| Behind the Front | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 30, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1997–1998 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 73:53 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Black Eyed Peas chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Behind the Front | ||||
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Behind the Front is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Black Eyed Peas released on June 30, 1998, through Interscope Records and will.i.am Music Group. [2]
Most of the tracks were demos for the Grass Roots album, with added verses by new member Taboo. The song "Joints & Jam" appeared on the soundtrack of the movie Bulworth , where it was billed as "Joints & Jams". "Be Free" also features in the film She's All That . On the back cover, "Skit 3" is listed after "Duet", when it actually appears after "Communication". This was their only studio album to be released in a Parental Advisory version and an edited version until the release of Masters Of The Sun Vol. 1 . On the edited version's back cover, "Skit 3" is properly listed after "Communication".
Behind the Front was released for vinyl on June 30, 1998, through Interscope Records, will.i.am's imprint will.i.am Music Group and Universal Music Group.
Three singles from the album were released–double single "Fallin' Up/¿Que Dices?" in December 1997, "Joints & Jam" in November 1998 and the final single "Karma" in April 1999.
In 1997, a music video for the song "Head Bobs" was filmed and finished, however, the band decided to not release the song as a single. Around the same time a music video for the song "Fallin' Up" was also created, however, was decided that the album's first official single would be "Joints & Jam", with its respective music video released. A similar video to "Joints & Jam" was filmed for the song "What It Is", but like "Head Bobs" and "Fallin Up", the song wasn't an official single. The last music video to be released from the album was "Karma", the album's second and final official single. All five music videos were included on the DVD Behind the Bridge to Elephunk (2004).
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Robert Christgau |  [3] |
| Melody Maker | [4] |
| RapReviews | 8.5/10 |
| Rolling Stone | [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
Behind the Front received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Matt Conaway of AllMusic stated: "Black Eyed Peas bring some positivity and fun back into hip-hop. Musically there is almost no realm this group does not touch -- right from the jump, the stylistic innocence of "Fallin Up," complete with striking guitar licks, sums up what BEP is all about." [1] Marcus Reeves of Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars, stating: "Behind the Front, offers an organic mixture of sampled melodies and live instruments aimed at those of us seeking a little enlightenment with our well-oiled boogie." [5] Tony Green of JazzTimes also proclaimed that the Black Eyed Peas "provide a musical hip-hop shot that rises beyond mere discussions of consciousness" which "sounds, well dope, with a live band accentuated by clever samples." [7]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fallin' Up" (contains "Skit 1"; featuring Sierra Swan & Planet Swan) |
| 5:09 | |
| 2. | "Clap Your Hands" (featuring Dawn Beckman) |
| 4:57 | |
| 3. | "Joints & Jam" (featuring Ingrid Dupree) |
|
| 3:35 |
| 4. | "The Way U Make Me Feel" (featuring Kim Hill) |
|
| 4:19 |
| 5. | "Movement" (contains "Skit 2") |
| 4:42 | |
| 6. | "Karma" (featuring Einstein Brown) |
| 4:28 | |
| 7. | "Be Free" (featuring Kim Hill) |
| 4:06 | |
| 8. | "Say Goodbye" (featuring Dawn Beckman) |
| 4:01 | |
| 9. | "Duet" (featuring Redfoo) |
|
| 4:21 |
| 10. | "Communication" (contains "Skit 3") |
| 5:41 | |
| 11. | "What It Is" (featuring Kim Hill) |
| 4:45 | |
| 12. | "¿Que Dices?" |
| 4:01 | |
| 13. | "A8" |
| 3:52 | |
| 14. | "Love Won't Wait" (featuring Macy Gray) |
| 3:35 | |
| 15. | "Head Bobs" |
|
| 4:14 |
| 16. | "Positivity" (includes hidden outro) |
| 8:07 |
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [8] | 129 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [9] | 3 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [10] | 37 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums (SNEP) [11] | 149 |
Black Eyed Peas is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo. The group's lineup during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hill in 2002. Originally an alternative hip hop group, they subsequently refashioned themselves as a more marketable pop-rap act. Although the group was founded in Los Angeles in 1995, it was not until the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003 that they achieved high record sales.
Stacy Ann "Fergie" Ferguson is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She first achieved chart success as part of the hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas. Her debut solo album, The Dutchess (2006), saw commercial success and spawned three Billboard Hot 100 number one singles: "London Bridge", "Glamorous", and "Big Girls Don't Cry".
Elephunk is the third studio album by American group the Black Eyed Peas. It was released on June 24, 2003, by A&M Records, Interscope Records and will.i.am Music Group.
"Don't Phunk with My Heart" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fourth studio album Monkey Business (2005). It was written by band members will.i.am and Fergie with Printz Board, George Pajon, Jr. and Full Force; will.i.am also produced and engineered the song. The song is a hip hop song in which the lyrics, according to will.i.am, tell of a situation between a couple when one tries to end the relationship and the other is in disbelief. It features compositional samples of songs derived from two Bollywood films of the 1970s, Apradh (1972) and Don (1978), as well as interpolations of Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam's 1985 single "I Wonder If I Take You Home" and Gucci Crew II's 1988 single "Sally ", hence earning Kalyanji–Anandji, Indeewar and Full Force songwriting credits. The song was released as the lead single from Monkey Business on April 5, 2005, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
Monkey Business is the fourth studio album by American group the Black Eyed Peas. It was released on June 7, 2005, by A&M Records, Interscope Records and will.i.am Music Group.
Allan Pineda Lindo, known professionally as apl.de.ap, is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas.
"Don't Lie" is a song performed by American recording group the Black Eyed Peas, taken from their fourth studio album, Monkey Business (2005). It was released as the second single from the album on July 26, 2005, after the successful "Don't Phunk with My Heart".
"My Humps" is a hip hop and dance song recorded by American group The Black Eyed Peas for their fourth studio album Monkey Business (2005). It is written and produced by group member will.i.am and structured as a duet between will.i.am and Fergie. The song sparked controversy because of its title and lyrics, which center on Fergie using her breasts and buttocks to accomplish her goals. It was released as the third single from Monkey Business on September 20, 2005 by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
"Request + Line" is a song recorded by American group Black Eyed Peas for their second studio album Bridging the Gap (2000). The song features vocals from Macy Gray. It was released as the third and final single from Bridging the Gap on January 30, 2001, by Interscope Records.
Jaime Luis Gomez, better known by the stage names Taboo, or Taboo Nawasha is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, DJ, and comic book writer, best known as a member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas.
"Where Is the Love?" is a song by American hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas. It was released on May 12, 2003, as the lead single from their third album, Elephunk (2003). The song was written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Justin Timberlake, Printz Board, Michael Fratantuno, and George Pajon. The track features vocals from Timberlake, although he is not officially credited on the single release. It was the group's first song to feature singer Fergie as an official member.
The E.N.D. is the fifth studio album by American group the Black Eyed Peas. It was released on June 3, 2009, by Interscope Records.
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album The E.N.D. (2009). It was written by group members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, being produced by will.i.am. The song features a vocal sample from the 1990 song "Reach Out" by British house duo Sweet Mercy featuring singer Rowetta. It was released as the lead single from The E.N.D. on February 22, 2009, by Interscope Records.
"Imma Be" is a song by the American group the Black Eyed Peas from their fifth studio album The E.N.D. (2009). The song's title is a slang expression, meaning "I am going to be" or "I will be". Initially released as a promotional single, the song went on to receive a full release as the fourth single from The E.N.D. on January 12, 2010, by Interscope Records.
"Joints & Jam" is the second single by American hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas, taken from their debut studio album, Behind the Front. The song features the vocals of Ingrid Dupree. The song is featured in the Bulworth soundtrack. A remix of this song, titled "That's the Joint", appears on the group's fifth studio album, The E.N.D. The song samples "Love Till the End of Time" by Paulinho da Costa and Hill sings a reworking of Frankie Valli's "Grease". The song was sampled in the Nextmen's "Amongst the Madness" which appeared in the classic video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.
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| Video albums | |
| Singles |
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| Promotional singles | |
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