The Black Eyed Peas
Years back, a friend of mine who loves hip-hop gave me a stack of burned CDs. In amongst the Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest that I'd asked him for was a CD called "Bridging The Gap" by a group I'd only vaguely heard of called the Black Eyed Peas. I gave it a few listens, and it was pretty good. Not quite as good as Tribe or Jurassic 5, but still, a decent album. I continued to listen to it semi-regularly when I was in a hip-hop mood.

A while later, a different friend of mine told me to check out a song called "Let's Get Retarded", which turned out to also be by the Black Eyed Peas. Hmm. A bit less interesting than the album I had, but still, a fun little party tune. I guessed they'd got some guest vocalist in to sing the chorus, though. I heard a version on the radio which had, in somewhat of a sellout move, been re-titled "Let's Get It Started", presumably because uptight PC types had whinged. They also did some thing with Justin Timberlake that I could really take or leave. I didn't bother even downloading that album, let alone buying it.

Later still, I had the misfortune to hear "My Humps". It turned out that who I had thought was a guest vocalist was actually a full-time member of the band, and now they had farted out this pile of dreck with her singing about her "lady lumps", which at first made me wonder if the song was trying to raise breast cancer awareness. Where previously I had recommended Black Eyed Peas to people, based on the album I had, I now started to keep my mouth shut in case people thought I liked their current stuff, as I had no desire to be hunted down and killed by a righteous populace.

Fast forward now to 2009. I don't listen to the radio much, because 99% of the music they play on there is crap, but I was in a car with friends when the most insipid song I have ever heard in my life started to ooze from the speakers. Autotuned vocals over an uninspired quasi-techno beat proclaimed that the singer "had a feeling" that tonight was "going to be a good night", and in fact, "a good, good night". Over the next few minutes I was reduced to a quivering lump of hate by the sheer depths of common denominator which this... thing plumbed. The entirety of the lyrics, which were clearly carefully designed to be chanted along to by boozed up lobotomy patients, were based on going out, spending money and drinking. Now don't get me wrong, I love spending money on alcohol, but this made me wonder if the song was specifically commissioned by some liquor sellers association to get the anthropoid masses to fork over their cash even faster than usual. When that wretched harpy Fergie shrieked "DRANK" halfway through the song I was filled with such rage that I wanted to wrench out the stereo and hurl it from the window. And don't even get me started on "Boom Boom Pow". "POW" AND "STYLE" DO NOT RHYME, YOU SYPHILITIC HAG.

So, fuck you, Black Eyed Peas, and especially fuck Fergie. Before she joined, you actually used to make good music, but as soon as "Let's Get Retarded" achieved a modicum of success you sold out faster than a Mexican policeman. And that's what hurts the most. I can accept crappy bands making crappy music - that's what they do. But going from this to this in a quest for chart success? Inexcusable.
(oball needs Satan more than he needs me, Fri 5 Feb 2010, 1:08, 9 replies)

Wasn't there that whole album with fergie before "let' get retarded"
with that "where is the love?" song?
( morrybyte made a subtle namechange at, Fri 5 Feb 2010, 8:58, closed)

Nup
Same album. Elephunk. Their third album. The first two were decent, everything after nosedived into utter shite.
(oball needs Satan more than he needs me, Fri 5 Feb 2010, 15:47, closed)

Could not agree more...
..with your assessment of the BEP.
Mr Bear has all their stuff and when we're in his car, that's what's on. Jesus, the sheer inanity of their stuff! Every song runs indistinguishably into the next. Sometimes I think I'm going to cry from frustration at the lack of originality.
Have a click.
(Mediumsizedbear is trying to be littler., Fri 5 Feb 2010, 15:38, closed)

The overplaying of "Where Is The Love?" and the "good good night" one
make me want to choke a bitch.
( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Fri 5 Feb 2010, 20:27, closed)

Also
Fergie's solo career gave us this, which is far and away the worst 'serious' song I've ever heard.
( Dave McF wrote some words on, Sat 6 Feb 2010, 2:23, closed)

Lyrics
I actually went to check the lyrics of that song. And you are right, there is no excuse. Jeeves, set the dogs on them.
(sunbomb, Sat 6 Feb 2010, 3:34, closed)

Shit band before...
...shit band now.

Go listen to some Five Finger Death Punch.
(Billy The Fish wants to gargle with Lucy Pinder's bath water, Sun 7 Feb 2010, 14:28, closed)

OK, I did
Wow, generic pissed-off-at-my-dad white boy nu-metal. They're certainly pioneering a brave new sound there.

Sorry, but I prefer to stick to real metal, like High On Fire.
(oball needs Satan more than he needs me, Sun 7 Feb 2010, 23:36, closed)

I just followed your link....
...and they're fucking aces! Off to the Russian sites for a bit of downloading. Ta for the tip!
(Billy The Fish wants to gargle with Lucy Pinder's bath water, Tue 9 Feb 2010, 19:22, closed)