MAIN Art & ... Pop Culture Pop Music Black Eyed Peas

With an early start in Los Angeles under the name Atban Klann, the Black Eyed Peas began with original members and childhood friends, Will.i.am and Apl.de.Ap.

A third member, Taboo, later joined to help the hip hop group quickly become a known presence on the L.A. college music circuit, where reps from Interscope records - liking their fresh mix of hip hop, R&B, jazz and soul - awarded the group a record contract in 1997.

A year later, BEP's debut album Behind the Front met with good critical notice as the group continued to tour and impress audiences with expert live performances and vocals provided by Kim Hill. Their second album, Bridging the Gap, was released in 2000 featuring guest appearances by Jurassic 5's Chali 2na, De La Soul, and Macy Gray. The group's third album, 2003's Elephunk, featured a new member, Fergie, who replaced Kim Hill.

Monkey Business was their fourth album scheduled released in May of 2005. That same year, the group opened for the Rolling Stones when the Rolling Stones: Onstage world tour opened at Boston's Fenway Park in August 2005. Headliner gigs soon followed after the group took home Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2006 Grammy Awards and announced a 34 cities cross-country tour.

Since forming in 1995, The Black Eyed Peas have sold more than 28 million albums worldwide and nearly 31 million digital tracks. Their new album, "The Beginning," is set for for release in late November 2010, followed by a heralded live performance at Super Bowl 45 in February 2011.

More about the Black Eyed Peas around the Web:

www.BlackEyedPeas.com - The Official Black Eyed Peas Site - The latest news and news archive, current tour schedule, group bio, video and audio clips, picture gallery, forum, online store.

Black Eyed Peas on LAUNCH - Biography, album reviews, photo slideshow, video clips, feature interviews, related links.

UM Music.ca - Black Eyed Peas - Good background info, lots of video clips from the past and present, pictures, news and opinion.

Fergie.com - The official site featuring news, pictures & video clips, active online forum.

Black Eyed Peas Lyrics - Song lyrics listed by Most Popular, or browseable in a complete list.

The Black Eyed Peas News - Related news headlines and feature stories from various sources around the Web.

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