Apl. De. Ap on BEP’s new sound, replacing Fergie,‘music that matters’ and philanthropy

American pop-dance music group Black Eyed Peas is certainly one of the most accomplished performing and recording acts in the world. They have sold an estimated 76 million records worldwide, won six Grammy Awards, played at the Super Bowl in 2011 and in every major city on the map.

Prior to becoming one of the world’s best-selling groups of all time, BEP as they are fondly called, originated in the underground hip-hop movement of the 1990s. After dissolving their initial group, Atban Klann, rappers Will.I.Am (William Adams, Jr.) and Filipino-American Apl.De.Ap (Allan Pineda) recruited MC and dancer Taboo (Jaime Gomez) to form the Black Eyed Peas. However, in 2001, a blonde voca­list by the name of Fergie (Stacy Ferguson) steered them toward a different direction in music, effectively turning their sound into mainstream success. “Elephunk,” the album, gave them gigantic hits like “Where Is the Love?,” “Hey Mama,” and “Let’s Get It Started;” followed by more chart-topping follow up EPs “Monkey Business” (2005), “The Beginning” (2010) and “The E.N.D.” (2009).