Black Eyed Peas: how important is Fergie to the group?
 

I seem to remember this group was around for sometime before they broke through big time in early 2004. Fergie, who had just joined, was quite noticable in their videos and is what prompted me to find out who they were and how long they had actually been around.
I found out she used to be a member of Wild Orchid (thought she looked familiar), and remember her having a beautiful singing voice, which she somtimes gets to use now. However, I have noticed that the past few Black Eyed Peas videos have more or less made her the focal point while the original members have more or less faded into the BG. Today I saw a video where Fergie was dancing around with a bunch of other girls and listened to the lyrics to find out she was singing about her behind. This is about as low brow as a band can get IMO. I just have the feeling that Fergie is the group's key to the white audience and they want her to be their Gwen Stefani type figure. Any other thoughts on this?

You hit the nail on the head. Both about that ridiculous "Humps" song [their vain effort to promote some new slang] and the other BEP members that aren't friends with Justin Timberlake or named Will.I.Am fading into the background.

damn that my humps song. so catchy and annoying

I wonder if any of the male members of blacked eyed peas 'slept' with fergie

have you not seen the SNL Skit about the band?

they have sold out.

Links?


When I heard Fergie croon the line:"My lovely lady lumps" I thought I was going to barf. That is the epitome of corny songwriting.

Agreed - "lumps" has got to be the most rediculous term out there.

Sorry Fergie - When I think of "lumps" I think of oatmeal and Willford Brimley - who is also lumpy.

She was on Kids Incorporated (80s kids show also starrring jennifer Love Hewitt, mario Lopez, and Martika) way before Wild Orchid

[Humpty]I like my oatmeal lumpy[Humpty]

Maybe a nitpick, but I'd say a more accurate statement is that she is the key to their mainstream success. I may be the exception, but I'm white and have been a fan before they even released an album (saw a live performance and met them at CMJ).

Look at the Billboard peaks of their albums:
Behind the Front (1998): 129
Bridging the Gap (2000): 67
Elephunk (2004): 14
Monkey Business (2005): 2

They've gotten more and more successful despite the fact that their 3rd and 4th albums suck, IMO. (I absolutely love the first two, though). True, their music has been dumbed down, but also sex sells.

You guys are looking for artistic integrity in music marketed to 12 year-olds again?

Only because Black Eyed Peas used to be very different, and very good.

I guess this kind of proves my argument. FWIW, I equate mainstream success with selling albums to white suburban teens when it comes to today's music market. I could see many teen guys buying this album because they like to listen to it and visualize Fergie shaking her rump in their face while they do whatever teenage males do when thinking such thoughts.

I'm sure they tried, But anyway she is the only reason anybody pays attention to the group, Just like in the Fugees, Pras and Wycleff don't have any talent Laurin Hill is the Group.

:lol: :up:

Her "hump" don't seem so good if she can't control her bodily functions. ;)

Wow, if you think Wyclef doesn't have any talent I want to know who you think does.

Can't argue with you there, for the most part (not sure how many teens line up to buy Norah Jones albums, though). But for the market they are aiming for, that's exactly who buys the music.

I'd say Wyclef has plenty of talent (listen to The Carnival sometime). He's an okay MC, but a great producer. I think we can all agree that Pras is the red-headed stepchild of the group. :)

Interesting fact: according to IMDB, in her childhood, Fergie was the voice of Charlie Brown's little sister Sally in a few TV specials in the early 80s. Bet Linus didn't know what he was rejecting when she called him her sweet babboo. :D

And now i hear the rest of the song.


Lady Lumps....how profound and poetic.

Pras never said he had talent. They all agreed he was their businessman. (Note that since they broke up none of them have been nearly as popular).

Wyclef, my friend, has talent. Wyclef's Masquerade was an awesome awesome album.

Lauryn Hill also had talent (and she certainly is a better singer and songwriter than Wyclef) but she just went crazy.

How many grammys did Lauren take home with Miseducation? 5!?! Sold 12-some-odd-million copies of that album!?! Methinks she was plenty popular.

We are agreed that she is WAY crazy though :). I saw her at the Hollywood Bowl a few years ago and she was crying and yelling at her band / crew the whole show.

That's okay. Just don't say something that means nothin'... like "looptid."

My white sister-in-law has recently took interest in BEP. I'd guess Fergie was a big reason.

I'm not really into the "booty shaking", "sex you" type music though. If I listen to hip-hop I'd like a little more depth -- from what I understand BEP used to lean more that way. I'd probably like their pre-Fergie stuff better.

But as far as "selling to white kids" goes. I think black artists have no problem selling to white kids. I'd bet Snoop, Dre, etc. sell way more albums to white kids than black kids.

I have no doubt that you are correct. However, I am not talking about Snoop, Dre, et al. I am talking about a group that was making mostly good and ethnic music that didn't start to really sell until they got a booty shakin white girl (who seems to spend lots of time in the tanning bed IMO).

Fixed.

Saw the video late last night. Thought it was funny how she really doesn't have any "humps". No matter HOW HARD she tries to arch her back and stick it out...

The funny thing about BEP is that their 1st album is all about not selling out. I loved the 1st 2 albums. Now they are just meh. for some reason they remind me a litttttle bit of Outkast.

No. Outkast wen't crazy. Okay, Andre 3000 wen't crazy.

Black Eyed Peas, plain and simple, sold out. Sure, I love their first two albums and I really liked Elephunk. But Monkey Business has to be one of the worst albums of the year.

Is she seriously talking about her butt? Cause I just caught part of the video, and honestly, I've seen better hineys on 12 yo's at the mall.

Pretty pathetic if so.

On the last few releases ( and especially with Humps) they have an annoying habit of saying a line or the chorus ALOT of times again and again.
Not that inspiring really!

Their new song (and even the single before that) are absolute shit. Fergie is even more annoying than Carrot Top.

how important are the black eyed peas, let alone fergie?

I can't believe there's a discussion about the Black Eyed Peas. sigh

They're like one of those bands that totally suck ass that everyone in the media thinks you like.

There was a time in which the Black Eyed Peas were a great band. Example: Behind the Front and Bridging the Gap.

Then Elephunk came out. While I enjoy that album for what it is, it didn't compare (at all) to their first two albums. People cried, "Sell out," but most BEP fans stood by them. I will gladly admit I saw them live when they went on tour during the spring of 2004 with N*E*R*D and they did put on a good show (N*E*R*D was far superior though). However, I will not see them live now. Why?

1. Monkey Business is a piece of shit and easily one of the worst records of 2005. I'm sure there are far worse peices of shit out there (Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and so on and so on), but the Black Eyed Peas shouldn't resort to selling out this bad.
2. They sold out, plain and simple. With Elephunk, there was still some originality to the tracks. Monkey Business sounds like any other generic hip-hop/pop album out there.
3. I'm not paying $120 to see them live in December (when they come back to Vegas) to see basically Monkey Business preformed live. I paid $30 a year and a half ago and got 4 bands (The Clipse [20 minute set], Black Eyed Peas [90 minute set], Spymob [10 minute set], and N*E*R*D [75 minute set]). Christ, how inflation rises.

Before Monkey Business, I only knew a handful of people who liked BEP.
When Monkey Business hit, I knew tons of people who like (the new) BEP.

Oh well. :(

Sad fact: Humps gets a lot of play in clubs now. Not even good booty music either, too fast.

I enjoy their music, but she was probably brought on for the selling via the video audience. I like her voice fine, but it isn't the reason I enjoy the songs. She is very replaceable....unless you are talking about the sales from people who see the videos. But I don't watch videos. :shrug:

I didn't know that Fergie chick actually sang. I figured she was just a bez.

I just put the mute button when their video comes on.