Elephunk [PA] - Black Eyed Peas (CD 2003)

I m sure when Where is the Love came blazing on the radio last fall a whole bunch of people were thinking who the hell are these guys? Indeed, not many people (myself included) knew who the Black Eyed Peas were before Where is the Love came out. But, the song was a smash hit, it cultivated in some strong sales for Elephunk, and when it was all said and done, they even got to perform in the Grammys. But sadly, the album is disappointing. Where is the Love turned out to be the only classic on the album. I expected some social commentary and introspection out of the Peas. But, that is not what I got .

First, a little history lesson about the Black Eyed Peas. Will.i.am. (the KRS-wannabe) and apl.de.ap (the Filipino guy) met in 1989 in 8th grade and began performing in Los Angeles by the name Atban Klann. They signed a deal with Ruthless Records, but the label lived up to their name and ditched the two. Undaunted, they brought in Taboo (the last guy left) and renamed themselves as the Peas we know today. Things went upward, as they landed with Interscope, and dropped their debut in 1998, Behind the Front. It received good reviews, but they were still underground, and nobody had really heard of them yet. 2 years later, they dropped Bridging the Gap, which received the same reviews as Behind the Front. 2 years later, it was 2002, and fans had left the Peas for dead. Fortunately for them, they resurfaced in the fall, and we learned they added a new member, called Fergie (last remaining Pea; female). This leads us to Elephunk.




The album doesn t kick off too bad, with Hands Up. Featured on the NBA Live 2004 Soundtrack, it features some strange bass and instruments. The lyrics are light-hearted and it s basically a party track. You ll find too many of those on this album. Next up is Labor Day (It s a Holiday, which has a quicker vibe than Hands Up, but the same subject matter. All the Peas tell you to do here is Let s celebrate! It s a hoooooliiday! , which you can see is some simple lyrics designed to capture the mainstream audience.

Moving on, we get the 3rd single Hey Mama. The song (and the video) sucks. It s another party track. See the trend? It s an improvement over typical party tracks, but the production (with some claps and synthesizers) is mediocre to below average. The rhymes are not complex by any means, and the hook is so unimaginative, you can see how they finished the song in one day. (according to the linear notes)

We finally get an above average track in Shut Up. Again, it has subject matter similar to clubs/women, but this time it deals with a relationship, and the saga that goes with it. The beat has a soap opera type feel to it, and is as simplistic as words can describe. Picture the Peas acting out The Light (from Common). Fergie plays the hot woman everyone is lusting after, will.i.am. plays the guy Fergie is mad at, and I am confused as to what roles apl.de.ap and Taboo play. From the video, I can gather Fergie is mad at apl., and Taboo is pointed out as a guy in the stands Fergie is checking out. I dunno. Let s just say the lyrics are an improvement, and the Peas finally show some lyrical process on this track.

Skipping past the endless party tracks, we get The Boogie That Be. It starts with a parody of Joe Budden s Pump it Up, and the beat seems like it was jacked from Snoop s From Da Chuuuuuuuu From The Church To The Palace.. Wait, did I say the party tracks would end here? Well, I guess not, as the lyrics here hit a new low. If you thought And when you on my mind can't find anything to rhyme with rhyme/I'll gotta rhyme rhyme with mixture/and speakin' of mixture with you I wanna get mixed up was simplistic, look at the complex rhyming scheme of the Peas brilliantly exhibited here:

Fergie's chillin
Always illin
The way I make you sway, ya feelin
That's how it is
Get down and jam
If ya'll don't understand
Check it
Heat rock makin
Street block shakin
Club life's great when it's house breakin
Speakers thumpin
Hold joint jumpin
..

I cut off the lyrics from there, as you can kind of get the picture. C mon Peas. Even Lil'Jon has more words a bar than you guys. "From the windowww...to the wallll!!!!!!" Forget it.

Skipping past the horrid Elephunk Theme, we FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY get to a track that does NOT have to do with clubs or women. The Apl Song is a solo joint by apl.de.ap. The instrumental isVERY similar to Where is the Love. Then, the hook is sung/spoken in Tagalog, which is the Filipino language. Apl.de.ap drops some nice, very interesting lyrics about his time growing up in the Phillipines. Don t get confused, he doesn t drop amazing lyrics, but he knows how to make it touching and it blends in perfectly with the beat. When I was taking a trip over to Japan, this was the perfect music to play while killing time. So why isn t it 5 Stars? It s simply too damn short. There are only 20 real bars, and it definitely could have been longer. Sample:

Listen closely yo, I got a story to tell
A version of my ghetto where life felt for real
Some would call it hell but to me it was heaven
God gave me the grace, amazin' ways of living
How would you feel if you had to catch your meal
Build a hut to live and to eat and chill in?
Having to pump the water outta the ground
The way we put it down utilizing what is around
Like land for farming, river for fishing
Everyone helpin' each other whenever they can
We makin' it happen, from nothin' to somethin'
That's how we be survivin' back in my homeland


Naturally, after 11 songs with no introspection, the last 3 songs all have to do with that concept. The 2nd of those is Anxiety, a duet with Papa Roach. Since the Peas are typically light-hearted and party-obsessed, the anger-fueled track makes me raise an eyebrow. With a rock-influenced beat, will.i.am. talks about how angry he is and how he wants to b*tch slap somebody. The rest of the Peas (with the exception of Fergie) follow suit. Papa Roach drops a GREAT hook, and the lyrics are actually complex. Take a look:

Lately my whole aim is to maintain
And regain control of my mainframe
My bloods boiling its beatin' out propaine
My train of thoughts more like a runaway train
I'm in a fast car drivin' in a fast lane
In the rain and I'm might just hydroplaine

Finally, we get to the final track and classic Where is the Love. Obviously, it s a great track. It s the sole reason I had such high hopes for Elephunk. It has a pop-influenced instrumental, with a thumping, laid-back bassline and well yeah that s basically it. The Peas give some social consciousness here, talking about the problems of the world, but in a more positive outlook than say, Public Enemy. Nothing is left untouched here, as everything from terrorism, the media, child deaths, the lack of love, and the War on Iraq and many more are described vividly. Justin Timberlake, who I find annoying as hell, drops a GREAT hook, but I no way in hell believe he wrote it himself. Bulls*it. Justin couldn t think of a rhyme for blue if his life depended on it. Ok, seriously I believe will.i.am. ghostwrote it for him. It s still good however, and I have to admit he has a good voice. The song is a sure-fire classic, and it actually received airplay and MTV time, probably due to the fact it had Timberlake and a pop beat.

(Unfortunately, that does not mean people like it. My friend said it was gay and that the video was just a bunch of children singing. I told him to go listen to his Chingy.)

Oh, and I forgot . A Sample:
if love and peace is so strong
why are there pieces of love that don't belong
nations droppin bombs
chemical gases fillin lungs of little ones
with ongoin sufferin, as the youth die young
so ask yourself, is the lovin really gone
so I can ask myself, really what is going wrong
with this world that we livin in, people keep on givin in
makin wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
not respectin each other, deny thy brother
a war is goin on but the reason's under cover
the truth is kept secret, and swept under the rug
if you never know truth, then you never know love
where's the love ya'll? (i don't know)
where's the truth ya'll? (i don't know)
and where's the love ya'll?

By apl.de.ap. Classic, but still does not make up for the crap party tracks from 1-11. There s also a bonus track that is also described as a party track.

Song and their Ratings:
1. Hands Up (3 Stars)
2. Labor Day (It s a Holiday!) (2 Stars)
3. Let s Get Retarded ( Star)
4. Hey Mama (1 Star)
5. Shut Up (3 Stars)
6. Smells Like Funk (1 Star)
7. Latin Girls ( Star)
8. Sexy (1 Star)
9. Fly Away (0 Stars)
10. The Boogie That Be (0 Stars)
11. Elephunk Theme (N/A)
12. The Apl Song (4 Stars)
13. Anxiety f/ Papa Roach (5 Stars)
14. Where is the Love f/ Justin Timberlake (5 Stars)
14 . The Third Eye (1 Star)

As a result of wanting more sales, the Black Eyed Peas completely changed their style for this album. They put together a bunch of crap party joints and sex songs, basically selling out. They do show some nice introspection on the final 3 songs, but overall the album is s*it. They really need to go back to their underground sound. What s sad is they re still one of the better groups in the mainstream today. Pathetic

Final Rating: 2 Stars