The Black Eyed Peas have churned out so many catchy hits that they began to start being hated for it, but it’s undeniable that the group has talent. Since Fergie has become a hit as a solo performer, many people have forgotten about them; however, there are some interesting facts about the group that are definitely worth mentioning. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about The Black Eyed Peas. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: Two of the Members Have Known Each Other Since Middle School. Black Eyed Peas members William Adams, also known as will.i.am, and Allan Pineda, also known as apl.de.ap, have been friends since the 8th grade! They went to school together in Los Angeles.
Number Fourteen: Before They Were The Black Eyed Peas, They Were Atban Klann. Adams and Pineda became part of Ruthless Records in 1992, and it was there that they began performing under the moniker of Atban Klann. Atban was meant to stand for “A Tribe Beyond A Nation.”
Number Thirteen: They Were Doing Something Different From the Beginning. After Eazy-E died in 1995 (he was the guy behind Ruthless Records), Atban Klann added another member to their group: Jamie Gomez, alias Taboo. They then began to perform with a live band, which almost no other hip hop group was doing at the time. It was also during this time that they changed their number to The Black Eyed Peas.
Number Twelve: Their Third Album Was the First to Include All Current Members. The third album released by The Black Eyes Peas was Elephunk, and it was the first to include all four members, including Fergie.
Number Eleven: Fergie Was Not Their First Choice. In fact, the rest of the members wanted Nicole Scherzinger, of the later Pussycat Dolls, to be part of the trio. However, she ended up declining because of a contractual issue.
Number Ten: Will.i.am Produces Most of Their Albums. It’s clear that will.i.am is the creative one of the bunch, because he was produced the majority of the group’s albums, not to mention that he has collaborated as a producer with other artists like U2, John Legend, and Justin Timberlake.
Number Nine: Fergie’s Solo Album Was Produced by Another Pea. Surprise, surprise! Will.i.am also produced the gross majority of Fergie’s solo album, The Dutchess, in 2006.