Why i hate the Black Eyed Peas

I don’t tend to hate much. Hating something implies that you can find nothing positive whatsoever in the thing you hate, and I can usually find something positive in everything. In this case, and simply in reference to me, not other people, I hate Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas by association.

I am really protective of Hip Hop. Like Chris Rock said ‘I love rap, but I’m tired of defending it’. I’m 31, which might make you think I’m just being nostalgic, but Hip Hop sure ain’t what is used to be, and I’m pointing the finger at the Black Eyed Peas for where it is today.

I met a colleague in the lift a few weeks ago, and as she was wrapping up her ipod, I asked what music she liked, to which she replied ‘hip hop’. I was a little surprised and asked what she had been listening to and guess what she said, Yep, the Black Eyed Peas.

Initially the Black Eyed Peas were a fairly credible hip-hop group, being signed to Eazy-E’s record label and touring with Jurassic 5. Whilst not really to my taste, their music was at least well rooted in hip-hop’s burgeoning ‘conscious’ movement, spreading messages of anti-violence and unity.

Instead of sticking to hip hop, they veered wildly into the horrible Pop R+B market, by adding Fergie to their lineup in 2003, and went on to produce what in my opinion are some of the worst records in my lifetime.

Now being a Pop band is no bad thing, pop is after all ‘popular’, and whilst you might think I’m just being a music snob, I still have a massive problem with the fact that they call themselves a Hip Hop group.

The Black Eyed Peas, although a worldwide name, have achieved terrible chart results in the US. From their last two albums, they have achieved the following positions in the U.S. Hot 100 chart: 8, 23, 21, 3, 14, 3 and 18. Not great really, but they are a Hip Hop group remember, more of a niche appeal kind of group? Not so. In the U.S. Hip Hop and Rap charts they have fared even worse attaining the positions: 82, 19, 22, 10 and 57.

So it’s clear to see that America doesn’t think much of their status as a Hip Hop group. Their popularity has come from countries like France, Australia, Germany, China, Indonesia, and Israel, where an American accent, a saucy video and some black guys can get you a long way.

Another reason for their notoriety is their incessant licensing, seemingly without any creative conscience, selling their work to any corporation, game or movie they can. Black Eyed Peas songs have appeared in:

Garfield: the movie, Apple ipod (advert), NBA TV (advert), Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle (goofball movie), Barbershop 2 (goofball movie), White chicks (goofball movie) The Simz (videogame), Snickers promotional videos, Bulworth (movie), apple imac (advert), Dance Dance Revolution (videogame), Along Came Polly (goofball movie), Laguna Beach (MTV series), Big Momma’s House 2 (goofball movie), Cars (movie), Pepsi (adverts)

Now, onto Fergie: As a member of the Black Eyed Peas, she has single-handedly done more to destroy what I love about Hip-hop than anyone else. Her brand of ignorant stylistic singalong crap, masquerading as ‘Urban’, ‘Edgy’, ‘Hip Hop’ has nothing beneficial to the scene whatsoever. Not content with ruining the Black Eyed Peas, she has now gone solo, further perverting the genre, creating ‘urban music by numbers’.

Her song ‘My Humps’, is more ‘Weird Al Yankovic’ than Hip Hop. An ode to her arse, mentioning it 55 times in the song, it incredibly won a Grammy. It was described by John Bush as one of the most embarrassing rap performances of the new millennium

Her song ‘London Bridge’ has the genius lyrics: ‘V.I.P., ‘cause you know I gotta shine. I’m Fergie Ferg,give me love you long time’, and ‘Back to back, drop it down real low. I’m such a lady, but I’m dancing like a ho’. Brilliant. More notably, for the entire video, and indeed on the record sleeve, she is dancing in front of Tower Bridge, not London Bridge.

In conclusion:

1. I hate the fact the Black Eyed Peas call themselves a Hip Hop group, when they retain nothing of the genre, and misrepresent it all over the world.

2. I hate the fact that the music they create is inane, formulaic, simplistic, and designed to simply be a money making vehicle.

3. I hate the fact that they will license their work to anything, regardless of context.

4. I hate the fact that when I say I like Hip Hop, the man in the street thinks I listen to this crap.

I gave the lady from the lift a copy of a Tribe Called Quest album. She says she hasn’t listened to it yet.

Comments

[Charlie Gower]

Now, while I'm with you on the I hate T.B.E.P, and wouldn't ever considering listening to any of their records I do like that they had a record called Let's Get Retarded.

You need to cleanse yourself here, as there's plenty more pop / hip hop crossover in the barrel to get frustrated at and it'll give you an ulser if you don't watch it.

[Raj Panjwani]

I only came on here to find your email to get a recommendation on what TV to get cause I can't be bothered reading nerdy reviews but now I'm here...

Yeah, I never rated Fergie either, her marriage to Andrew was a sham and her books about silly kid's planes are crap too.

[stuart]

Does this remind anyone of Patrick Bateman's rants about Huey Lewis and the News and Whitney Houston in American Psycho?

Just askin'.

Personally I think all Hip Hop i shite, and the BEP's are just adding to an already steaming mess... If you want REAL music head for the shawaddywaddy section of your record store my friends, that's where it's at...

[abw]

I don't hate the group- but I have issues with some of what they represent too.

[xavier]

I agree totally with you, more trash tahn R&B or hip hop
most of it I call Hate rap or Hate R&B
much like 50 cent or public enemy or the guy who became an actor in law and order, I can't recall..ok Ice-T (is that a legal name??)
Xavier

[Rosie]

thank you. someone came by my desk humming fergie's la la la bit from their execrable version of mas que nada. it enraged me so I typed 'i hate the black eyed peas' into google and thank the lord i found this post. in times like this it is good to know that there are like-minded people out there.

thanks again.

[Renier]

mmmmm. Black eyed peas = nursery rhyme melodies combined with possibly the worst lyrics ever conceived in hip hop.
I will hate them till I die, and the only thing I hate more is that everybody loves them. :-)
Over glorified crap...period.

[Katherine]

Thank you for an eloquent dissertation on this terrible act. My only issue is that it was too short. I could hear people wax poetic about the horribility of this act for hours. They are truly one of the most deplorable acts in music history. Might I recommend writing a follow-up article about Gwen Stefani's solo career?

[Lewi da G]

WORD they aren't even hip hop or rap, it's bullshit! Get some real stuff like Public Enemy or 2pac!

Xavier are you saying you hate Public Enemy? Dude, they're the best, if you like rap and hate them you got a screw loose bruv.

And yeah here in Australia some saucy shit and some black people will get you to the top. It sucks, so many preps and morons here.

[Conor]

Thank you for your post. I've been incensed with BEP since Elephunk hit the streets. I actually saw them open for Outkast in 1998, right after Aquemini and Behind the Front came out, and the show was incredible. I immediately bought the album and loved their style, mainly their criticisms of mainstream pop-rap. Not sure what happened between 1998 and 2003, but it's ridiculous how quickly they jumped at the opportunity to become exactly what they made fun of...dogsh*t pop-rappers. Fergie is an abomination, their lyrics have gone from insightful to laughably nonsensical ("I'm a get, get, get, get you drunk, get you love drunk off my hump"), and they've gone from a great live band to mindlessly robbing past hits (Dick Dale's brilliant "Misirlou) and rapping over them without even taking a stab at the creative production/sampling techniques that make hip-hop the art that it is. Puffy was ripping off the Police back when BEP were actually a decent group, and I hated him for it too. I guess it goes to show that the almighty dollar can make any shallow, ignorant artist completely abandon his principles and force-feed silly crap to Clear Channel for worldwide aural abuse. Anyway, I'll quit ranting, as all this thought about BEP has made me throw up a little.

[Critter]

"it enraged me so I typed 'i hate the black eyed peas'"

Haha I did the same.

[Peter]

I just had my first exposure to Black Eyed Peas via youtube. "Boom Boom Pow" went to #1? Are you kidding me? The world must be going to hell. I'm in my late 30s, and bred in the white suburbs, despite this i can appreciate old school hip hop - e.g., Public Enemy and NWA. Even though it has nothing to do with me, I can appreciate it. But "boom boom pow" and other crap like it, sound like a 3rd grader wrote it in about 10 minutes. HORRIBLE!

[Sean]

Yes exactly... Songs like "Boom Boom Pow" and "I gotta Feeling" are topping charts, how embarrassing.

[K]

OH GOD how I hate the BEP. I once got three free tickets to go to their concert and thank god it was free. Me and my friends were on the third row booing them the whole time. And to my horro the Pussy Cat Dolls open for them. They were just as bad. I'm also 31 and we left the concert early. If the tickets were not free I would have asked for my money back. Boom Boom Pow is now number one for 16 weeks. WTF.

[Kathrine]

I'm 25 and I also hate the peas (naming ones self after a vegetable, how strange)
They have THE most nonsensical songs! "I've got that boom boom pow" WTH does that even mean???! They have garbage lyrics that all the little 12 year olds find wonderful. Try asking one of them what the lyrics mean, they don't have a clue and they don't care. How sad. I was actually kinda happy when Fergie went to make her own music. I thought "Good! No more BEP crap for a while! " Then I heard her songs....... That "Clumsy" song almost made me go insane!! Every station no matter what channel played that night and day!!!!
I want them to go away!!!!!!!

[F*@k B.E.P]

i googled I hate B.E.P because boom boom pow pisses me off its always on the radio biggest piece of shit song everrrrrrrrr

[nick dev]

thx post your post, i really enjoyed it!.all the reasons for you hating the BEP's are based on facts and your observations.
so it is easy for you to put down in words. no words can ever explain the sheer disgust i feel when i watch these degenerates on the tube. the very sight of them makes my blood curdle.but i also feel its not entirely their fault...they just dish out what today's music listeners demand

[barry]

brilliant thank you. i am sick the abssolute crap they come out with and its raking in the money. Like in the name of all that is holy, "mY HUMPS" or "Boom Boom Pow!". what kinda shit is this?

[trisha@hotmail.com]

This article was genius. I can't stand the BEP and their ship hop crap!!!

[kp3@yahoo.com]

I too hate the Black Eyed Peas. Will I Am thinks hes so creative and so talented creating a new hip hop and was actually shocked when he wasn't nominated at the MTV awards lol

[william terrible faker]

hate them some much too... omg

[Jennifer]

HATERS!

[Peter North]

Someone needs to tell Fergie to stop lusting after black men. The only reason Fergie was added was to promote interracial relationships. Which i might add, is shunned upon by society no matter what reality TV and BET say.

[Tom Clampett]

Thinking about how much tbep suck, I typed "I hate tbep" and found this blog. Bless You! While I generally dislike hip hop&rap, you obviously don't though our feelings about tbep's are the same. They are weak in all musical aspects. Overhyped and undertalented, like most of todays stars. They just suck, period.

[SirRendar]

I have a Xmas job in a music shop and every time I have to sell their album I die a little on the inside. I thought to be fair I should see if any of their album tracks are a bit more experimental and original. I gave them a chance (spotify of course, I'm not paying them a penny). The answer is no.

What really angers me is the repetition of words, and if that gets tired, repeat a syllable. For example, take Will I am's "Heartbreaker. "I'm so-so-so-sorry [...] I didn't mean to break it b-b-b-break it baby"

He is the wo-wo-worst song writer on the planet.