Kelly, the song is about giving gift-wrapped genitalia as a Christmas present to one's girlfriend.[9] Samberg and Timberlake made a sequel to "Dick in a Box" called "Motherlover", which aired on May 9, 2009.

Other recent shorts by the comedy group include "On the Ground" which aired October 2009; "Great Day" aired on May 15, 2010; "Shy Ronnie 2: Ronnie & Clyde" featuring Rihanna aired on October 30, 2010; "I Just Had Sex" featuring Akon, was aired on December 18, 2010; "The Creep" featuring Nicki Minaj and John Waters was released on January 29, 2011; and "Jack Sparrow" featuring Michael Bolton, which was released on May 7, 2011. The sequel to Motherlover, "3-Way (The Golden Rule)," featured Lady Gaga and aired on May 21, 2011.

In the summer of 2010, Taccone quit Saturday Night Live, but has returned to work on a handful of Digital Shorts in the 2010–2011 season.[1]
[edit] Musical style

The comedic influences of the group include SNL forebears such as Adam Sandler, Chris Farley and Mike Myers, as well as luminaries such as Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, the Monty Python troupe and the Marx Brothers.[10] While the group is most strongly inspired by hip-hop and R&B the lyrics are commonly rooted in self-deprecation as is reflected in a 2011 interview conducted shortly before the release of Turtleneck and Chain.[11] The Lonely Island's debut Incredibad was produced with the goal in mind to make an impact on listeners just as They're All Gonna Laugh At You (1993), a musical comedy album by Adam Sandler, which heavily influenced Samberg.[12] Songs by The Lonely Island rarely exceed three minutes, as brevity is very important to the troupe, who believe that is "about as much as the audience can stand."[13]
[edit] Discography
Main article: The Lonely Island discography
[edit] Incredibad
For more details on this topic, see Incredibad.

The group's first album, Incredibad, was released on February 10, 2009 by Universal Republic Records.[4][14] The album, which includes parodies of existing hip hop songs, also includes a DVD with some of the videos, including "Wait (You Guys)" as the Bing Bong Brothers, a spoof of the Ying Yang Twins' "Wait (The Whisper Song)", and "Jizz in my Pants."
[edit] Turtleneck & Chain
For more details on this topic, see Turtleneck & Chain.

On their YouTube channel, The Lonely Island announced an upcoming album on October 28, 2010, which would be released in Spring 2011. On December 18, 2010, the SNL Digital Short was the official music video of "I Just Had Sex" (featuring Akon), the first single off the album.

On January 29, 2011, the group debuted "The Creep" featuring Nicki Minaj and a cameo by filmmaker John Waters, on SNL and YouTube. On March 15, 2011, Direct Current Music reported that the album would be named Turtleneck & Chain and would be released on May 10, 2011.[15] On April 1, 2011, The Lonely Island appeared as guests on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, where they premiered the lead track, "We're Back!", as well as the new album cover. On April 19, 2011, the group released "Motherlover" featuring Justin Timberlake as the fourth single from the album. This song was last featured on the 34th season of SNL.

The group held a fundraiser to promote their new album on April 16, 2011. This event was at Amoeba Music in Berkeley, California. There were only 250 tickets available, and the only way to obtain a ticket was to pre-order their album. They hosted a Q & A session and an autograph session. Shortly after, "Motherlover" was released on iTunes. On May 7, they released a new track, "Jack Sparrow", featuring Michael Bolton.
[edit] Collaborations

The Lonely Island has collaborated with many major artists including T-Pain in "I'm On a Boat", Akon in "I Just Had Sex", Justin Timberlake in "Dick in a Box" , "Motherlover" and "3-Way (The Golden Rule)" (the last of which also featured Lady Gaga), Beck in "Attracted to Us", Rihanna in "Shy Ronnie" and "Shy Ronnie 2: Ronnie & Clyde", Michael Bolton in "Jack Sparrow", Nicki Minaj in "The Creep", Julian Casablancas in "Boombox", Jack Black in "Sax Man", Norah Jones in "Dreamgirl", Snoop Dogg in "Turtleneck and Chain", Will Ferrell in "Cool Guys Don't Look At Explosions", Santigold in "After Party" and Natalie Portman in "Natalie's Rap".
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Hot Rod
Main article: Hot Rod (film)

Upon landing a role as a featured player on SNL, Samberg had multiple meetings with production companies, Paramount being one of them. They told him he was being considered for the leading man in a project written by Pam Brady which had remained dormant for some years. The script was under the care of the producer Lorne Michaels, who had the final say. Paramount gave Samberg the script; he agreed and waited for Michaels' approval. After the success of "Lazy Sunday", he felt he was ready to play the lead role in the movie. It was called Hot Rod and was originally written with Will Ferrell in mind as the lead.[6] Schaffer and Taccone were brought on as well once again due to the "Lazy Sunday Effect." Released in August 2007, the film did very poorly at the box office, released the same time as the blockbuster The Bourne Ultimatum, and barely broke even. Additionally, it received mixed or average reviews,[16] a scenario Samberg anticipated as he stated is the case with many first-time comedies that embrace surreal comedy, such as Billy Madison.[6]
[edit] Awesometown

The crew filmed a pilot for Fox in 2005 for a TV show called Awesometown, however the network rejected it. They re-edited the pilot and added new segments for a potential MTV or Comedy Network version, but it was also rejected.[17][18]
[edit] Individual projects

Samberg appeared on Premium Blend and had a cameo on the season-two finale of Arrested Development. He also made guest appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Late Show with David Letterman, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon since joining SNL. Andy Samberg appeared in the 2009 film I Love You, Man, in which he plays the gay brother of a man who has no male friends and must find one to be his best man before his wedding day. Andy Samberg also co-starred in Cloudy with a Chance Of Meatballs, where he voiced "Baby" Brent, the now-adult mascot of Baby Brent Sardines. Samberg has also appeared in episodes of Parks and Recreation, The Sarah Silverman Program, Yo Gabba Gabba, and 'Human Giant'. He also hosted Shark Week 2011 on the Discovery Channel.

Schaffer directed four music videos for the indie rock group We Are Scientists, as well as for the Eagles of Death Metal's single "I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)". On SNL, he works as a writer-director, primarily known for directing the SNL Digital Shorts.

Taccone had a cameo in the movie Role Models and co-starred in the feature film Land of the Lost. He directed the movie based on the SNL sketch MacGruber, which was released in May 2010. He quit SNL in 2010.[1]
[edit] References

1. ^ a b c Heisler, Steve. "The Lonely Island | Music | Interview". The A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-lonely-island,56484/. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
2. ^ a b c d e f Stein, Joel (April 17, 2006). "Straight Outta Narnia". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1184075,00.html. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
3. ^ a b Voziak-Levinson, Simon (December 2, 2009). Entertainment Weekly. http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/12/02/grammy-nomination-surprises. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
4. ^ a b Kaufman, Gil (December 10, 2008). "'SNL' Star Andy Samberg Recruits T-Pain, Justin Timberlake, Norah Jones for New Album". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1601144/20081211/timberlake_justin.jhtml. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
5. ^ Scott, A.O. (August 3, 2007). "Hot Rod (2007) Never Pick a Fight with a Washing Machine". New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/08/03/movies/03hot.html. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
6. ^ a b c Pastorek, Whitney (July 27, 2007), Andy Samberg. Entertainment Weekly(945):
7. ^ "2007 Emmy Winners: the Complete List". Daily News (New York). September 17, 2007. http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2007/09/17/2007-09-17_2007_emmy_winners_the_complete_list.html?page=0. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
8. ^ "2007 Emmy Award Nominations" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. p. 14. Archived from the original on May 30, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080530025620/http://www.emmys.org/downloads/2007/59ptemmys_noms.pdf. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
9. ^ Collis, Clark; Drumming, Neil (February 9, 2007), "SEXY BEAST". Entertainment Weekly(920):37
10. ^ NPR Staff (May 8, 2011). "The Lonely Island: The Hottest Thing In Fake Hip-Hop". National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/2011/05/08/136056357/the-lonely-island-the-hottest-thing-in-fake-hip-hop?ps=cprs. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
11. ^ Vish Khanna (June 2011). "The Lonely Island". Exclaim!. http://exclaim.ca/Interviews/WebExclusive/lonely_island. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
12. ^ "Andy Samberg invites you to his Lonely Island". Associated Press. MSNBC. February 26, 2009. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29412580. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
13. ^ Ben Kaplan (May 9, 2011). "All ashore for Andy Samberg and The Lonely buttIsland". National Post (Canada). http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/05/09/all-ashore-for-andy-samberg-and-the-lonely-island/. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
14. ^ Pastorek, Whitney (December 8, 2008). "J in My Mouth: The Resurgence of Jamie-Lynn Sigler". Entertainment Weekly Online. http://popwatch.ew.com/2008/12/08/j-in-my-pants-t/. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
15. ^ "SNL's Lonely Island Return May 10 with 'Turtleneck and Chain'". Direct Current Music. March 15, 2011. http://www.directcurrentmusic.com/dc-music-news-feed/2011/3/15/snls-lonely-island-return-may-10-with-turtleneck-and-chain.html. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
16. ^ Gordon, Devin (August 13, 2007), Is It Too 'Hot' in Here? Newsweek. 150 (7):
17. ^ IMDB
18. ^ The Lonely Island

Minggu, 21 Agustus 2011

Selasa, 12 Juli 2011

The Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas are an American hip hop / rock group, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group is composed of rapper and multi-instrumentalist will.i.am, rappers apl.de.ap and Taboo, and singer-rapper Fergie. Since the release of their third album, Elephunk, in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide.[1]
The group scored their first worldwide hit with "Where Is the Love?" in 2003, which topped over ten charts worldwide. Another single was the European hit "Shut Up". Their next album, Monkey Business was also a worldwide hit, certified 4× Platinum in the U.S., and spawning two hit singles, "My Humps" and "Don't Phunk with My Heart".
In 2009, the group became one of only 11 artists to have ever 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. Combined, these three singles also 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" has become the first single to sell more than 1 million downloads in the United Kingdom.[2]
Before becoming part of the Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am and apl.de.ap were in a group called Atban Klann, signed to Eazy E's Ruthless Records. The Black Eyed Peas were ranked 12th on the Billboard's Decade-End Chart Artist of the Decade, and 7th in the Hot 100 Artists of the Decade. The group has been nominated for "Most Popular International Artist" in the ARIA Music Awards.
In November 2010, they released their album The Beginning. The first single of the album was "The Time (Dirty Bit)". The song 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 it was released in February 2011. The music video was filmed in Japan one week before the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The song was dedicated to Japanese friends. The third single, "Don't Stop the Party" was released in May 2011.

Contents

[hide]

History

1988–2000: Origins, Formation, Behind the Front, and Bridging the Gap

Black Eyed Peas in 2001
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-E) 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).[3] 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.[3]
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 hit 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 hit "Request + Line" featuring Macy Gray.

2001–04: Addition of Fergie and Elephunk

The Black Eyed Peas signing autographs before a concert at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Their third album Elephunk began development on November 2, 2001, but was not released until 2003. It was the first album to feature the vocals of current member Fergie. Nicole Scherzinger was originally approached to join the Peas, but was forced to decline because she was a member of Eden's Crush and was under contract. Dante Santiago then introduced will.i.am to Fergie, who joined the band in 2002. Elephunk is also the first album that indicated and demonstrated the new, polished pop sound designed to attract mass audiences and also the first under the name THE Black Eyed Peas. In a positive review of The Black Eyed Peas' new-found style, Rolling Stone noted that since 2002, when the group "hired a blond bombshell named Stacy 'Fergie' Ferguson and gave up their pursuit of backpack-rapper cred, they have made a kind of spiritual practice of recording futuristic songs – a total aesthetic commitment that extends from their garish wardrobes to their United Colors of Benetton worldview."[4]
Meanwhile, Fergie herself recalled her reasons for joining the group to noted UK urban writer Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul:
"I first went to see The Black Eyed Peas in 1998 at a place called the El Rey Theatre in LA. Because they were hip hop-yet-abstract and their style was eclectic and theatrical, there was something about them I knew I could gel with. So years later, when my group Wild Orchid and The Peas happened to be on a radio show at the same time, I went up to will.i.am, got on my hustle, and told him I'd been wanting to work with him for ever! We exchanged numbers, and it was when they needed a singer for their song 'Shut Up!' that we actually started working together."[5]
Two of The Black Eyed Peas:apl.de.ap and Fergie
From Elephunk came "Where Is the Love?", which became The Black Eyed Peas' first major hit, peaking at No.8 on the U.S. Hot 100, but topping the charts in several other countries, including seven weeks at No.1 in the United Kingdom, where it became the biggest-selling single of 2003. The single had similar results in Australia, staying at No.1 for six weeks. In an interview with TalkofFame.com, Taboo shared that Justin Timberlake's split with Britney Spears impacted the recording of "Where Is The Love?".[6]
The album subsequently spawned "Shut Up", which peaked at No.2 in the UK and topped the charts in many success and went Gold and Platinum in the U.S., UK, Germany, and other European markets.
The third single from the album, although significantly restyled from the original Elephunk version, "Hey Mama" hit the top 5 in Australia and the top 10 in the UK, Germany and other European countries and reached No.23 in the U.S. The song received even more exposure in 2003 when it was featured in the first "silhouette" television commercial for the iPod.
Their fourth single from the album was titled "Let's Get It Started", which was re-titled from its original name of "Let's Get Retarded" to ensure radio play with no backlash for being considered as offensive to the mentally disabled. "Let's Get It Started" won a 2005 Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and also received two nominations for Record of the Year and Best Rap Song.
In 2004, The Black Eyed Peas embarked on the Elephunk Tour, hitting many countries in Europe and Asia.

2004–07: Monkey Business

The Black Eyed Peas performing on August 24, 2006
Their fourth album, Monkey Business, was recorded through 2004 and was released on June 7, 2005. Much of the pre-production writing was performed on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus while on The Black Eyed Peas/N*E*R*D tour of 2004. The album's first single, "Don't Phunk with My Heart", was a hit in the U.S., reaching number three on the U.S. Hot 100. The spot the song reached was the highest peak yet of their career in the U.S. (this was later broken when "Boom Boom Pow" peaked at the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100) and earned them another Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The song reached three in the UK, and five in Canada, and stayed at number one for three weeks in Australia. Some radio stations, concerned about complaints of obscenity, played an alternative version, "Don't Mess with My Heart". "Don't Lie", the second single from the album, saw success on the U.S. Hot 100, reaching #14, although becoming somewhat more successful in the UK and Australia, reaching a peak of No.6 in both countries. "My Humps", another song from the album, immediately achieved commercial success in the U.S. and fairly substantial radio play despite the sexually suggestive lyrics, reaching number three on the U.S. Hot 100 and number one in Australia, making it their fourth Australian number one single. However, many mocked the song for its poor lyrical content; John Bush, writing for Allmusic, described it as "one of the most embarrassing rap performances of the new millennium".[7] Despite this, the album Monkey Business debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart, selling over 295,000 copies in its first week and was later certified triple platinum by the RIAA. Their next and last commercially-released single from the album was "Pump It", which borrows much of its sound from "Misirlou", specifically Dick Dale's version; it peaked at number 8 in Australia but 18 in America.
As well as being a hip-pop album, Monkey Business features some acoustic guitar playing from Jack Johnson in the single "Gone Going".
In September 2005, The Black Eyed Peas released an iTunes Originals playlist of their greatest hits, as well as some that were re-recorded especially for purchase through iTunes. The playlist includes popular songs such as "Don't Lie", "Shut Up", and a new version of "Where Is the Love?" It has small stories containing info and commentary about the songs and how the group first met.
On November 27, 2005, The Black Eyed Peas performed at the half-time show at the Canadian Football League's 93rd Grey Cup in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In autumn 2005, The Black Eyed Peas set off to tour with Gwen Stefani, as supporting act. In December 2005, they embarked on the "European Tour", which toured multiple countries in Europe.
The European leg which opened in Tel Aviv, Israel, continued to Ireland, the UK, Italy and Germany. After heading to Europe and Asia, they toured the U.S. again, and South America. The Black Eyed Peas have starred in a series of web shorts for Snickers called Instant Def, appearing as a group of hip-hop superheroes.
Their headlined the main Ocean Stage at the Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo, Japan on August 11, and Osaka, Japan on August 12, 2007. The act consisted of the band performing their hits, as well as Fergie singing solo tracks from The Dutchess. will.i.am sang songs from his upcoming album. On December 10, 2005, the Peas cover of the John Lennon classic "Power to the People", which was mostly recorded on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, was released by Amnesty International as part of the Make Some Noise campaign to celebrate human rights. The song was later released on the 2007 John Lennon tribute album, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. The same day, The Black Eyed Peas performed their version live on the UK television program The Record of the Year together with John Legend and Mary J. Blige.
On March 21, 2006, The Black Eyed Peas released a remix album, entitled Renegotiations: The Remixes to iTunes. It features remixed versions of "Ba Bump", "My Style", "Feel It", "Disco Club", "They Don't Want Music", "Audio Delite at Low Fidelity", and the standard version and video of "Like That". The following week, it was released on CD without the music video. Participants on the EP included DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Erick Sermon, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Large Professor.
Already having produced the bulk of the Peas' albums, will.i.am has begun his solo career in earnest by producing and collaborating with a variety of musicians, most notably Michael Jackson and also including U2, Sérgio Mendes, Carlos Santana, Too Short, Kelis, Cheryl Cole, SMAP, John Legend, Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake, Nas and Bone Thugs and Harmony.
In March 2006, The Black Eyed Peas hit the road again as the featured headliner for the 6th Annual Honda Civic Tour with supporting bands Flipsyde and The Pussycat Dolls. They again brought the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus on the tour with them to craft new songs for Fergie's solo debut album. In 2006, they went on tour with The Pussycat Dolls.[8][9]
On May 11, 2006, The Black Eyed Peas performed at San Fernando High School at the football field. In 2007, The Black Eyed Peas embarked on the Black Blue & You World Tour, visiting more than 20 countries, including Macau, Sweden, Poland, Romania, Hungary, South Africa, South Korea, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Singapore, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Australia, Nigeria, Mexico, Thailand, Venezuela, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Argentina, Philippines, El Salvador and Brazil. This tour was presented by Pepsi, in conjunction with the new 'Pepsi More' advertising campaign, featuring The Black Eyed Peas. In fact, their track "One Tribe" was a promotional single made just for the new Pepsi spot.
On December 31, 2006, The Black Eyed Peas performed at the last stop on the Monkey Business tour, at Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for more than 1 million people, being their biggest concert ever. The Black Eyed Peas performed at the UK leg of Live Earth on July 7, 2007 at Wembley Stadium, London. will.i.am performed a new song, "Help Us Out", at the event, which is now on his album, Songs About Girls, as "S.O.S. (Mother Nature)".

2009–2010: The E.N.D. and The E.N.D. World Tour

The Black Eyed Peas performing on October 7, 2009
The group's fifth studio album, The E.N.D. ("The Energy Never Dies"), was released on June 9, 2009. The first single "Boom Boom Pow" was sent to U.S. radio on March 10, 2009 and was released on March 30, 2009 on iTunes. The single sold 465,000 downloads in its first week of digital release, the third-largest number of download sales in a single week overall, and the largest single-week and debut-download totals by a group in the history of digital-download sales, reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Pop 100. It became the group's first U.S. No. 1, holding the spot for twelve consecutive weeks. It also reached number 1 in Australia, Canada, and the UK. The album has a more electro hop beat rather than the usual hip pop/R&B feeling of their previous albums. Three promotional singles, "Imma Be", "Alive", and "Meet Me Halfway", were released through the iTunes Store in the three weeks running up to the album's release. In its first week, the album sold 304,000 copies and debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200. In the United States, the album became the ninth album to top the one million mark in sales in 2009. The album has spent 38 weeks within the top 10 of the Billboard 200. The E.N.D. was the 7th best-selling album of 2009 in the U.S.. It also debuted at number one in Australia, number two in New Zealand and three in the United Kingdom.
The Black Eyed Peas in Paris during The E.N.D. Tour.
After the release of The E.N.D., the Black Eyed Peas released "I Gotta Feeling" as the official second single from the album. It was produced by David Guetta. Moreover, the collaboration of this artist with the Black Eyed Peas is a significant reason of the recent success of the group.[10] "I Gotta Feeling" climbed to number one on the U.S. iTunes chart replacing "Boom Boom Pow" which dropped to number two. The single charted at number three and then went to number one on the UK Singles Chart. It debuted at number 2 on the Hot 100 behind "Boom Boom Pow" and later surpassed it, taking the number 1 spot.[11] The Black Eyed Peas joined a very elite group of artists who have held the No.1 and 2 Spot on the Hot 100 simultaneously. From April 18, 2009, when "Boom Boom Pow" reached No. 1, through October 10, 2009, the last week "I Gotta Feeling" was at No. 1, the group was on top of the chart for 26 weeks, more consecutive weeks than any other artist.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2009 the Black Eyed Peas performed on the British TV chat show Alan Carr: Chatty Man. The band was interviewed and performed their single "I Gotta Feeling".[12] On July 8, 2009, they made an appearance at the Isle of MTV in Malta.[13]
On July 30, Billboard announced that the Black Eyed Peas set a record for the longest successive No. 1 chart run by a duo or group in the Billboard Hot 100's history. "I Gotta Feeling" hit its fifth consecutive week at No. 1, following 12 weeks at the top by the Peas' "Boom Boom Pow". Boyz II Men reigned on the chart for two 16-week runs in the mid-'90s.[14]
Following its release, will.i.am remarked that the album had been inspired by a trip to Australia, specifically the sound of The Presets' "My People". "The energy on the Presets' small little stage was crazy energy. That song My People – that shit is wild," will.i.am said, "That's the reason why this record sounds the way it does – my three months in Australia."[15]
Three of the group's members during their debut world tour.
On September 8, 2009, the group performed live for Oprah Winfrey's 24th Season Kickoff Party, on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. An estimated 21,000 dancers in the streets performed a flash mob to the live performance of "I Gotta Feeling".[16] In September 2009, the group embarked on The E.N.D. World Tour, with dates announced in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. The tour is expected to last well into 2010.
"Meet Me Halfway" was released as the third single from the album in September 2009. The single reached number one in the UK and Australia, making it their third chart topper from The E.N.D. in both countries. It also peaked at seven on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making it the groups third top-10 single from The E.N.D.
The group performed at the American Music Awards with the songs "Meet Me Halfway" and "Boom Boom Pow". They also won 2 out of 3 categories in which they were nominated; Favorite Rock/Pop Group & Favorite R&B/Soul Group. They lost their last category, Best R&B/Soul Album (The E.N.D.), to Michael Jackson.
In October 2009, they were the opening acts for 5 concerts of the U2 360° Tour North America leg.
The Black Eyed Peas started 2010 performing "Rock That Body", "Imma Be", "Boom Boom Pow" and other hits from The E.N.D. in a New Year's Eve party and caused an increase in downloads of those songs.
Fergie and Apl.de.ap performing.
"Imma Be" was released as the fourth single in the U.S. on December 15, 2009, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, becoming the group's 3rd number one single on that chart. Heavy airplay in Canada caused "Imma Be" to reach number 5 on the Canadian Hot 100, their 4th consecutive top 5 hit from the album. "Rock That Body" was then released as the fifth single, and has so far reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
They group performed at the Grammys on January 31, 2010. They performed a mash-up of "Imma Be"/"I Gotta Feeling". In the same night, they won 3 out of the 6 awards they were nominated for including Best Pop Vocal Album for The E.N.D., Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group for "I Gotta Feeling" and Best Short Form Video for "Boom Boom Pow".
On March 30, 2010, The Black Eyed Peas tackled a major milestone in advanced technology. AEG in a Co-Production with 3ality Digital became the first concert to be broadcast LIVE in 3D. “This is the first live concert in movie theaters in 3D,” says John Rubey, president of AEG Network Live. AEG Network Live hired 3ality Digital, which had already completed 3D production work with Samsung and the Black Eyed Peas for the launch of their new consumer 3D TV’s. “We had had a dialogue with 3ality starting with [president] Sandy Climan two years ago,” said Rubey. “And we met with [director] Ted Kenney last May. Ted and I connected on a couple of advance trips, and the chemistry was good. He was flexible in understanding that it wasn’t just a 3D shoot but that there were a myriad of uses, including a (2D) transmission to 500 movie theaters. His vision and flexibility plus the relationship he’d created with the Black Eyed Peas made him a logical support.”[17]
The Black Eyed Peas' LIVE 3D performance of "Meet Me Halfway" won top honors at the Dimension 3 Expo this year in Paris for Live 3D Category.[18]
On June 10, 2010, The Black Eyed Peas performed "Where is the Love?", "Pump It", "Meet me Halfway", "Boom Boom Pow", and "I Gotta Feeling" at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration concert in South Africa. The concert had over 700 million viewers world wide, making it the biggest event the group performed in.
They also performed at T in the Park 2010 on the NME Stage on the Friday July 9 and Oxegen in Kildare, Ireland on Saturday July 10 on the Vodafone stage.
On July 27, 2010, The Black Eyed Peas released a remix album: The E.N.D. Summer 2010 Canadian Invasion Tour: Remix Collection. It was released on iTunes in Canada only, during the Canadian leg of The E.N.D. World Tour. It mostly features remixes of the singles taken from their fifth studio album The E.N.D. It also features a remix of "Let's Get It Started" taken from their third studio album, Elephunk, the remix was also a bonus track on the deluxe edition of The E.N.D.
On July 30, 2010, The Black Eyed Peas performed "Boom Boom Pow", "Rock That Body", and "I Gotta Feeling" in Central Park as part of Good Morning America's free summer concert series.

2010–present: The Beginning

On June 6, 2010, the band confirmed that they were working on a new album in an interview for The Big Issue. The album was described as a sequel to The E.N.D. Will.i.am announced that the new album, which "symbolizes growth, new beginnings and starts a fresh new perspective", would be titled The Beginning. The album was released on November 30, 2010 and received mixed reviews.[19] The album's first single is called "The Time (Dirty Bit)",[20] and was revealed on October 20, 2010, through will.i.am's Twitter account. The music video was directed by Rich Lee, who had previously directed the video for "Imma Be Rocking That Body".
The group also stated in The Big Issue interview that they are working on a 3D film directed by James Cameron. The film will be a tour documentary with fiction inserted into it. The group also performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show, at Cowboys Stadium, on February 6, 2011.[21]
On December 5, they appeared on the seventh series of The X Factor in the UK performing "The Time (Dirty Bit)".
"Just Can't Get Enough" was confirmed as the second single on BlackEyedPeas.com on January 11, conflicting with rumors that "Whenever" and "The Best One Yet (The Boy)" would be the next singles.
On February 6, 2011, the group was featured during the halftime show at Super Bowl XLV. The performance received mixed reviews in both social and mainstream media.[22][23] With this performance they became only the second musical act (after Shania Twain) to perform at both major North American football championship games (the other being the CFL's Grey Cup).[24]
The album's second single, "Just Can't Get Enough", was released in February 18, 2011. The music video was released in March 16, 2011 and it was filmed in Tokyo, one week before the earthquake and the tsunami. The video was directed by Ben Mor
The Black Eyed Peas at Walmart meeting, 2011
On March 17, the Black Eyed Peas appeared on the American Idol elimination show singing "Just Can't Get Enough". Will.i.am noted at the beginning of the song that the song was dedicated to "our friends in Japan".
On April 2, the group appeared on the 24th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards performing "The Time (Dirty Bit)" and "Just Can't Get Enough". The appearance received very good reviews and in the same night the group won the blimp award of the Favorite Music Group category.[citation needed]
The group's third single was "Don't Stop the Party" and it was released on May 10, 2011. On the same day, a music video for the song was released on iTunes, along with the single. The video, which is directed by Ben Mor, features on stage and backstage footage of the group during The E.N.D. World Tour in 2009–2010. The video premiered on Vevo on May 12, 2011.
On May 22, the group appeared on the 2011 Billboard Music Awards and won 1 of the 4 nominations,for "Top Duo/Group". They also performed "Just Can't Get Enough", "The Time (Dirty Bit)", "Boom Boom Pow", and "I Gotta Feeling". The performance received good reviews.
On June 9, the group were scheduled to perform a free concert, "Chase Presents The Black Eyed Peas and Friends", for over 50,000 people in New York City's Central Park,[25] with guests including MC Hammer and Taylor Swift.[citation needed] Money raised went to the Robin Hood Foundation, a charity organization for people in poverty in New York City. The concert was cancelled due to thunderstorms and lightning, but is hoped to be rescheduled in the near future.[26][27]
On June 25, Ubisoft announced they are developing a Black Eyed Peas dance video game for Kinect and Wii.[28]
During their concert at Alton Towers in Staffordshire on the July 6, 2011, The Black Eyed Peas announced they are taking a break following completion of their current tour, as they did between 2005 and 2009. Will.i.am later confirmed the news on Twitter, adding that the break does not mean they will stop creating.[29]

The Group

Current members

  • William Adams – vocals, songwriter, music maker, producer, Composer (1995–present)
  • Stacy Ferguson – vocals, songwriter (2002–present)
  • Jaime Gomez – vocals, songwriter (1995–present)
  • Allan Pineda – vocals, songwriter, producer (1995–present)

Past members

Musicians – Live Members

  • George Pajon, Jr. – Guitar
  • Tim Izo – Saxophone, Flute, MPC
  • Printz Board – Keys, Bass, Trumpet, Musical Director
  • Keith Harris – Drums
  • DJ Ammo - Dj

Discography

Tours

Awards and Nominations

The Black Eyed Peas have won a total of 80 awards and they have had 116 nominations. They have won 6 Grammy Awards (with 16 nominations). They have been nominated for other awards including: Billboard Music Awards, Brit Awards, People's Choice Awards, MTV Video Music Awards Japan, International Dance Music Awards, Billboard Awards, ARIA Awards.

Notes

  1. ^ . http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/black-eyed-peas. 
  2. ^ "Black Eyed Peas set downloads record". BBC News. June 21, 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_10340000/newsid_10340800/10340829.stm. 
  3. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "The Black Eyed Peas". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-black-eyed-peas-p302855/biography. Retrieved January 4, 2011. 
  4. ^ "The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)". Rolling Stone. June 8, 2009. http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/28503103/review/28565349/the_end_the_energy_never_dies. 
  5. ^ "Fergie in-depth interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' January 2008". Bluesandsoul.com. http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/236/fergie_finally_talks_hip-hop/. Retrieved September 10, 2010. 
  6. ^ "Taboo Talks Justin Timberlake Rap Session". 2009. http://talkoffame.com/?p=770. Retrieved 2009. 
  7. ^ "Allmusic.com". http://www.allmusic.com/album/r740971. 
  8. ^ Lamb, Billy (May 6, 2006). "Black Eyed Peas and Pussycat Dolls in Concert". About.com. http://top40.about.com/od/concertreviews/fr/beppcdconc.htm. 
  9. ^ "HondaCivicTour.com". http://www.HondaCivicTour.com. Retrieved April 27, 2007. 
  10. ^ (French) L'été magique de David Guetta, roi des nightclubbersLe Figaro
  11. ^ "Black Eyed Peas E.N.D. Up At No. 1 On Billboard 200". June 17, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/black-eyed-peas-e-n-d-up-at-no-1-on-billboard-1003985032.story. Retrieved July 9, 2009. 
  12. ^ "Alan Carr: Chatty Man – Series 1 – Episode 3 – Alan Carr: Chatty Man". Channel 4. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/alan-carr-chatty-man/episode-guide/series-1/episode-3. Retrieved August 9, 2009. 
  13. ^ "Malta Special 2009". Isle of MTV. http://www.isleofmtv.com/en/index.html#/Artist09. Retrieved August 9, 2009. 
  14. ^ Up for DiscussionPost Comment (July 30, 2009). "Black Eyed Peas Set Billboard Hot 100 Record". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/news/black-eyed-peas-set-billboard-hot-100-record-1003998841.story#/news/black-eyed-peas-set-billboard-hot-100-record-1003998841.story. Retrieved August 9, 2009. 
  15. ^ Adelaide Now (July 1, 2009). "Peas Step Out Of Pod". The Advertiser. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25719032-5018684,00.html. 
  16. ^ Video hosted by YouTube showing the 21,000 dancers.
  17. ^ "Studio Daily Blog » AEG Network Live Broadcasts Black Eyed Peas in 3D". Studiodaily.com. April 2, 2010. http://www.studiodaily.com/blog/?p=2940. Retrieved September 10, 2010. 
  18. ^ "Dimension3 Expo". Dimension3 Expo. http://www.dimension3-expo.com/uk/festival.php. Retrieved September 10, 2010. 
  19. ^ "MusicSearch Blog – Black Eyed Peas Reveal New Album Details!". BlackEyedPeas.com. June 10, 2010. http://musicsearch.comlu.com/blog/?p=1530. Retrieved September 10, 2010. 
  20. ^ "MusicSearch Blog – Black Eyed Peas reveal new single "The Time (Dirty Bit)" [AUDIO"]. MusicSearch. October 21, 2010. http://musicsearch.comlu.com/blog/?p=2614. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 
  21. ^ "Black Eyed Peas Meet The Big Issue". BlackEyedPeas.com. June 10, 2010. http://www.blackeyedpeas.com/home/news/802829. Retrieved September 10, 2010. 
  22. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (February 7, 2011). "Twitter Users Mixed Over Black Eyed Peas' Halftime Show at Super Bowl XLV". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/twitter-users-mixed-black-eyed-97015. 
  23. ^ Martens, Todd (February 7, 2011). "The Black Eyed Peas at the Super Bowl: Pop absurdity at its finest". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/02/the-black-eyed-peas-at-the-super-bowl-absurdity-at-its-finest.html. 
  24. ^ "Twelve Things about the Super Bowl halftime show". AOL. February 4, 2011. http://kids.aol.com/2011/02/04/twelve-things-about-the-super-bowl-halftime-show/. 
  25. ^ "Black Eyed Peas performing a free New York City concert in June to benefit Robin Hood Foundation", Daily News, New York: Associated Press, May 2, 2011, retrieved June 26, 2011
  26. ^ "Cancelled: Chase Presents the Black Eyed Peas and Friends", NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, June 9, 2011, retrieved June 26, 2011
  27. ^ "Concert 4 NYC Follow Up", Robin Hood Foundation, June 10, 2011, retrieved June 26, 2011.
  28. ^ "Announcing The Black Eyed Peas Experience". The Black Eyed Peas. June 25, 2011. http://www.blackeyedpeas.com/home/news/827939. Retrieved June 26, 2011. 
  29. ^ "Black Eyed Peas Take Indefinite Break", MTV UK, July 9, 2011, http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/black-eyed-peas/news/322913-black-eye-peas-take-indefinite-break-william-fergie, retrieved July 9, 2011