Ever since they were a young group in the environs of Los Angeles, The Black Eyed Peas have earned fans with their inventive approach to hip-hop music, inspiring people with loose rhymes, a positive spirit and funkafied vibe. Original members Will.I.Am. and Apl.De.Ap met in 1989 as eighth grade students; in 1995 they recruited Taboo and signed with Interscope. Newest member Fergie joined for the band's 3rd album, the multi-platinum Elephunk, released in 2003. That quartet went on to win a 2005 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for the hit "Let's Get It Started."
BEP's music has always been firmly entrenched in hip-hop but with an eye to other musical forms as well. On Monkey Business, the band's current multi-platinum album, they combine unmistakable hooks ("Pump It"), funky pop ("Don't Phunk With My Heart") and playfulness ("My Humps") to create a unique synthesis of styles. Their efforts were again rewarded with a Grammy in 2006 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Don't Phunk With My Heart." With clever, irreverent rhymes throughout, this is a band that is at the forefront of the current cultural and musical renaissance in hip-hop.