Monday, June 22, 2009

The Black Eyed Peas...Genius or Just plain stupid?

So...there are reports this morning that Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas assaulted everyone's favorite gossip blogger Perez Hilton last night at the MuchMusic awards in Toronto.

Apparently, Will.I.Am was upset after Perez told bandmate Fergie that he did not like the new Black Eyed Peas album. Now, i don't really know all the details about the assault, but this incident got me thinking: Black Eyed Peas, what the hell happened to you?

When they first bust onto the scene with their big single, "Where Is the Love?" I thought, 'What a great song...with a nice message.' But then from there, it ALL went downhill!

I mean, seriously...this R&B/Rap/Hip Hop/Pop group is more popular now than ever by stringing together a bunch of hit songs better known for their stupidity than for how good they are.

My Humps, anyone?

For example, in their current #1 song "Boom Boom Pow" the lyrical genius himself, Will.I.am, writes,

"I'm on the supersonic boom
Y'all hear the space shit zoom
When I step inside the room them girls go apeshit, uh
Y'all stuck on super A-shit
They're no fast super a bit
I'm on that HD flat
This beat go boom boom bat"

Umm...ok.

And let's not forget about "Hey Mama," "Don't Phunk with my Heart," and "Let's Get It Started," which was originally "Let's Get Retarded" but was renamed quickly after...

Who knows? Maybe Will.I.Am really IS a genius. Although I say 'lyrical genius' facetiously, he definitely is a marketing genius, knowing what kids will buy these days & what radio is going to play.

Well...at least I HOPE that is what is going through his mind, and he really isn't just that stupid, thinking his writing is really good!

I can just see the conversation now:

"Hey Fergie, for 'Boom Boom Pow' I came up with a futuristic,
spaceship theme so that people will think we are writing the future of pop
music instead of the same ridiculous, played-out crap that's been on the
radio now for years..."
In my opinion, the Black Eyed Peas would be NOTHING without Fergie. I say that simply because they were nothing before her. (You didn't know that Fergie was a late addition to the group, did you? Oh yeah...they had 2 albums before she came along...) I mean, they really should thank their lucky stars that she decided to come back to the group after going solo.
'
She did have a VERY successful solo album, while Will.I.Am's solo disc completely flopped!
'
HOWEVER, Fergie doesn't get a pass either! With songs like 'Fergalicious' and 'London Bridge', she doesn't necessarily sing the most amazing material! (I wouldn't be surprised if Will.I.Am wrote this sh*t as well!)

The Spelling Bee Queen herself even mispells 'tasty', t-a-s-t-e-y, in the song Fergalicious.

(She also spells out "g-l-a-m-o-r-o-u-s" and "F to the E, R, G the I, the E" in her songs... Hey, whatever rhymes, right?)

And speaking of words that don't rhyme, the Black Eyed Peas are no strangers to fitting words in where they shouldn't be. I mean, the lyrics are usually just really BAD.

In fact...right after you finish reading this blog, go to youtube and listen to their song lyrics...on ANY song! You will definitely see what i mean...

The thing that the Black Eyed Peas do have going for them is a great beat! It's easy to be nitpicky about the lyrics, but the beats are really what sells the music!

I mean...as much as I think 'Boom Boom Pow' is a TERRIBLE song, Yes...I've danced to it when out on a Saturday night!

Having said all that about them, I admit that I do enjoy their brand new single called, "I Gotta Feeling." (Yes...I am overlooking the bad grammar in the title of the song...)

The beat is infectious, and it's a great song to run to!

However, the chorus' lyrics are:


"I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good night
that tonight's gonna be a good good night"

Damn! Where's MY million dollar check, because I could've written THAT sh*t!

Oh well...I'll enjoy the beat.

Although I am coming down hard on them, the Black Eyed Peas are currently laughing all the way to the bank! So, it really doesn't matter what I think...

I'm not their target audience...

So...I now own 2 Black Eyed Peas song on my ipod ("Where is the Love" & "I Gotta Feeling")

Will there be a 3rd?

Come on Black Eyed Peas...I'm pulling for you!

8 comments:

  1. They are ridiculous and their lyrics suck

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  2. I was just in a conversation yesterday about 'I Gotta Feeling' and they say 'Just Do It' 13 times in a row. Fergie also says 'DRANK' I agree that if you look at the lyrics alone it can seem stupid, BUT...

    I remember when they did 'Request Line' with Macy Gray a while back which pushed them into the public eye. 'Lets Get Retarded' IS the actual song, but they released a radio edit called 'Lets Get It Started'

    Also, I think you may have been mistaken with your lyrics, I think its:

    "Y'all stuck on Super 8 shit
    That low-fi stupid 8 bit"

    Kinda like they have moved up to HD sound and everyone else is still on super 8, the shitty sound format.

    I think when it comes to R&B/HipHop, BEP is one of the best.

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  3. PS, Will.I.Am produced Fergie's album and wrote the singles that made her a star. Without him she would still be a little white Stacey Ferguson who used to be on Kids Incorporated.

    ;)

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  4. Oh, maybe you are right about that lyric, Rob. I looked it up online because I had no idea what they were saying...

    Yes, i remember 'Request Line.' I believe it peaked on the Top 40 charts in the low 30s...so while yes, it did hit the charts, it didn't do very well...

    The funny thing is that I am actually pulling for them! haha... Every time they come out with a new song, I secretly hope that it isn't just a ridiculous mess! :)

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  5. Paul, you read my mind. I'm not a huge fan of the group and I HATE Boom Boom Pow, but I do like the new single a lot. It's a great summer song.

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  6. yah they opened for a No Doubt concert way back in the day...and i thought they were really good with some black lady lead singer...then they sold out and got F-U-G-L-Y as their lead singer! mistake! annoying!
    BTW Fergie copys Gwen all the time and is a second rate knock off!

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  7. Can we all reflect on the REAL glory days of BEP? The pre-Fergie days? Does anyone remember "Weekends" feat. Esthero? The entire Bridging the Gap album?

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  8. You're right, they were nothing without Fergie.

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