Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk

Since their debut, Behind The Front, the Black Eyed Peas have existed in hip-hop limbo, a place where certain groups float somewhere between the underground and the mainstream. For better or worse, no matter what critical success came their way, they just remained there. BEP had developed the credibility of an underground artist, but at the same time constructed music that should've been as hypnotically catchy as any top-40 smash. Then, with BEP's sophomore effort, Bridging The Gap, the hip-hop world took notice, and the album featured appearances from Mos Def, De La Soul and Wyclef, among others. Yet, now, with their new album, Elephunk, it seems that something has just made the Black Eyed Peas snap creatively. It's always been Will.I.Am, Apl De Ap, and Taboo, but now they've thrown in "tough girl" Fergie (no, not the Dutchess of York). Since I haven't seen anything explaining the new addition, I think it's safe to assume that BEP were probably persuaded to add in the female demographic… umm, I mean vocalist. Though, Fergie can hang with the best of them, so she is actually a nice surprise. So, what's wrong with this album? The set kicks off with "Hands Up" and it's a trademark, brilliant BEP cut - live instrumentation mixed with samples, vocals and digital effects. Yet, as "Labor (It's A Holiday)" spins, the originality that people have come to expect from BEP begins to fade. The occasional "ooh, ooh" comes off like a marketing ploy to rekindle early-90's hip-hop nostalgia, while the chorus is somewhere between a bad rip of Kool And The Gang and Madonna. "Let's Get Retarded" is a little hard to swallow in the lyrical department. No matter how much I want to enjoy the music, I just can't sing, "let's get retarted!" The rest of the album fluctuates up and down - with the standouts being the "Putting On The Ritz" chorus of "Smells Like Funk", the N.E.R.D-esk chorus of the "Sexy" salsa, "Fly Away", and everything except Fergie's verse on "The Boogie That B". For the most part, where BEP might have come with something fresh in the past, they've fallen back into the same popular, quirky, kitchen-sink styles that Busta Rhymes, Timbaland, Missy Elliott and The Neptunes have pioneered. It's easy to be torn over to this record. For those with no history of the Black Eyed Peas, there are no expectations and Elephunk will probably be an enjoyable album. While a bit derivative in the style, it's a solid set of songs with immaculate production. Yet, the album doesn't deliver compared to BEP albums of the past. The set of songs comes off sounding like a by-product of major label sales expectations and a lucrative top-40, hip-hop market created by token hip-hop producers. Hell, they even got Justin Timberlake on their sugary, hip-pop single, "Where Is The Love". It sounds selfish, but, how am I supposed to ignore that? [www.blackeyedpeas.com]