When violence, riot, and drugs surrounded hip-hop in the late 1990s, the Black Eyed Peas was formed to explore the exactly different path. Their story started way back in 1988 when will.i.am (born William Adams) and apl.de.ap (born Allan Pineda Lindo) met in the 8th grade and formed a breakdancing crew that soon turned into a rap duo. After performing for small venues around Los Angeles, N.W.A. and founder, Eazy-E, signed them to his Ruthless Records label.
Eazy-E passed away from AIDS in 1995, and the atmosphere within the label was slowly deteriorating. That's not the case for will.i.am and apl.de.ap, however, and they recruited Taboo and Kim Hill to form the band we know today as The Black Eyed Peas. Unlike the gangsta rap sound that was prominent back in the days, the group adopted a conscious musical and appearance style. Sierra Swan joined the band in 1998 but left with Kim Hill in 2000.
In 2002, as Fergie joined the group, The Black Eyed Peas' popularity seemed to skyrocket. To this date, the group has sold over 75 million records. Apart from their recent collaboration with J. Balvin, Ritmo, and Snoop Dogg-featured Be Nice, these 15 pictures are what the members of The Black Eyed Peas have been up to these days.
15. will.i.am: #willpower (2013)
Via will.i.am/YouTube
After years of a successful career with The Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am added another lucrative album to his discography catalog. He released his fourth studio album, #willpower, on April 19, 2013, which features cameos from Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Skylar Grey, Nicole Scherzinger, Afrojack, and many others. The album debuted at number 9 on the Billboard 200 chart, with 489.000 copies sold.
14. apl.de.ap: The SEA Games (2019)
Via Manilla Bulletin
Little did casual fans know, but apl.de.ap, real name Allan Pineda Lindo, is a Philippines-native. He was born in the City of Angeles, Pampanga, Philippines, from an African-American father and a Filipino mother. He's never afraid to represent his Filipino roots, like in 2019, when he performed at the opening ceremony of the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Manila, Philippines.
13. Taboo: Rumble (2017)
Via Collider
On the other hand, Taboo, real name Jaime Luis Gomez, is of Shoshone American Native and Mexican descent. In 2017, Taboo appeared on a documentary, Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World, as himself. "He (Stevie Salas, the producer) came to me and was like, "Are you down to do something about your culture?," Taboo recalled the moment. "And I was like, "Man, I want to learn more about my culture because I'm an L.A. kid!"
12. Fergie: Double Duchess (2017)
Via Fergie/YouTube
Stacy 'Fergie' Ferguson is probably the most well-known member of the group with the most successful career as a solo artist. During the peak of The Black Eyed Peas in the early 2000s, Fergie found an opportunity to release her debut album, The Dutchess. Its follow-up, Double Dutchess, was released in 2017. The album has a bit of hip-hop flavor in it with cameos from rappers like YG, Rick Ross, and Nicki Minaj.
11. will.i.am: The Voice (2019)
Via The Voice
Apart from his work as an artist, will.i.am also worked as a coach, a mentor, and a judge on The Voice UK, The Voice Australia, and The Voice Kids. He even reached out to his friend and ex-The X Factor judge, Cheryl Cole, "So my whole thing was that I want to do The Voice, but I don't want to hog up a time to where the singers up there are looking like, 'Is this about you guys?"
10. apl.de.ap: Filipino & Proud (2019)
Via Noel TV
apl.de.ap is a proud Filipino who beautifully shows it when he performed at the Filipino Heritage Night: Los Angeles Clippers vs. Charlotte Hornets in 2019. Jessica Reynoso, his protege from The Voice Philippines, and Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao, Filipino boxing legend, also made their appearances during the halftime show. Clippers took home 128 points and won the match.
9. Taboo: Taboo Vs. Cancer (2014)
Via AFP/The Jakarta Post
The plane came crashing down for Taboo in 2014 when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. "My life flashed before my eyes," Taboo recalled the moment to AFP. "I thought about my kids. I thought about my wife. Nothing prepares you for the shock of someone telling you you have that horrible disease."
8. Fergie: A Failed Rendition Of The Star-Spangled Banner (2018)
In 2018, Fergie became a hot topic to talk about, but that wasn't for a good thing. She miserably failed to hit the right note while performing The Star-Spangled Banner, the US national anthem, at the opening ceremony of the NBA All-Star Game. It was disastrous, and she apologized for the poorly executed performance, "I'm a risk taker artistically, but clearly, this rendition didn't strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best."
7. will.i.am: Nasty, Nasty Blunder (2020)
Via ITV
Apparently, will.i.am's work on The Voice wasn't running so smoothly at all. In 2020, he mistakenly claimed the song Songbird as Eva Cassidy's, but in fact, it was actually written by Fleetwood Mac. Fans weren't having it, and they took it to Twitter to impress their displeasure. Ouch.
6. apl.de.ap: Apl Foundation
Via apl.de.ap Foundation
The glams of the face of one of the highest-selling groups of all time never blind apl.de.ap to give back to the society that once propelled him to where he is now. Back in 2008, he founded the Apl Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps various communities and children in the Philippines and throughout Asia.
After years of battling the disease, Taboo is finally cancer-free. It wasn't an easy journey to get there, as he went through an agonizing series of chemotherapy treatments: 12 weeks of six-hour daily sessions. Today, however, the Los Angeles native is an ambassador for the American Cancer Society and a vocal ally and fundraiser for cancer survivors everywhere.
4. Fergie: Three Peas In A Pod (2013)
Via People
In 2013, Fergie completed her motherhood status after she delivered a 7 lbs & 10 oz baby boy, Axl Jack, from her relationship with her then-sweetheart, Josh Duhamel. The couple, however, split up in 2017 after eight years of marriage. The reason? One source told E! News that they have “completely different lifestyles,” adding that “they have always had very separate lives and not a lot in common … There wasn’t a lot of overlap in priorities.”
3. Honorable Mention: Kim Hill
Via NY Times
The Black Eyed Peas might be famous for its pop club-oriented sound with a little R&B and hip-hop flavor, but back in their early days, the group's orientation was solely on wholesome, socially-conscious hip-hop. Before Fergie, there was Kim Hill. She joined the band in 1995 but left the group in 2001 due to concerns over being over-sexualized by the group's label. .
2. Honorable Mention: Sierra Swan
Via Talent House
There isn't so much information about Sierra Swan and her time with The Black Eyed Peas. Sources had been continuously saying that she's an official member of the band, but she turned down the rumor. She appeared on their 1998 track from Behind the Front album, Fallin' Up. Her recent solo work, Good Soldier, was released in 2014.
1. The Fate Of The Group
Via Grammy
So, what's next from the group? With Fergie officially leaving the band in 2018 after not being featured on their seventh studio album, Masters of the Sun, many fans expect them to recruit a new member to fill the gap. Maybe Nicole Scherzinger, who was auditioned back in 2002? Who knows! Nonetheless, we all are waiting for their miraculous comeback.
